“We decided to upgrade our VSAT network after assessing the benefits of the latest available technology,” said BP Shipping Service Management and Infrastructure Manager Wasim Kayani. “We were looking to increase the services we can provide to our vessels while lowering the total cost of ownership. SeaAccess Communications leverages the platform and value-added services that we need to get the most out of our communications.”
SeaAccess will extend BP’s corporate office capabilities to each vessel, enabling ship captains to send real-time reports on vessel operations, logistics and routes. The service will also provide crew welfare communications, specifically supporting the crew’s heavy telephone traffic.
“BP’s vessels are constantly traversing the deep seas and are rarely docked at harbor for an extended period of time, so it’s challenging to get equipment installed on more than 50 vessels in such a short time frame,” said Pal Jensen, president, SeaAccess, Harris CapRock. “We rely on our 11 service-and-support centers that are strategically located nearby major ports to dispatch supplies and technicians in a timely manner. This is where Harris CapRock excels.” To-date, Harris CapRock has successfully deployed solutions to many of the world’s leading maritime and drilling fleets.
Prior to choosing Harris CapRock, BP conducted extensive testing at the Harris CapRock United Kingdom (UK) facility based in Aberdeen. Harris CapRock’s engineering team developed a time division multiple access (TDMA) demonstration with test circuits for BP’s experts to conduct real-time data transfers, make telephone calls and see first-hand the benefits of Harris CapRock’s wide area network (WAN) optimization service.