[Satellite Today – 3-20-08] Iridium Satellite has formed an alliance with Northrop Grumman Corp. business unit Sperry Marine to support Iridium’s marine satellite systems, Iridium announced March 19.
    Under the agreement, Sperry Marine will supervise, install and commission the Iridium OpenPort terminals, provide onboard service, technical support and warranty repairs, and develop training packages for technical staff around the world. Sperry Marine also will provide logistics, handling and distribution of equipment inventory at support locations as well as provide workshop repairs at the Sperry Marine center in the Netherlands.
    “The alliance with Sperry Marine is an important element in our strategy for rapidly capturing a significant market share in the marine broadband sector this year,” Greg Ewert, executive vice president for Iridium Satellite, said in a statement. “Since our public launch of Iridium OpenPort at the SATELLITE 2008 conference last month, we have had an overwhelming response from the marketplace, and the agreement with Sperry Marine will provide a worldwide network of trained service locations for installing, commissioning, testing and servicing the shipboard equipment.”