The IP-MobileCastTM content delivery service developed by KVH
Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) for its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm
satellite network is now live, constituting a maritime industry
first that will enable seafarers in the middle of the ocean to have
affordable access to daily digital newspapers, television news,
sports updates, music, new-release blockbuster movies, and TV
programs via a multicasting service. KVH, a leading provider of
satellite Internet services to the maritime industry, recently
completed successful beta testing of IP-MobileCast, and is making
the service available immediately to existing mini-VSAT Broadband
customers who are interested in subscribing to IP-MobileCast.
The IP-MobileCast service utilizes multicasting technology to
deliver large amounts of content to many ships at once, overcoming
the prohibitively high satellite communications costs typically
charged to deliver files for individual use. The new service
(patent pending) is notable for numerous technological
advancements: Content is delivered over the top of the network so
there is no charge for the delivery, only for the content itself;
the multicasting transmission does not affect the vessel's
mini-VSAT Broadband onboard data speed; the service ensures digital
rights management (DRM) of copyrighted material, such as Hollywood
movies and television programs; and the content is delivered using
forward error correction to minimize burden on the mini-VSAT
Broadband network.
"The IP-MobileCast service is revolutionary in the richness of
fresh content that can be delivered to mariners at sea, who up
until now have not had access to updated news, sports, television,
or movies onboard their vessels," says Martin Kits van Heyningen,
KVH chief executive officer. "Now, mariners in the middle of the
ocean can experience an incredible amount of news and entertainment
content the entire time they are at sea, and maritime operators can
benefit from providing crew welfare services reliably and
affordably."
"We're broadcasting football highlights from the games in
Brazil, culminating in complete, live coverage on July 13th," says
Jim Dodez, KVH's senior vice president for marketing and strategic
planning. "We're especially proud to bring globally celebrated
special events to mariners at sea, to strengthen their ties to home
and family. It's how we interpret the spirit and the letter of the
MLC-2006 crew welfare act."
Thousands of hours of beta testing were completed to ensure the
IP-MobileCast service can deliver large multimedia files and
regularly updated content to a vessel's onboard server, which can
then make the content available to nearly all types of platforms on
the ship, whether it is a flat screen TV, a computer, or a Wi-Fi
enabled personal device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or
laptop.
"We can provide content from anywhere in the world to a vessel
anywhere at sea, and the user has an experience that is even better
than that on land," says Brian Arthur, KVH vice president of
product development. "On land, people have become accustomed to
viewing entertainment content via a streaming device, which is
subject to freezing or interruption. With the IP-MobileCast
service, the content is broadcast over the KVH mini-VSAT Broadband
network and stored on an onboard server, so everyone watching it is
viewing something locally, with no streaming interruptions. The
reaction we have had from our beta testing users has been
fantastic."
Existing customers of KVH's mini-VSAT Broadband service who have
an onboard TracPhone® V7-IP, V11, or V11-IP satellite
communications system can immediately request access to
IP-MobileCast's daily news and sports content, movie trailers, and
television programs through their onboard Integrated
CommBoxTM Modem (ICM); an over-the-air software upgrade is all
that is required. KVH is offering several introductory promotions
as part of the launch of the service for both new and existing
customers, with details available from KVH's sales offices.
The content available via IP-MobileCast is provided by KVH Media
Group, a leading provider of commercially licensed news and
entertainment content to the maritime, hotel, and retail
industries. KVH Media Group's brands include NEWSlink Print – daily
news in more than 60 national editions; NEWSlink TV – 12 channels
of regional news in native languages and 4 channels of
international news in English; MOVIElink – latest release movies
from Hollywood and international studios; TVlink – entire seasons
of television series; SPORTSlink – daily video clips of key games
and sporting events; and MUSIClink – licensed music in a variety of
genres. All content is licensed for use onboard commercial vessels,
avoiding the potential liabilities for shipping companies that can
result from crew members bringing DVDs onboard and sharing them
with other crew members in potential violation of copyright
laws.
Note to Editors: A high-resolution product image of
IP-MobileCast is available at KVH's Press Room
(www.kvh.com/Press-Room/Image-Library) for download and editorial
use. For more information about mini-VSAT Broadband and
IP-MobileCast, please visit the KVH website
(www.ipmobilecast.com).
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries is a leading provider of in-motion satellite TV
and communications systems, having designed, manufactured, and sold
more than 175,000 mobile satellite antennas for applications on
vessels, vehicles, and aircraft. KVH is also a leading news, music,
and entertainment content provider to many industries including
maritime, retail, and leisure. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with
research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown,
RI, and Tinley Park, IL. The company's global presence includes
subsidiaries in Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Japan, the
Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, for
example, statements regarding the timing and occurrence of new
service rollout plans, the functionality, characteristics, quality,
and performance of KVH's products, services, and technology; as
well as customer demand, preferences, requirements, and
expectations. The actual results could differ materially from the
statements made in this press release. Factors that may cause such
differences include, but are not limited to, potential
unanticipated technical or legal impediments that could delay or
impede service rollout plans or expected strategic relationships;
the need for, or delays in, qualification of products to customer
or regulatory standards; unanticipated declines or changes in
customer demand, due to competitive, economic, seasonal, and other
factors, particularly with respect to the TracPhone V-IP series
products; unanticipated increases in media costs or loss of
distribution rights; access to sufficient and uninterrupted
satellite capacity to provide the service; risks associated with
the delivery or performance of critical hardware; and changes in
the costs and capabilities of competing offerings. These and other
risk factors are discussed in KVH's most recent Form 10-Q filed
with the SEC. KVH does not assume any obligation to update its
forward-looking statements to reflect new information or
developments.
KVH, TracPhone, IP-MobileCast, CommBox, NEWSlink, MOVIElink,
TVlink, SPORTSlink, and MUSIClink are trademarks of KVH Industries,
Inc. mini-VSAT Broadband is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective
companies.
CONTACT: Jill Connors
Media & Communications Manager
KVH Industries, Inc.
401-851-3824
jconnors@kvh.com
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