“During the Haiti disaster-recovery effort, UN aid agencies, NGOs, the military, private sector and other disaster-response and development stakeholders identified key areas where closer co-ordination would improve future operations,” said David Hartshorn, Secretary General, GVF. “This Summit will explore how more effective co-ordination can be applied.” “From hurricanes to earthquakes, and from civil wars to terrorist attacks, ICT holds great potential to address disaster-response and development requirements,” said Sula Bruce, Project Director for the Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF). “This Summit will provide an important opportunity for all participants to discuss how to unlock that potential.”

The Summit will explore two areas:

State of the Art ICT Solutions
The current ICT default for first responders’ disaster-preparedness capability is similar among most disaster-preparedness stakeholder groups, having been pre-configured with a range of portable sets that include satellite phones, data terminals, and other tools. These approaches enable first responders to quickly deploy at the disaster site and establish communications back to their respective home organizations, with needs assessments and logistical information.

However, there is little in the way of local communications between those based in the disaster zone. Further, for the most part, disaster-response stakeholders often do not have an ICT approach that addresses the more robust on-the-ground collective solution that can also be transitioned into a medium and longer term infrastructure with scale capabilities - or that can eventually be transitioned into a permanent, locally-operated, commercial enterprise. The Summit will explore the extent to which NGOs, UN aid agencies, the private sector, the military, and other stakeholders are applying complementary approaches that can more effectively satisfy these requirements.

Forging Closer Stakeholder Collaboration
To promote adoption of ICT for disaster preparedness and development, closer coordination is needed amongst relevant stakeholder groups. There is a growing recognition that creating a common communications culture - increasing trust and setting a foundation for collaboration and information sharing - can be achieved without undermining either the neutrality of civilian international organizations, inter-governmental organizations, and NGOs or the need for the military to safeguard operational security information. Many stakeholders agree that the creation of a collaborative information environment can be achieved if multiple stakeholder groups are sensitive to one another’s concerns. Resources can be more closely coordinated not only for preparedness and first-responder efforts, but also for mid- and long-term reconstruction. These options increasingly include “leave-behind” infrastructure for local partners, whether they be private, governmental, or non-governmental agencies. Depending on local regulations and capability constraints, leave-behind infrastructure can be used to jump-start host-nation ICT infrastructure recovery and reconstruction and provide commercial opportunities to seed economic revitalization through ICT infrastructure development.

Coordination challenges span differences in culture, language, organization, training and education, doctrine, planning and analysis, and communications and information systems. Unfortunately, old business models and restrictive policies continue to be applied to support what have become highly dynamic, collaborative needs and requirements in complex operations. In spite of multiple “lessons learned” reports from past experiences, many of the same issues continue to confound the response community in each deployment. This open-forum dialogue aims to address that challenge.

All delegates will be welcome to participate in the Summit discussions and to identify means by which preparedness and development can be further advanced through closer coordination amongst key stakeholder groups.

“The growing global appetite for natural resources is rapidly driving mining concerns into emerging markets,” said Martin Creamer, Publisher of Creamer Media and Editor of Mining Weekly. “The need for cost-effective communications to support remote operations has never been greater. This agreement aims to strengthen understanding of how satellite and other complementary communications tools are being used to address critical mining challenges.”

“From workforce development and safety to remote monitoring and logistics, there are an increasing number of mining applications being addressed by satellite-enabled network solutions,” said David Hartshorn, Secretary General of GVF. “Through this agreement, Creamer Media and GVF intend to heighten awareness of innovative approaches that are producing positive results in the mining sector.”

Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly publication and MiningWeekly.com, which receives 43,000 unique visitors per week, will begin co-ordinating with GVF on industry news, event information, and special reports that reveal the impact of communications trends on each stage of the mining project life cycle, both for the majors and for the juniors.

