Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (April 2013)

A Tailored Approach to VSAT for Workboats VSAT for Workboats ESSI Corporation and Hughes team up to address the unique requirement of this hardworking maritime sector. By Joseph Keefe When ESSI Corporation and Hughes teamed in 2009 to deliver broadband VSAT services to the workboat in- dustry, they quickly discovered that not only was this a unique industry, but also that when it came satellite com- munications, several important requirements had to be satisÞ ed to keep these customers happy. As a service pro- vider, a customized service tailored to those needs evolved. According to ESSI CorporationÕs Emil Regard, offshore workboats and OSVÕs Þ rst and foremost demand a cer- tainty that the bandwidth ordered will be available, any- time, especially in the worst of conditions. Secondly, the transparency to view bandwidth usage in real time in order to make informed decisions about how much bandwidth is needed at any given time had to be a standard service. Finally, contract terms had to be consistent with the work- boat market itself. All of that is easier said than done Ð but, apparently not impossible. As ESSI Þ ne tuned its offerings to the offshore sec- tor over the course of the next few years, the market also evolved with it. ThatÕs because as corporate IT organiza- tions began using the VSAT link to push applications and content to the vessels, it became more difÞ cult to frame the bandwidth need in terms of speed (i.e. 128kbps X 256kbps), and Workboat companies began to demand more applications to help increase operational efÞ ciencies and reduce costs. In answer to all of that, ESSI, in concert with Hughes, assembled a service package that is perhaps as unique as the niche markets that they now serve. WHO IS ESSI?ESSI services more than 3,500 structures in the Gulf of Mexico and provides Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) via VSAT. To be sure, however, ESSI Corporation is not new to the offshore sector. It has April 201338 MNMN April2013 Layout 32-49.indd 38MN April2013 Layout 32-49.indd 384/2/2013 5:07:10 PM4/2/2013 5:07:10 PM