KVH to Support Jeppesen Chart Subscribers With New IP-MobileCast Content Delivery Service
MIDDLETOWN, R.I., June 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) announced today that it plans to launch a new IP-MobileCast™ content delivery service that will economically deliver Jeppesen's entire ENC and Professional+ chart databases to mini-VSAT Broadband customers. The announcement was made at the international maritime Nor-Shipping show in Oslo, Norway. Based on ongoing cooperative efforts between KVH and Jeppesen, it is anticipated that this new service will enable automatic delivery of electronic charts over a very reliable satellite delivery service, eliminating the time-consuming, manual process of physically shipping DVDs containing chart updates to customers' ships.
"The launch of KVH's new IP-MobileCast service is expected to offer tremendous value in delivering large files such as chart databases to vessels, because of its anticipated ability to multicast the data to all customers in the satellite coverage area with a single satellite transmission of the file, rather than sending the same file individually to each vessel," explains Brent Bruun, Executive Vice President of KVH's Mobile Broadband Group. "One-to-one transmission of entire chart databases, which can be as large as three gigabytes, would be prohibitively expensive. We're hoping to change the economics by applying a new, more efficient approach to delivering content to ships."
The new IP-MobileCast service is expected to be a complete, end-to-end solution for content delivery. Source data will be encoded to be multicast using proprietary software that is expected to provide advanced error correction, file compression, and data validation that together ensure a high level of reliability in file delivery. Data will be delivered, decoded, and validated using KVH's onboard CommBox™ Ship/Shore Network Manager, which is built into the new unified Integrated CommBox Modem (ICM) belowdecks unit standard in all of KVH's new TracPhone® V-IP series products. The IP-MobileCast service is being designed to not impact the normal service speeds or airtime plans of mini-VSAT Broadband subscribers, since it will be sent "over-the-top" of service allocated for one-to-one services.
"This new service could benefit thousands of Jeppesen customers who currently use our DVDs to update their charts by providing an easier, automatic update process," said Alex Zakroff, Jeppesen's Vice President/General Manager, Marine. "As the IMO's ECDIS mandate phases in, many of our Professional+ customers will be required to migrate to our ENC product. Since KVH plans to multicast both chart sets to its customers, the updating process is expected to be stable and uninterrupted before and after the transition."
The new IP-MobileCast service is expected to be available to support all of Jeppesen's flexible chart licensing programs, including traditional direct licensing, cost-effective dynamic licensing, and OpenENC Pay-As-You-Sail (PAYS) service by the end of 2013, subject to ongoing cooperation and final agreement between the parties. KVH and Jeppesen are already developing new, more efficient ways to deliver navigation content to vessels, and will continue to work together to offer innovative new services that will help vessel owners meet the regulatory and economic challenges of the 21st century.
Vessel owners and managers interested in learning more about the Jeppesen electronic charts and fleet management services are encouraged to visit www.jeppesen.com.
For additional information about the KVH mini-VSAT Broadband service, visit www.minivsat.com/vip.
About Jeppesen
Jeppesen is a market-leading provider of vessel operations services and digital navigation solutions, based on worldwide vector chart data type approved to ISO19879, meteorological information, and transmission technologies. Jeppesen offers a wide range of navigation and operations products and services to both recreational and commercial marine markets. Safety-conscious boaters, mariners, and operators of vessels ranging from coastal to SOLAS class rely on Jeppesen for innovative navigation solutions that improve safety and efficiency. Jeppesen is a subsidiary of The Boeing Company.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries is a leading manufacturer of solutions that provide global high-speed Internet, television and voice services via satellite to mobile users at sea, on land, and in the air. KVH's Headland Media group is the maritime industry's leading provider of rights-approved news, sports, music, and movies, as well as the Walport Training video series. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with facilities in Illinois, Denmark, Norway, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, India and Japan.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, statements regarding the timing and occurrence of the anticipated strategic relationship between Jeppesen and KVH, the functionality, characteristics, quality, cost and performance of KVH and Jeppesen products, technology and service rollout plans, as well as customer demand, preferences, requirements, and expectations. The actual results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, among others, the possibility that the parties will be unable to agree upon the contractual terms of the anticipated strategic relationship, uncertainties regarding the time needed to complete negotiations, potential unanticipated technical or legal impediments, unanticipated costs and KVH's dependence on the availability of third-party satellites and services to support broadcasts to mobile antennas. These and other risk factors are discussed in more detail in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments.
KVH Industries, Inc., has used, registered, or applied to register its trademarks in the USA and other countries around the world, including the following marks: KVH, KVH logo, TracPhone, CommBox, IP-MobileCast, mini-VSAT Broadband and the mini-VSAT Broadband logo, and the banded, dome-shaped housing of its satellite antennas. Other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
CONTACT: KVH Industries, Inc. Nicole Mongillo +1 401-847-3327 nmongillo@kvh.com