The order comprises a variety of Comtech EF Data products, including the CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem, companion redundancy switches and the CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers. The award-winning CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem combines advanced technologies for maximum bandwidth efficiency under all conditions, including DoubleTalk(R) Carrier-in-Carrier(R) bandwidth compression, patented VersaFEC(R) low latency LDPC forward error correction with Adaptive Coding and Modulation, patent pending ultra low overhead streamline encapsulation, header compression and payload compression. The CSAT-5060 C-Band Transceivers provide flexibility, ease of installation and RF performance typically available only with independent, solid-state power amplifier and frequency converter topologies.

Also included in the order is the CX-U Series cellular backhaul platform from Comtech EF Data’s subsidiary, Memotec, Inc. Memotec’s CX-U Series is a dedicated cellular backhaul platform delivering Radio Access Network optimization and A/E voice trunks compression. The CX-U reduces the bandwidth required to backhaul cellular traffic, therefore avoiding costly forklift network upgrades. The result is a significant reduction in operating and capital expenses.

Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., said, “Given the CAPEX and OPEX savings our technologies deliver, mobile operators are able to make compelling business cases to replace legacy networks with Comtech equipment.”

This next event in the Series - the 9th Oil & Gas Communications Conference - which is to be held in Aberdeen on 12th & 13th May 2010, will include a live satellite-link demonstration, the introduction of a series of mini-panel dialogues on key - and contentious - issues in the oil & gas communications sphere, and an extended geographical scope to include subjects related to the communications imperatives of oil & gas exploration and production in the Arctic Basin.

As in previous years, Schlumberger will be the lead sponsor for the 2010 Aberdeen conference, with Eutelsat, Hermes Datacomms, and IPX International Systems also featuring as key sponsors. Additional companies will be joining the sponsor line-up in due course. Commenting on the event, Paul Khayat, Marketing Manager, Schlumberger Global Connectivity Services, said “the GVF Oil & Gas Communications event serves as a platform for dialogue between the VSAT and oil and gas communities. This event should be an exciting opportunity to stimulate communication between the two industries.”

Nicholas Daly, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Eutelsat added “We are pleased to be supporting this event once again - it provides is an excellent opportunity to meet with our customers and at the same time gain current perspectives on industry initiatives and future trends, which in turn drives our product developments for our satellite communications business lines.”

Hermes Datacomms will contribute one of this year’s conference programme innovations, an outdoor demonstration of a truck-mounted, self-deploy, ‘flyaway’ VSAT, which will provide the link for the delivery of a conference presentation covering the topics of: auto-Deploy VSAT; meshed private TDMA networks; use of robust wireless video equipment for visual collaboration from field locations; voice and video prioritisation on saturated links; monitoring; and, out-of-band management. Referencing the significance of the demonstration, Gary Steer, Technical Director, said “People expect more and more from their VSAT systems, not only in demanding offshore locations but also onshore environments where it is difficult or impossible to rely on common forms of communication, such as North Africa, Central Asia and the developing markets of Iraq and Afghanistan. The forum gives us a chance to showcase the full range of solutions we offer, in a rapid deployment package, and we are looking forward to presenting an exciting real world demonstration”.

Martin Jarrold, Chief of International Programme Development with GVF, and Chairman of both the Oil & Gas Communications Conference Series and the Broadband Maritime Conference Series, commented, “The vertical market conference event momentum of the GVF/UK-EMP partnership continues to go from strength to strength, as illustrated by the many indications of support we have received for the introduction of the mini-panel dialogues on certain specific oil & gas communications topics on the Aberdeen agenda.”
Amongst these mini-panel dialogues will be discussion on:

21st Century Oil & Gas ICT Networking: Development & Deployment Dynamics which will pose such questions as:

Technology & Topology in Networking Communications and the Digital Application - Which is the chicken? Which is the Egg?

Commercial Applications in the Satellite Environment - What do developers need to know beyond their fibre frame of reference?

