MIDDLETOWN, R.I., Sept. 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service of KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI), has once again been cited as the market share leader in maritime VSAT units in service, in a newly published report. “Maritime SATCOM Markets, 4th Edition,” by Northern Sky Research (NSR), a leading maritime industry analyst firm, reports that KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband customers account for 29% of the vessels using Ku-band services, which is more than double the 14% share of the nearest competitor, as of the end of 2015. KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband customers also account for 21% of the vessels using combined C/Ku-band services, with the nearest competitor at 15% share.
KVH launched mini-VSAT Broadband in 2007, and has steadily grown the service to a dominant position in the maritime VSAT market. The company recently shipped its 6,000th system, as reliance on fast and reliable satellite broadband connectivity has spread throughout the maritime industry. In 2012, the mini-VSAT Broadband service first became the maritime VSAT market share leader according to leading market research reports, and has since that time reconfirmed that position in subsequent report updates.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by one of the most highly regarded research firms in the satellite communications industry for our success in the maritime VSAT market,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer. “We’ve always listened intently to the market and have continually improved our service to provide our customers with the connectivity and content services they need to meet their high expectations. I’m confident that our innovations in technology, service, and business practices will keep us on the forefront in maritime VSAT.”
With its analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors, the report presents a complete picture of the maritime market, including trends, issues, and the latest SATCOM developments. “As connectivity becomes a must-have in the commercial maritime industry, we expect a steady rise in VSAT-connected vessels by 2025,” says Brad Grady, NSR senior analyst, who co-authored the report with NSR analyst Dallas Kasaboski. “For both operations and crew welfare, maritime operators are likely to become more and more reliant on broadband for their vessels.”
The NSR analysts also described an emerging trend toward maritime VSAT service providers developing value-added services and a range of web applications to meet the increasingly complex systems and demands of commercial vessels. The range of web applications likely to be in demand by maritime markets, according to the report, includes apps for streaming media, e-Learning, network configuration, crew calling, and weather.
KVH already has apps in place for most of these applications. For example:
- The IP-MobileCastTM content delivery service provides large multimedia entertainment and operations content via multicasting technology to be streamed to devices onboard without data transmission costs.
- VideotelTM, a KVH company, is a leader in e-Learning, with its maritime training services used by 12,000 vessels around the world.
- KVH’s network configuration services include the CommBoxTM Network Manager, which is built into every TracPhone® V-IP series satellite antenna system, designed exclusively for use with the mini-VSAT Broadband service.
- myKVHTM provides a highly visual web-based portal for network management that enables mini-VSAT Broadband customers to configure onboard networks and manage onboard data usage.
- Delivery of high-resolution weather data from AWT is included as a standard part of the IP-MobileCast subscription.
Note to Editors: For more information about KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband service, please visit the website, www.kvh.com/one. High-resolution images of KVH products are available at the KVH Press Room Image Library, www.kvh.com/press-room/image-library.
About Northern Sky Research
NSR is a global leader in providing satellite industry market research and consulting services to clients around the world. Founded in 2000, NSR specializes in the analysis of growth opportunities across four core satellite industry sectors: satellite communications, broadcast and digital media, hybrid and emerging markets, and commercial space. For more information, visit www.nsr.com.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries, Inc., 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. Videotel, 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.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding our anticipated revenue, competitive positioning, and the functionality, characteristics, quality, and performance of KVH products and services. The actual results we achieve could differ materially from the statements made in this press release. Factors that might cause these differences include, but are not limited to: potential reduced sales to companies in or dependent upon the turbulent oil and gas industry; the impact of extended economic weakness on the sale and use of marine vessels; the need to increase sales of the TracPhone V-IP series products and related services to improve airtime gross margins; the need for, or delays in, qualification of products to customer or regulatory standards; unanticipated declines or changes in customer demand, due to economic, seasonal, and other factors, particularly with respect to the TracPhone V-IP series, including with respect to new pricing models; recent increases in airtime termination rates and lower unit sales in our mobile business; and increased price and service competition in the mobile communications markets. These and other factors are discussed in more detail 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 and developments.
KVH, IP-MobileCast, Videotel, CommBox, TracPhone, and myKVH 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.