9/24/15 Orange Maritime Connect Sets Sail, Links Ships

Seamlessly Integrate Ships into the Corporate Network with Maritime Connect from Orange Business Services

Integrated platform provides connectivity and maritime applications
Can be used on ships using any satellite system, including VSAT

September 24, 2015 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To support digital transformation in the shipping industry, Orange Business Services has developed Maritime Connect. The fully-industrialized product delivers the key communications functionality and connectivity required at sea. It allows shipping companies to seamlessly integrate their fleet into the corporate network and provide Internet access for crew and applications.

Maritime Connect is a single, integrated solutions platform, which provides the maritime industry with reliable connectivity over diverse communication interfaces and cuts costs at the same time. It delivers voice, VoIP, data and internet access in one solution, independent of the communication technology used. Shipping companies, IT managers, captains and the crew can control access to data and voice services on board vessels or remotely from shore.

Typical uses of Maritime Connect include secure access to enterprise applications via the corporate network; better route planning to improve fuel consumption and cost control; enriched crew welfare by providing communication with the outside world; tracking and monitoring of ships and cargo; and telemedicine for remote care.

Providing connectivity in challenging environments
Delivering innovative maritime bandwidth management and optimization features, Maritime Connect manages voice, video and data in limited bandwidth and challenging weather conditions. It can be used on ships equipped with any type of satellite communications systems, including, but not limited to, Fleet Broadband, Iridium or VSAT systems (Ku or C band). The solution was developed over a year as part of a European Union initiative dedicated to improving communications on vessels at sea.

Maritime Connect is available in three tiered versions. The basic version provides on-board access to essential communications services like IP Routing, link switching, quality of service (QoS) and server hosting for applications onboard; the next level up adds licenses for increased security, WAN optimization and user accounting; while the premium version provides maximum connectivity for crew and captain with Wi-Fi on board, 3G/4G for near-shore operations.

Orange Business Services is uniquely positioned in the maritime market because we are able to integrate many different technologies and networks, both onshore and offshore. With the end-to-end integration and satellite connectivity offered by Maritime Connect, vessels on the high seas are now as well connected as terrestrial offices. This enables new ways of working right across the shipping industry,' says Michel Verbist, Head Business Development Satellite Solutions, Orange Business Services.

About Orange Business Services
Orange Business Services, the Orange branch dedicated to B2B services, is not only a telecom operator, but also an IT solutions integrator and applications developer in France and around the world. Its 20,000 employees support companies in all areas of their digital transformation: mobile and collaborative workspaces; IT/cloud infrastructure; fixed and mobile connectivity; private and hybrid networks; applications for Internet of Things, 360° customer experience and Big Data analytics; and cybersecurity thanks to dedicated experts and infrastructure to protect information systems. More than 3,000 multinational organizations and 2 million SOHOs, enterprises and local authorities in France rely on Orange Business Services as their trusted partner.

Learn more at www.orange-business.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and our blogs.

Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with annual sales of 39 billion euros in 2014 and has 154,000 employees worldwide at 30 June 2015. Orange is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.