North Sea Oil & Gas Field Maturity - What does this mean for satellite-based application functionality and cost-effectiveness?

The North Sea Experience - What lessons for new oil & gas exploration and production frontiers?

Next Generation Applications in Oil & Gas - What does it mean for satellite technology?

Advancing E&P Horizons: Evolving the Satellite Networking Requirement to the Arctic Frontier will examine such issues as:

Satellite Operators & the High Polar Latitudes - What are the current limitations and future prospects?

Elliptical & Inclined - Will there be a realistic, new market-driven business model for growth beyond GEO?

LEOs - Where will the existing constellations fit into the Arctic communications landscape?

How will earth station/terminal/antenna manufacturers and vendors position themselves for this new and important, but niche, market?

Will the limited market size reduce opportunities for competitive equipment pricing through the absence of economies of scale?

How will existing stabilized and tracking antenna technologies be adapted and deployed for the new Arctic communications market?

The Aberdeen programme will also feature the following elements:

Leveraging Digital Oilfield Advantages in the Lower Latitudes of the North Sea

Current & Future Generations of Communications Infrastructure: Realizing Access to the Digital Oilfield in Higher Latitudes

Narrowband SCADA & Asset Tracking Data in a Broadband Satellite Oil & Gas Environment

GVF Satellite Installation New Training Dynamics for Oil & Gas Communications in the North Sea

First Mile… Last Mile… for Oil & Gas: Networking Solutions & Technology Hybrids

Real-Time Data Monitoring, Data Management Remote Collaboration & Operations Support Centres

The Design & Ergonomics of the Collaborative Visualization Environment

Europe’s Oil & Gas Patch in the Greater Oil & Gas World: Global VSAT & Local Wireless Connectivity

Maintaining the Business Mission Critical Link: Oil & Gas Communications When Disaster Strikes

Redundancy Maximization: Extending Out-of-band Control & Monitoring.

GVF Secretary General, David Hartshorn, added “Two important, and closely related, questions will be tackled in the Aberdeen programme. Firstly, how is the latest generation of cutting-edge communications solutions and digital oilfield/gasfield applications - with their genesis in the hostile offshore environment of the North Sea, and now with their current and continuing development taking place in the context of offshore exploration and production in South East Asia, West Africa, etc - now being re-applied to the context of the depleting reserves of the North Sea? Secondly, how might the ICT-related lessons of this North Sea-to-currently-emergent energy regions history now be applied to the totally new prospects offered by an increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean?”

Mission critical operational success in the oil & gas exploration and production environment has been dependent on access to the most efficient information and communications technologies, and to the wealth of sophisticated applications these technologies bring to the disposal of the teams of geologists, geophysicists, drilling engineers, seismic data analysts, etc., who not only locate new oil & gas reserves but assist in developing more effective and efficient techniques for yielding them from beneath the ocean floor. Satellite, satellite-wireless hybrid, and wireless platforms, have made, and continue to make, a vital contribution to this ICT access, providing essential connectivity to vital applications in a range of challenging geographic environments.

Added Paul Stahl, Managing Partner of UK-EMP, “The role of satellite in oil & gas is well developed, but still has potential to evolve and expand. Therefore, the Aberdeen conference will explore this future evolution and expansion, not only with reference to the later stages of North Sea exploration and production, but with reference to the emergence of the fresh energy-yielding potential of the high northern latitudes.”

For further information regarding the GVF 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Communications Europe Conference: ‘Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics from the North Sea to the Arctic Ocean’ please contact Martin Jarrold at martin.jarrold@gvf.org or Paul Stahl at paul.stahl@uk-emp.co.uk or visit the conference web page at www.uk-emp.co.uk/3rd.O&G.Europe.2010/. Conference sponsorship options to support the Aberdeen programme are still available, and details of the various benefits packages are available by email from Paul Stahl.

