MIDDLETOWN, R.I., and LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom, April 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVH Media Group, the largest and leading distributor of licensed films to the maritime market, and part of KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI), has announced an agreement with Thome Ship Management to provide 41 Thome vessels with the MOVIElinkTM service. Part of the Thome Group, which is one of the world’s leading ship managers, Thome Ship Management will initially roll out the MOVIElink service to product tankers and LPG carriers.
The MOVIElink service delivers films, including the latest releases, to vessels around the world, contributing to more productive and loyal crews, and assisting shipping companies in complying with the standards and recommendations of MLC-2006. These recommendations include providing regularly replenished film entertainment to crew members.
“Thome Group is committed to ensuring our seafarers have an excellent work environment, and crew welfare services are a key part of that mission. We see the MOVIElink service as an ideal way to keep crew morale and welfare at a high level,” says Claes Eek Thorstensen, president of the Thome Group. “And, more satisfied seafarers’ loyalty contributes to lower costs for recruitment, training, and retention.”
An important aspect of the MOVIElink service is that the content provided is licensed in accordance with the requirements of copyright holders. Shipping companies have become increasingly aware of the potential liabilities they face under international copyright laws and treaties for any unlicensed viewing of movie downloads, DVDs, and video cassettes, including those that crew members bring onboard. With content provided by the MOVIElink service, vessels receive the required license for non-theatrical viewing on commercial vessels.
“We are delighted to work with Thome, who are at the forefront of providing effective tools to combat crew morale issues,” says Rob Parkin, sales director at KVH Media Group. “Additionally, Thome fully understand the issues relating to licensing and are keen to ensure that they offer their crew a fully licensed, great quality and cost-effective service.”
KVH Media Group’s MOVIElink films are provided in a range of formats, from delivery of hard-copy DVDs direct to ship agents anywhere in the world, to a fully digital service for fleets with VSAT communications capacity. KVH Media Group has been delivering movie entertainment to seafarers for more than 50 years – beginning with the Walport movie service, which delivered films to crews on reels and became the backbone of ‘Walport movie nights,’ which are still fondly remembered today for bringing crew together in their leisure time onboard. MOVIElink content is also available via KVH’s IP-MobileCastTM content delivery service, which utilizes multicasting technology to deliver large multimedia files via KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadbandsm satellite communications service.
Note to Editors: For more information about the MOVIElink service, please visit the KVH Media Group website, www.kvhmediagroup.com. For more information about KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service, please visit the IP-MobileCast website, www.ipmobilecast.com.
About Thome Ship Management
Thome Ship Management is part of the Thome Group of companies, recognized as one of the world’s leading independent international ship managers with offices and agents worldwide. With more than half a century of experience, the Thome Group represents a unique combination of the best elements of Scandinavian shipping tradition with the modern drive of Asian business enterprise. From ship management to offshore structure management, crewing, and training, Thome offers a complete range of products and services essential in managing a wide range of marine assets worldwide. Thome Ship Management is based in Singapore.
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 200,000 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. VideotelTM, a KVH company, is a market-leading provider of training films, computer-based training and e-Learning. 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 offices in Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Hong Kong, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
KVH, MOVIElink, IP-MobileCast, and Videotel are trademarks of KVH Industries, Inc. mini-VSAT Broadband is a service mark of KVH Industries, Inc.