Globecomm Maritime’s Access Chat +…The Scuttlebutt Is Video And Chat Are Affordable (SATCOM)

[SatNews] … “The scuttlebutt will make its way around the ship so fast that everyone you come across will ask you the same question.”

Globecomm Maritime, provider of maritime communications solutions, has rolled out Access Chat Plus, an optimized chat and video conferencing offering designed for maritime satellite communications.

Access Chat Plus provides maritime users from the bridge to the mess with a means to make video calls and chat live over satellite using a fraction of the data and at a fraction of the cost of shore side applications.

Access Chat provides instant messaging and voice calling while Access Chat Plus provides the same with the addition of video conferencing.

Both Access Chat and Access Chat Plus are available in a range of pricing options for corporate and crew use, with customized pricing available when the service is bundled with Globecomm Maritime airtime service contracts. Trevor Whitworth, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Globecomm Maritime says: “Demand for video conferencing and instant messaging has experienced rapid growth, but while land-based users have become accustomed to its convenience, shipboard staff need tools that are designed for the constraints of satellite communications. Voice and video conferencing applications use a great deal of bandwidth and that makes it very expensive for seafarers. We identified the need for a tool that gives ships the same functionality but keeps cost under control.”

Access Chat and Access Chat Plus are very ‘light’ applications both in terms of set up and data usage. Both are no more than 1Mb in size and can be installed easily and quickly on any Windows or Android device, with an Apple OS version due in Q2 2013. Either application may be loaded to a USB stick, enabling them to be used across multiple devices. Both can be installed without the need for proprietary ship management software, making them convenient for crew.

Gregor Ross, Sales & Marketing Director – Europe, says ship visits by Globecomm staff have validated the demand for the new service from crew. “It can start at the top of the gangway. As soon as the Watch know you are there to work on the communications system, they ask if they are getting a video chat or instant messaging. The demand is almost insatiable. Now we can say we have something much better to offer.”