Following the 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Communications Europe Conference the GVF/UK-EMP Broadband Maritime Series will continue with GVF Broadband Maritime Europe 2010: ‘Innovation in Communications Solutions for the Sea Lanes’ in London on 1st & 2nd June (http://www.uk-emp.co.uk/BMEu.Ldn.2010/). Whilst maintaining a focus on the key elements of maritime satellite communications that are common to all ocean regions and seaways, the conference will introduce regionally-unique topics and themes, such as the opening to year-round navigation of arctic seaways affected by climate change and melting polar sea ice. The programme will also feature embedded topics relating to networking communications and ICT applications solutions surrounding the deployment of naval logistical resources when engaged in collaboration with International Organisations, and Non-Governmental Organisations, for emergency response, and development, situations, etc. More detail on the themes of ‘Communications Systems in Naval Dynamics 2010′ will be advised in future press releases.

“We can provide the perfect solution to these requirements” said Jean-Claude Bisenius, Managing Director of atrexx. “We firstly evaluate the needs of the customer in order to propose an end-to-end solution using state-of-the-art SCPC equipment. We then calculate the link budget, procure the space segment required, program the modem, and help the customer to line-up the satellite with our teleport partners. When we are satisfied that everything is working to the end-user’s requirements, we pass over full control of the network to the customer. However, atrexx is always there to provide support and monitoring whenever it is needed.”

The complete, structured solution has several key advantages for the customer. It is scalable with small bandwidth increments, flexible and will grow as a business does. It also allows the customer to have overall control of the network without the involvement of any telecommunications or teleport provider - yet with the assurance of strong service partner support, should it be required. There is low latency, as all communications from headquarters to remote sites is via single hop. This is a strong benefit when compared to a traditional solution involving a hub station in Europe, resulting in double hop communication and thus double latency. The single hop solution proposed by atrexx only needs half the satellite bandwidth of a hub based alternative and thus is very cost-effective.

The service is made possible due to the use of new, high power satellites that lower customer’s investment. An antenna of typically 1.8 m in Ku-Band and 2.4m in C-Band is required at each side of the link. The hubless solution is thus as affordable to implement as a traditional VSAT network.

“Working across vast continents such as Africa, where conventional travel can sometimes be challenging, means large organizations need to maximize on the potential of communications technology,” said atrexx’ customer Olanrewaju Ore from KKON Technologies in Nigeria which have set up and provide support to a large bank network”. The bank needs to equal the efficiency across the world and atrexx has come up with a superb solution that allows us to achieve all this, and also to do it very cost effectively. The great support from atrexx has helped to have the complete satellite based corporate network up and running within days”, Mr. Ore continued.

The satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, will provide video and data services through its high power Ku-band payload. Once IS-15 is operational, it will replace Intelsat?s 709 satellite at 85º E, and is expected to have a useful life of at least 17 years.

Customers will use IS-15?s capacity to distribute in-demand services that include cellular backhaul, for wireless communications to remote locations; broadband networks for enterprise applications; IP trunking, for robust Internet connectivity; and video services, for DTH programming.

?IS-15 is our second launch of 2009, and the second in an 11-satellite launch campaign, the largest in Intelsat?s history. This spacecraft will have a satellite footprint that covers the majority of the Middle East, the Indian Ocean region and Russia, making it an ideal spacecraft for delivering services to customers operating in these regions,? said Dave McGlade, Intelsat CEO. ?This satellite is also supporting the expansion of government applications in the Indian Ocean region.?

IS-15 Payload to Strengthen SKY Perfect JSAT Broadband Offering Of the IS-15’s 22 Ku-band transponders, five are owned by SKY Perfect JSAT Corp.

?IS-15 will offer SKY Perfect JSAT the ability to provide direct broadband connections between Japan and the coastal countries and sea areas throughout the Indian Ocean region, delivering interactive mobile communications for ships and other vessels at sea,? said Masanori Akiyama, President and CEO of SKY Perfect JSAT.

