KVHI KVH Industries Inc

Manager of commercial and industrial maritime markets to focus on expanding reach of TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service MIDDLETOWN, R.I., April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Recognizing the importance of advanced satellite communications to commercial and industrial vessels and their crews, KVH Industries (NASDAQ:KVHI) is increasing its commitment to the commercial maritime market with the recent hiring of Mr. Peter Coffman to the new position of Manager of Commercial and Industrial Maritime Markets. Mr. Coffman brings his expertise and guidance to KVH's expanding sales and distribution efforts in the offshore transport and exploration and production sectors, and will focus on global commercial opportunities for the new TracPhone(R) V7 satellite communications system and mini-VSAT Broadband(sm) service. "With the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service, KVH offer commercial and industrial vessels an innovative and powerful satellite communications technology that brings significant advantages in size, data speed, and airtime costs. Since the early 1990s, there has been a continuing need for improved ship to shore connectivity and increased bandwidth," says Coffman. "As we enter a new era in the maritime and offshore operating environment, these requirements are expanding. I believe the new KVH commercial products and services are very well suited to the specific communications challenges facing industry managers and professionals today, and have the capability to evolve with the needs of the user community." Coffman comes to KVH with comprehensive experience in field engineering, sales and marketing of offshore satellite communications technology with industry leaders including Marlink, Nera SatCom AS, Schlumberger, and IDB Communications. He explains that satellite communications are increasingly important to the bottom-line business performance of companies that operate at sea. "Satellite communications has been viewed as a money-saving, essential component of business, technical, and logistical operations for many years. Today, access to broadband services and the applications these services enable for crew and contractors are important drivers for additional onboard communications facilities. Providing news, sports, and other entertainment programming equivalent to onshore networks is also high on managers' agendas. The TracPhone V7 system and mini-VSAT Broadband service are also well positioned to support advanced IP-centric applications such as condition-based maintenance and remote systems surveillance," he says. "I am sure that the KVH commercial product and network services suite, backed by a great engineering, technical and customer service team and extensive regional field support, will soon become a staple of maritime and offshore mobile communications." The TracPhone V7 delivers mini-VSAT Broadband service via a rugged, 24" (60 cm) antenna. A fraction of the size of standard 1-meter VSAT systems, the TracPhone V7 (and its fully integrated below-decks modem and control unit) offers easy connections to shipboard networks, fully stabilized tracking, and a significant reduction in hardware and installation costs, without compromising performance. This advanced solution offers the capability to easily send and receive manifests, access company networks, download chart updates, and use the enhanced VoIP telephone service to help crew members stay in touch with their loved ones. KVH also offers global broadband with the TracPhone FB250 and FB500, which work with Inmarsat's FleetBroadband service, and satellite TV via the award-winning TracVision(R) M-series. "Peter is a valuable addition to our efforts in the commercial maritime market, and we're excited to have him on our team," says Ian Palmer, KVH's executive vice president for satellite sales. "His extensive offshore industry expertise will help us to leverage our innovative satellite communications and television products in the commercial maritime communications industry, making our expansion into this broad and important market a success." Additional information regarding the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service are available at http://www.kvh.com/. Note to Editors: High-resolution photos of the TracPhone V7 and Mr. Coffman are available at http://press.kvh.com/ for download and editorial use. About KVH Industries, Inc. Middletown, RI-based KVH Industries, Inc., is a leading provider of in-motion satellite TV and communication systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold more than 150,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on boats, RVs, trucks, buses, and automobiles. Winner of the prestigious General Motors Innovative Design Award, 2 CES Innovation Awards, 23 National Marine Electronics Association "Best Product" awards, the DAME Award in the Marine Electronics category, and a finalist for the Automotive News PACE Award, KVH's mission is to connect mobile customers with the same digital television entertainment, communications, and Internet services that they enjoy in their home and offices. This release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for example, the functionality, characteristics, quality and performance of KVH's products and technology; anticipated innovation and product development; and customer preferences, requirements and expectations. The actual results could differ materially. Factors that may cause such differences include, among others, those discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-K filed with the SEC. KVH assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments. DATASOURCE: KVH Industries, Inc. CONTACT: Chris Watson of KVH Industries, +1-401-845-8138, Web site: http://www.kvh.com/ http://press.kvh.com/

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