[SatNews] TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) has announced the immediate availability of commercial service for the Cisco Internet Routing in Space (IRIS) solution using the Cisco(R) 18400 Space Router on Intelsat IS-14.

This industry-first solution enables the convergence of satellite communications and existing information technology infrastructure. Following the initial agreement announcement on February 17, there has been significant interest from multinational, government, and enterprise sectors. The launch of TCS OS-IRIS managed services will allow organizations to reach four continents in a single satellite hop from a single connection to TCS' infrastructure. The converged Cisco IRIS solution delivers optimized voice, data and video traffic over a single IP network for increased efficiency and flexibility compared to more fragmented traditional satellite communication networks. Customers benefit from increased bandwidth optimization and application flexibility delivered by TCS through an end-to-end Cisco IP network.

"IRIS brings a unique opportunity to satellite users to reduce latency and decrease lifecycle costs across a network," said Michael Bristol, general manager and senior vice president of government solutions for TCS. "Introducing the commercial offering solidifies both Cisco's and our commitment to bringing innovation and market disruptors such as IRIS to the forefront of the marketplace. With significant interest across multiple vertical markets, we anticipate a highly successful and rapid adoption of this service."