The IS-15 satellite furthers the strong relationship between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. Intelsat and JSAT International, the U.S. subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT Corp., jointly own the Horizons 1 and Horizons 2 satellites, delivering video and network services throughout North America.

Many requests come from governmental organizations or from banks and large companies that wish to provide telecommunication links from headquarters in a city to multiple offices within a country or outside it. This type of connectivity is possible using Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC) equipment, even if your requirement is to link up to several locations.

atrexx can provide the perfect solution to these connectivity requirements. We will firstly evaluate your needs fully in order to propose an end-to-end solution using state-of-the-art equipment enabling a shared outbound carrier. We will calculate your link budget, procure the required space segment, program the modems (including routing for your network), and help you to line-up to the satellite with our teleport partners. Thereafter, atrexx will pass over full control of the network to you.

The solution has several primary advantages: There is low latency as remote sites communicate with headquarters in a single hop. It is cost-effective, as only half the bandwidth compared to a hub solution is needed, and the investment is comparable to a classical VSAT. It allows the customer to have overall control of the network yet with the assurance of strong service partner support, should it be required.

The unique approach is enabling the project to be implemented with significantly more speed, whilst also maintaining the highest levels of reliability, efficiency and quality.Remote tuning is being performed on 32 GE 10 and PGT25 gas turbines at pipeline compression stations located along the pipeline and is scheduled for completion at the end of November 2009. After this date future remote tuning activity will be extended under a long-term contractual service agreement.

“RGTIL is committed to meeting aggressive gas transportation pipeline commissioning targets - so the efficient, reliable and rapid start-up of new gas turbines was critical,” said Jeff Nagel, Vice President Global Services, GE Oil & Gas. “Adding to the challenge was the fact that many of the pipeline stations are in remote locations. This project provides a model that we will replicate in future DLN tuning efforts for other customers.”

To meet the stringent requirements of this project, GE Oil & Gas implemented an innovative remote tuning and commissioning strategy. The project relies on bridge-encrypted internet connection between servers at the GE Oil & Gas Florence, Italy headquarters and manually operated computer terminals located at the remote pipeline stations.

GE Oil & Gas is a world leader in advanced technology equipment and services for all segments of the oil and gas industry, from drilling and production, LNG, pipelines and storage to industrial power generation, refining and petrochemicals. It also provides pipeline integrity solutions, including inspection and data management. GE Oil & Gas leverages technological innovation from other GE businesses, such as aviation and healthcare, to continuously improve oil and gas industry performance and productivity. GE Oil & Gas employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and operates in over 100 countries.

“Recently, we have seen an increased amount of satellite capacity become available, especially over the Middle East and Africa. The secondary market for capacity and other satellite systems and services is buoyant. We feel that this is the right time to increase the exposure of the Trading Platform as a valuable resource for the satellite industry”. said Markus Schafer, Managing Director Marketing and Sales for atrexx.

atrexx is using Twitter to elevate the profile of the Platform and is regularly posting leads on the social networking site. “We have already built up quite a following on Twitter”, continued Mr. Schafer. “We expect to see considerable growth of the platform in the coming months and Twitter is an ideal way in which to spread the word about the advantages of using the Trading Platform”.

Unique to the market, the online facility enables buyers and sellers to reach potential customers and providers all over the world at the click of a mouse, thus enabling new long-term relationships between players in the industry that may not have been aware of one another before. The exchange also gives access to previously unadvertised capacity and eliminates conventional sales and procurement that can often be inefficient and time consuming, all with the support of atrexx professionals who enable each deal to be brokered.

In the future, atrexx expects the Platform to gain considerable momentum and plans to offer attractive, value-added services in order to become much more than an intermediary for their users. “The activity on the Trading Platform is indicative of the dynamic nature of the satellite marketplace. atrexx is committed to the provision of an efficient service to the satellite industry and we look forward to adding to our service offering in the future” Mr. Schafer concluded.