ORBCOMM Inc, a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, today announced that they will extend their agreement through at least 2035 and enhance their strategic partnership. The two companies will collaborate on joint product innovation and distribution of next-generation IoT satellite services, telematics devices and end-to-end solutions that offer the best-in-class combination of high bandwidth data packets with low-cost terminals.
As part of the partnership, ORBCOMM and Inmarsat are developing a next-generation service called OGx, which features two new offerings to suit future customer demand. The first is a higher data rate service offering designed to be nearly 40 times faster than the current IsatDataPro (IDP) service, allowing for much larger messages and faster delivery times. ORBCOMM’s current generation IDP terminals can be seamlessly upgraded over-the-air to the higher data rate OGx service, so customers can start development and integration now to ensure their solutions are market-ready when the OGx network becomes available expected in 2022.
In addition, ORBCOMM and Inmarsat are designing a second OGx offering, which is extremely power-efficient, can support a daily message for multiple years on a satellite terminal utilising a single AA battery and is ideal for remote monitoring and environmental sensing applications. Both OGx offerings are designed to have expanded broadcasting capabilities to send data to large groups of terminals and can leverage multiple modes of operation that can be tuned specifically for the required application.
The OGx offerings, which incorporate the current IDP service, will be supported by Inmarsat’s
L-band constellations, including the current I-4 constellation and its forthcoming sixth generation (I-6) constellation. Inmarsat’s global L-band constellation offers the most sophisticated payload and lowest latency of any L-band satellite store-and-forward service. The L-band fleet delivers connectivity with 99.9% network availability and a ubiquitous, resilient and flexible solution for remote monitoring of fixed and mobile assets. Inmarsat’s I-6 satellites will significantly extend service capabilities to current and new IoT offerings, providing a reliable, cost-effective and backwards compatible satellite service and enhancing the return on investment for global customers over the long term.
These networks are not subject to rain fade or impacted by other harsh weather conditions plus devices do not require antenna pointing, simplifying installation and adding to the reliability of unmanned terminals in an open environment.
Inmarsat will also distribute ORBCOMM’s industry-leading portfolio of OGx telematics devices globally through its extensive commercial and government sales channels, targeting Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Value-Added Resellers (VARs). In addition, Inmarsat and ORBCOMM will continue to partner to provide end-to-end IoT solutions, including global wireless connectivity, hardware and advanced, cloud-based reporting and analytics platforms for end user customers in multiple vertical markets.
“By extending our long-term, successful partnership with Inmarsat and developing a leading combination of higher data rate and power-efficient OGx services and terminals, we can continue to offer the industry’s best satellite offering with the broadest geographic coverage, the most regulatory authorisations and the best value to users,” said Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM’s Chief Executive Officer. “We will continue to leverage our synergies, innovation and market leadership in collaboration with Inmarsat to deliver state-of-the-art IoT products, services and solutions to an even broader customer base around the world.”
“Through our enduring strategic partnership with ORBCOMM, we are seeing an extensive global market opportunity for our L-band IoT services, which enable increased business value to industries with remote operations,” said Rupert Pearce, Inmarsat’s Chief Executive Officer. “As the digital world continues to evolve, together Inmarsat and ORBCOMM will play a pivotal role in providing unparalleled network connectivity and best-in-class IoT solutions that will enable nearly every type of industrial asset to be smart and remotely connected.”
