Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications, has selected Metaswitch to expand and enrich its FleetBroadband maritime communications service, the first maritime communications service to provide cost-effective broadband data and voice, simultaneously, through a compact antenna on a global basis.

   Inmarsat’s new ‘FB Multi-voice’ capability will greatly increase the flexibility of FleetBroadband by adding the ability to deliver simultaneous calls. The company will deploy Metaswitch Universal Media Gateways and the MetaSphere Multimedia Telephony Application Server (MTAS) at network hubs in Western Europe and the Pacific Rim, with control from Inmarsat’s global headquarters in London.

“Metaswitch is the best fit for our increased feature requirements, plus we have been very impressed with the quality of the technology and the worldwide support organization,” said David Kingdon-Jones, Director, Product and Service Management at Inmarsat.  “Our maritime services have a trusted reputation in the shipping industry and are sold by a large number of partners worldwide. Now we can provide even better communication services for users.”

“We are very pleased to help Inmarsat launch Voice over IP services,” said Richard Dorey, vice president of sales for EMEA at Metaswitch. “By using Metaswitch’s exclusive quality assurance tools, Inmarsat will be able to maintain their reputation for superior customer service.”