22nd May 2007 08:37
Altobridge, a leading remote communications company, and BlueOcean Wireless (LSE:ISAT), an Irish company focused on delivering GSMcommunication capability for the merchant maritime sector, todayannounced that Altobridge has exclusively licensed its remotecommunications technology to Blue Ocean Wireless, for merchantmaritime applications. Blue Ocean Wireless is a joint venture betweenAltobridge and private investment firm, Claret Capital. £ The Altobridge patented technology, the Aeronautical & Maritime(AM) Gateway(TM) platform, enables personal communications coverage onships in deep ocean water, at affordable rates. The onboard wirelessnetwork connects to a land-based wireless network via the ship'sInmarsat satellite system. The groundbreaking Altobridge AM Gatewayplatform architecture is unique in that it does not necessitate apermanent satellite connection. £ Using this technology Blue Ocean Wireless will, together withInmarsat, a leading Inmarsat LESO partner and a leading GSM networkoperator, provide a dedicated global GSM service for crew members ofmerchant ships. Blue Ocean Wireless' service will, for the first time,enable seafarers to use their existing mobile phones on board vesselsin deep ocean water in exactly the same way that they would do in portor on land. Blue Ocean Wireless will also enable ship owners, insurersand government authorities, as well as suppliers and customers, totrack and monitor individual containers on board merchant vessels asthey traverse the globe using a combination of GPRS and RFIDtechnology. £ Altobridge CEO, Mike FitzGerald said, "Following four years ofextensive R&D we have found the right platform to commercialise ouraward-winning technology. Blue Ocean Wireless possesses the vision tosecure a global lead in crew communications, and maritime security andtracking." £ Robert Johnson, CEO of Blue Ocean Wireless, commented, "We aredelighted to announce that Blue Ocean Wireless will lead the exclusivedevelopment of mobile crew calling and container tracking usingAltobridge's unique remote communications technology." £ He added, "We have a very exciting proposition, which willrevolutionise communication for crews of merchant maritime ships. Itwill also benefit merchant maritime companies and their ability tomanage and enhance the well-being of their employees." £ About Altobridge £ Altobridge is focused on delivering cost-effective communicationsfor remote communities, including rural villages, seafarers, airlinetravellers and the world's military, navy and coastguard. Altobridge'stechnology has also been licensed by AeroMobile, a joint venturebetween Telenor and ARINC, to provide the world's first operationalon-board aircraft mobile phone system. £ About Blue Ocean Wireless £ Blue Ocean Wireless is an Irish company focused on expandingcommunication capability in the merchant maritime sector. Blue OceanWireless provides, for the first time, GSM connectivity for seafarersin deep ocean water, where no other network exists. This allows usersto make and receive voice calls, send and receive SMS text messagesand, in time, browse the internet using their existing handsets. BlueOcean Wireless' offering is based on Altobridge's unique 'Aeronautical& Maritime Gateway Platform'(TM) technology. This technology can alsobe used, in conjunction with RFID technology, to track and monitorshipping containers while they are in transit at sea. £ About Claret Capital £ Claret Capital, founded by Domhnal Slattery in 2005, is a privateinvestment firm based in Dublin, Ireland. Claret Capital manages theassets of a small number of ultra high net worth individuals andfamilies and has a global investment mandate. The firm has completedinvestments in the Private Equity, Real Estate, Media and Technologysectors. Claret Capital has also founded a number of new venturesincluding JetBird, Europe's first low-cost, on-demand private jetairline. JetBird has ordered 100 aircraft from Embraer and is thelaunch customer in Europe for the Phenom 100 very light jet. Copyright Business Wire 2007Related Shares:
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