MILPITAS, Calif., July 16, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), the world's largest provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments and individuals, today announced that Globalstar USA, LLC has signed a distribution or sales representative agreement with Hamilton Associates of Arvada, CO, a leading manufacturer's representative company specializing in the distribution of electrical utility products. Hamilton will represent Globalstar while distributing Globalstar's recently launched satellite-based remote automated utility meter reading interface (MRI) solution, designed to communicate with meters located in areas not served by terrestrial wireless or the public landline telephone system. According to the contract, Hamilton will act as the sales representative or selling agent for the Globalstar MRI series of data products and provide promotional, merchandising and training support for customers located in Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
"This agreement with Hamilton demonstrates Globalstar's continued commitment to expand the distribution of our innovative mobile satellite voice and data services to our core commercial market customers," said Mark Stevenson, Vice President, Strategic Sales and Alliances for Globalstar, Inc. Mr. Stevenson added, "We are pleased to be working with Hamilton as our primary representative and MRI distribution partner and we look forward to further expansion into other regional territories later this year."
"We are excited about the opportunities Globalstar brings in offering improved communication capabilities for remote and hard to read meter locations," said John Schmidt, president of Hamilton Associates. Mr. Schmidt added, "As a 75 year-old company serving the utility industry, we feel Globalstar provides an efficient and cost effective solution for remote data acquisition. The Globalstar MRI product eliminates the need for manual meter reading by individuals in remote areas and the associated high overhead costs in man and equipment time. It also virtually eliminates the potential remote safety communications issues that could arise for meter readers during inclement weather."
The MRI product provides utility companies with a way to communicate with remote CI (commercial and industrial) utility meters using the Globalstar satellite network substituting for the public telephone network. The MRI transmits and receives information between the meter and the utility company backoffice host system. The MRI provides a way to manage and collect meter data while eliminating the need for, and the costs associated with, sending workers into remote and sometimes hazardous areas just to read a utility meter. This can result in increased productivity and workplace safety while decreasing the high costs associated with remote meter-reading fleet management. Because utility companies typically only require a few minutes each day to collect and transmit information, the Globalstar Duplex data network can easily provide a highly reliable and cost effective data collection and command execution solution.
The new Globalstar MRI module is designed for use with ANSI C12.18, 19, and 21 compliant products. It is housed in a robust water-resistant housing and can be installed on a utility meter that is located in a remote location. When usage or load information of a meter is required, the utility backoffice initiates a PSTN call to the remote meter's modem after referencing the Globalstar OSAT satellite availability tool. The server communicates with the utility meter as if the meter were connected to a standard public telephone line.
The Globalstar MRI module is now available in the United States and Canada. The product is also expected to be launched in other countries later this year. For additional sales and pricing information regarding the Globalstar MRI product in the United States please contact Dwayne MacTavish at (817) 421.5778 or via email at dwayne.mactavish@globalstar.com. In Canada please contact Martin Jefferson at (905) 712.7110 or via email at mjefferson@globalstar.ca
About Globalstar, Inc.
With over 350,000 subscribers, Globalstar is the world's largest provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to commercial and recreational users in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many land based and maritime industries benefit from Globalstar with increased productivity from remote areas beyond cellular and landline service. Global customer segments include: oil and gas, government, mining, forestry, commercial fishing, utilities, military, transportation, heavy construction, emergency preparedness, and business continuity as well as individual recreational users. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.
For more information regarding Globalstar, please visit Globalstar's web site at www.globalstar.com
Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Releases
This press release contains certain statements such as, "The new Globalstar MRI is now available in the United States and Canada and is expected to be launched in other countries later this year," that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including demand for our products and services, including commercial acceptance of our new Simplex products, including our SPOT Satellite Messenger product, and the ability to retain and migrate our two-way communications services subscribers to our second-generation constellation when it is deployed; problems relating to the construction, launch or in-orbit performance of our existing and future satellites; including the effects of the degrading ability of our first-generation satellite constellation to support two-way communication; problems relating to the ground-based facilities operated by us or by independent gateway operators; our ability to attract sufficient additional funding to meet our future capital requirements including deployment of our second-generation constellation; competition and its competitiveness vis-a-vis other providers of satellite and ground-based communications products and services; the pace and effects of industry consolidation; the continued availability of launch insurance on commercially reasonable terms, and the effects of any insurance exclusions; changes in technology; our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel; worldwide economic, geopolitical and business conditions and risks associated with doing business on a global basis; and legal, regulatory, and tax developments, including changes in domestic and international government regulation.
Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence our financial results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.