[Satellite TODAY 11-09-12] Via Satellite magazine is hosting two very informative Web conference events during the next month that industry insiders will not want to miss.

iDirect – Solving the Need for Speed: A Via Satellite Seminar

Monday Nov. 12, 2012
10:30am EST

FREE TO REGISTER  

SatelliteTODAY.com News Editor Jeffrey Hill is moderating “Solving the Need for Speed,” a free-to-register Web conference with iDirect on Monday, Nov. 12.

In the satellite market, one trend is dominating today – the need for speed. End users require higher data rates to run a wide range of critical, bandwidth-heavy applications. And these demands will only increase as high throughput satellites enable faster throughput at lower space segment costs.

iDirect CTO Dave Bettinger will provide insight into the technical diversity of new high throughput satellite architectures and the strategic imperatives operators must follow to seize emerging opportunities. And he will present iDirect’s technical vision for its next generation platform that will unleash higher performance and greater efficiencies.

Greg Quiggle, iDirect’s vice president of product management, will provide an inside look at the newest features coming in the next generation iDX 3.2 platform upgrade and X7 remote.

Who should join? Satellite operators, network operators, service providers and VARS looking to meet today’s escalating customer bandwidth needs while running highly optimized and profitable networks.

If you would like to register for this webinar, visit: https://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=44372

Major Cruise Ship and Commercial Shipping Brands Come to Via Satellite

Tuesday Dec. 11, 2012 
10:30am EST 

On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Via Satellite hosts one of its most exciting ever webinar events. For the first time, we bring one of the world’s top cruise ship brands, Royal Caribbean International and a major German commercial shipping company, Reederei Bus (through an IT partner) on the same webinar to talk about the importance of satellite based communications solutions in helping with onboard IT communications infrastructure, and in Royal Caribbean’s case, improving the passenger experience. The webinar titled ‘Broadband on Cruises and Ships: The Next Great Satellite Opportunity’ brings together Gregory Martin, Royal Caribbean International’s Director of IT Operations and Swen Kleinau, IT Manager, Buss-Data GmbH, the IT partner of German shipping company Reederei Buss to provide unique insights into satellite’s role in the maritime market. What is unique about this webinar is that you will be able to hear both about how a major cruise ship brand is using satellite, as well as a more traditional commercial shipping company. It offers a great opportunity to interact with actual maritime end user. It is a webinar event not to be missed.

Martin is at the frontline of the Royal Caribbean’s aggressive strategy to massively improve the communications infrastructure on board it cruise ships. One its flagship vessels is ‘Oasis of the Seas’, which caters for 8,000 guests, staff and crew members. ‘Oasis of the Seas’ is divided into seven distinct themed neighborhoods, which include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. The ship spans 16 decks, encompasses 225,282 gross registered tons, carries 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and features 2,700 staterooms.

Providing cutting edge broadband services to a ship of this size and scale is no easy task. It is just one part of a highly ambitious strategy to improve the customer experience still further by letting passengers have access to broadband services no matter where they are on their cruise.

Martin is responsible for all shoreside and shipboard network and communications systems, data center environments and call center infrastructure. He is uniquely positioned to talk about the challenges that Royal Caribbean International is facing and why satellite technology is a the heart of its ambitious, ground breaking strategy here.

In Germany, Kleinau develops IT and communications systems for the maritime industry, covering all aspects of ship management such as purchasing/ordering, maintenance, crewing solution, insurance as well as document filing. Buss Data GmbH is part of the Hermann Buss Group shipping company based in Leer, Germany specializing in commercial shipping and running a fleet of over 85 vessels. He is responsible for the IT and comms systems on all the company’s 85 vessels, including the negotiation and coordination with satcoms provider Vizada and its service provider Telemar Germany.

If you would like to register for this webinar, visit: https://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=44608