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.

That’s what OODA stands for. It’s a term coined by Colonel John R. Boyd (January 23, 1927 — March 9, 1997; pictured right), a United States Air Force fighter pilot and military strategist, whose theories have influenced both military and business strategies.

He used the term “OODA Loop” to describe the process that individuals and organizations use to react to events. The key to success is the creation of situations where one can make appropriate decisions more rapidly than others.

Whether your adversary is Mother Nature or the business down the block, with OODAlink you can access the information you need most —exactly when you need it —so you can prevail in even the most difficult situations.

OODAlink was founded to help people and organi­za­tions implement their own “OODA Loops” to quickly understand what is going on (Observe and Orient), know what to do (Decide), and be able to do it (Act) — all the while learning from the experience (Loop).

We do so by producing easy-to-use satellite-based solutions (OODAkits) for commu­ni­cat­ing when tradi­tional networks aren’t available.

The end result is greater peace of mind—from staying connected to those most impor­tant to you—whether they’re customers, colleagues, partners, suppli­ers, friends, or family.

We applaud the work of Télécoms Sans Frontières …

Their Origin: During missions responding to the crisis in the Balkans and in Kurdistan during the 1st Gulf War, Télécoms Sans Frontières’ (TSF) founders realized that, in addition to medical and food aid, there was a critical need for reliable emergency telecommunications services. Conflicts and emergencies often led to massive civilian displacement and separated families. And affected populations are often left with no communications infrastructure in place to find assistance and loved ones. To address this need, TSF bought its first satellite phone eleven years ago and the organization was born. For all missions today, TSF offers a 3-minute call to any affected family.

TSF soon found that the international response teams that deploy to emergencies also had a critical need for reliable telecommunications services in the first days after an emergency. TSF, therefore, expanded its operations, improved its technology, and began to establish rapidly deployable emergency telecommunications centers to serve UN, government, and NGO humanitarian workers, and developed a reputation for being among the first to arrive after disasters.

Mission Haiti 2010: Deployed in Haiti the day following the terrible earthquake that struck the country, TSF teams remain mobilized, day after day, supporting the humanitarian community and the affected population. Three calling centers have been established in Port-au-Prince, Carrefour and Jacmel that are open for the people of Haiti: Union School in Port-au-Prince, Adventistes in Carrefour and Rue Febrile in Jacmel.

Everyone should know more about the work of this organization!

For organizations responding to the earthquake in Haiti, we can off the following discounted rates. Order by 3:00 PM Eastern for same-day shipping.

Iridium 9555 to Buy  -  $1,995 with 500-minute bundle
Iridium 9555 to Rent  -  $295/week + airtime (2-week minimum)

Other airtime options are available. Contact us to order or for more details.

More details on the phone: Iridium 9555.

The Miami Herald was not Connected

When asked in the early hours after the quake hit, on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” what The Miami Herald knew of the developing situation, their Carribean correspondent Jacquie Charles essentially said they didn’t know because they couldn’t connect with anyone there.

“Well, we’re still trying to get through because all the communications is down … We have people en route to Haiti right now and we also have a ‘stringer’ on the ground, but because the communications are all down, we cannot get through to anyone at this moment.”

Blitzer responded with, “That’s the problem. Communications are really hard. It’s almost impossible, in fact, to establish communications…”

The Red Cross was not Connected

The Red Cross there had no way to communicate off the island (as of 6:45 PM Eastern). CNN reporter Deborah Feyerick reported that the Red Cross had three people in the Port au Prince area, but:

“[American Red Cross officials in the U.S.] cannot get in touch with them. They’re trying both the landlines obviously … I asked about cell phones. They’re looking into that right now.”

Why is this Still Happening?

Why? Why — after so much time has passed since 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami, Katrina — that the media and key relief agencies still find themselves scratching their heads trying to communicate in times of crisis? How can anyone possibly know how people are doing and what they need if we have no way to connect with them?

Did CNN think to ask the Red Cross why they didn’t have a satellite communication backup for a time like this? Is it breaking news somehow that landlines fail and cell service dies when a disaster strikes?

Did you know that portable satellite communications solutions exist today for expressly these circumstances?  Not only do they provide voice services when all other networks fail — but also Internet access — so the media and relief agencies can report on the situation and call for help. And some (such as OODAkits) also come with multiple ways to access power (including solar), because power is usually the first to go.

We are in the process of trying to help as we speak!