Posted on November 1, 2017

01 November 2017: Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L) has launched a new and flexible Fleet Xpress plan for superyachts to address the seasonal luxury market, and through its partner e3 Systems has signed up the first superyacht Beagle Star V, a luxury sail yacht, to the plan.

The award-winning Fleet Xpress service has become the fastest growing VSAT service in the 2017 commercial shipping market. With additional flexibility being a key demand for the superyacht industry, where voice and video calls, entertainment and social media can vary widely during the season, Inmarsat has developed a new flexible plan for Fleet Xpress to specifically meet the demands of this market.

Under the plan, owners can upgrade or downgrade their usage quickly factoring in temporary standby and even taking advantage of up to six months of service standby without seeking a contract extension.

Erik Nieuwmeijer Group Sales Director of e3 Systems comments “Superyacht Beagle Star V is the first vessel to take advantage of this new flexible plan. The owner decided to go ahead based on the unrivalled global coverage provided by Fleet Xpress, combined with seasonal flexibility of the plan. We are very pleased to have the first contract for this new plan”

Gert-Jan Panken, VP Sales, Inmarsat Maritime said: “The superyacht market has distinct satcoms need due to its seasonal nature, where owners need the freedom to adjust subscription plans and consume high bandwidth in peak periods then switch to standby in the off-season. Fleet Xpress is a proven global service delivering continuous connectivity and guaranteed performance, freeing the vessel from any limitation to regional coverage or constraints of local terrestrial coverage. In addition Fleet Xpress separates customer data and voice calls, so a customer’s data subscription is not affected by the voice calls made. We’re excited to bring a new level of connectivity and flexibility to the superyacht market,” concludes Panken.

About Fleet Xpress

Fleet Xpress delivers a unique, fully integrated dual capability of high speed, high capacity services (Global Xpress) together with high reliability safety-level services (FleetBroadband) in a single commercial package which is available anywhere in the world. Fleet Xpress is further enriched by its unique service enablement platform designed to provide ship owners, managers and operators with access to a new generation of value-added maritime applications, services and solutions. Inmarsat’s maritime channel Partners include all the leading maritime communications resellers, providing global reach, customer intimacy and value-added capabilities in support of Fleet Xpress, and a well-managed pathway for Inmarsat’s current FleetBroadband customers to migrate over time up to Fleet Xpress. In 2017 Fleet Xpress won the Smart4Sea Excellent Award for technological excellence in smart shipping and the Seatrade Award 2017 for Digital Technology, recognising technical innovation in the maritime industry.

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. Inmarsat operates around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centres of commerce on every continent. Inmarsat is listed on the London Stock Exchange (ISAT.L). For more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com. The Inmarsat press release newsfeed and corporate updates are on @InmarsatGlobal.

About e3

e3 Systems® is a leading communications integrator and solutions provider for the marine industry. The company connects yachts globally through a diverse portfolio of communication systems including its HYBRID solution which synchronises VSAT, Inmarsat, Iridium, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi. In addition, it provides an extensive suite of services covering cyber security and training, IT support, data management and content provision. e3 is the exclusive superyacht distribution partner for Kymeta communications solutions. The company operates from the Mediterranean and the USA with partners worldwide. It is part of the marine electronics group grupoarbulu. Discover more at e3s.com