Focus: Telecom

by James Careless You would think that being one of the largest U.S. suppliers of satellite services would be enough work for any company, however, SES Americom has a second, rather unlikely job. It moonlights as a newspaper carrier. Every evening, SES Americom delivers USA Today via satellite to 35 printing plants throughout the United...

by Douglas Graham The year 2003 was no banner year for satellite broadband but it is the prelude for stronger business waters. In 2003, however, satellite remained a ship without sails. While the vessel did not founder, cost hindrances and Wall Street reticence did slow its journey across the seas of commerce. Early commercial satellite...

Peter J. Brown With its ability to instantly deliver Internet Protocol (IP)-based video, voice and data anywhere in the world, the satellite industry is simply giving the public and private sectors more options. A few vertical industries where satellite technology offers solutions include health care, energy, public safety, transportation and Homeland Security, each of which...

By Nick Mitsis Business Television (BTV) applications for medium- to large-sized companies have begun diversifying, enhancing and developing into strategic tools within corporations. Computer monitors are now second nature for watching cached material from corporate headquarters, where as once a television set was the only venue for BTV applications providing live broadcasts. Making sure communication...

By James Careless Back in the 1980s, Russia was the next big opportunity for Western satellite equipment manufacturers. Despite being the world’s largest country and the first nation in space, Russia’s satellite infrastructure is extremely meager. "Even as recently as two years ago, there were only 1,800 to 2,500 VSAT earth stations in all of...

Question and Answer Bob McCollum, President, Comtech EF Data November 10, 2003 How can Internet-enabled satellite modems reduce a company’s required VoIP bandwidth? With the advent of Voice over IP (VoIP) and IP videoconferencing, there has been a major push toward convergence in terrestrial networks. With overhead challenges associated with IP encapsulation of voice and...

As one of North America’s largest automakers, Ford Motor Co. is faced with titanic money management challenges. The numbers speak for themselves. There are roughly 6,800 Ford/Lincoln dealerships across North America (NA). This works out to roughly 45,000 technicians, 10,000 service advisors and 10,000 cashiers. Ford also introduces a new car every 90 to 120...

Schneider Electric’s North American division (Square D) knows a thing or two when it comes to making profits and wisely spending money. In the United States, this electrical distribution and industrial control products, systems and services company employees 11,000 people and accounts for $2.7 billion in annual sales for the corporation with its operations spanning...

by Gerry Oberst The original glowing predictions for Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) are tempered by reality, but pushing and shoving continues regarding future MSS spectrum requirements. European spectrum managers met in the splendor of Saint Petersburg, Russia, in mid September this year to continue the battle over future allocations. No story about satellites is complete...

By James Careless In regions as different as Africa and the United States, universities and colleges rely on satellites to deliver distance education to remotely-located students, some of them hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away. Whatever their locations, the benefits are the same. Thanks to satellite-delivered learning, students are spared the often impossibly high...