Mobile Satcom Trends on Agenda

Inmarsat, a pioneer in mobile satellite communications for over 30 years, is hosting a government conference in Virginia Beach, Va. this July. Topics slated for this two-day conference include:

• Government satellite communications trends
• Introduction to land mobile services
• Future in maritime services and terminals
• Naval case studies
• Using satcom for GIS and situational awareness for remote teams
• Encryption over SwiftBroadband
• SwiftBroadband on helicopters (demo)
• Future Inmarsat developments
• Updates on aeronautical services
• IsatPhone Pro introduction (Inmarsat’s latest global satphone)

Full agenda (subject to change)

OODAkits to be Demonstrated

As an Inmarsat partner, OODAlink was invited to participate and will have OODAkits (integrated with Inmarsat BGAN services) on exhibit during conference breaks. Live product demonstrations will also be conducted outside.

With no fee to attend, the conference is open to end-users and procurement officers from government agencies and the military. For more information, please visit the Inmarsat Government Services Customer Conference website.

OODAlink Invited to Speak on Satcom Technologies

Our Director of Technology, Jeff Jacobson, was invited to speak at one of the event’s workshops, Optimizing Technology: Transport & ICTs, facilitated by Keith Robertory, Disaster Services Technology Manager for the American Red Cross. On Friday, July 23 (10:00 AM), Jeff will explore emerging trends in satellite communications solutions for voice and data connectivity, to which types of scenarios they’re best suited, and factors to consider when evaluating.

“By its very nature, the international development community often works in remote areas with little or no access to mobile phone or broadband services, ” Jeff explains. “And in disaster relief situations, communications infrastructure is often the first to go. We decided to participate in AIDF this year to raise awareness in these sectors about portable satcom solutions that keep people connected anywhere on the globe.”

About AIDF

AIDF, being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on July 22–23, is currently in its fifth year. However, this is the first event to encompass the development sector as well as humanitarian aid, relief and development. The event is a worthwhile opportunity for the aid, relief and development sector to network, build partnerships and address global humanitarian and development challenges, as well as showcasing goods and services to those responsible for delivery.

As well as featuring suppliers of goods and services in the provision of disaster relief, humanitarian aid and the development of health, education and basic utilities in developing economies, the event will feature a number of workshop sessions addressing key issues such as climate change, combating infectious diseases, global partnerships for development, and logistics and procurement.

For more information, explore the AIDF Event Guide.

Held at the Portland Expo Center and sponsored by the Northwest Fire Equipment Dealers Association, this event will showcase hundreds of the latest products and services to support firefighters on the job.

Stop by our booth (#159) to learn how OODAkits’ data and voice capabilities can be used to support remote search and rescue efforts, wildfire management, and large-scale disasters. Live product demos will be conducted outside by request.

Show hours:
Fri., May 14: 9:00 AM — 4:30 PM
Sat., May 15: 9:00 AM — 3:00 PM

Directions

Ambassador Lewis Lucke and Army Lt. General P.K. Keen, leading the U.S. relief efforts in Haiti, say significant progress has been made by cooperating with a number of international response partners, but much work remains.

Transitioning into the relief phase now, the focus will be on providing shelter, sanitation, rubble removal, reconstruction, medical services, and jobs.

Ambassador Lucke is the former US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, served the US Agency for International Development for over 30 years and is the Haiti US Response Coordinator.

Army Lt. Gen. P.K. Keen is the Deputy Commander of US Southern Command in Miami and is currently serving as the Commander of Joint Task Force Unified Response in Haiti.

Last November, Timothy Manning, FEMA’s Deputy Administrator of the National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) announced that preparedness grant funds can be used for fees associated with equipment purchases.

An excerpt from the FEMA Grants Program Directorate’s bulletin released by his office:

“Effective [November 2o, 2009], the use of FEMA preparedness grant funds for maintenance contracts, warranties, repair or replacement costs, upgrades, and user fees are allowable under all active and future grant awards, unless otherwise noted.”

How Does FEMA Define User Fees for Preparedness?

The FEMA information bulletin offers this definition:

“User fees are viewed as costs for specific services required to maintain and provide continued operation of equipment or systems. An example would be the recurring service fees associated with handheld radios or mobile data computers.”

Another example (okay, here comes the shameless plug) would be satellite airtime services — to keep calls and data flowing to an OODAkit, BGAN terminal or satellite phone.