New KVH Watch service is designed for maritime equipment manufacturers, enabling them to conduct remote monitoring and real-time intervention
MIDDLETOWN, R.I., June 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), today introduced the maritime industry’s only all-inclusive, no-commitment, Internet of Things (IoT) Connectivity as a Service program utilizing global VSAT communications. KVH WatchTM is designed as the connectivity solution for remote equipment monitoring and intervention by maritime equipment manufacturers and IoT application providers. With remote monitoring, manufacturers can act in real time, minimizing expensive service calls and ensuring that their equipment is performing at its peak for the maritime operation.
“IoT is essential for maintaining and optimizing complex equipment at sea, but until now, equipment manufacturers have lacked an affordable VSAT IoT solution,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer. “We followed the successful business model we established with AgilePlans® Connectivity as a Service to now offer KVH Watch IoT Connectivity as a Service for one monthly subscription fee.”
Leveraging KVH’s end-to-end maritime connectivity service and high-throughput satellite (HTS) network, KVH Watch is the industry’s first solution designed to deliver IoT connectivity in two modes: Watch Flow, for 24/7, machine-to-machine data delivery compatible with all IoT applications; and Watch Intervention, for on-demand high-speed sessions for remote face-to-face support and remote equipment access. The monthly subscription fee includes access to a dedicated IoT VSAT terminal, data delivery, and maintenance.
“Watch Intervention was designed specifically to resolve the problems that IoT remote condition monitoring brings to light,” says Kits van Heyningen. “Service visits to ships average $5,000 each, and can be too little, too late. Now, shore-based specialists can solve more challenging issues with equipment on a vessel in real-time.”
KVH designed the IoT connectivity solution with cybersecurity as an essential feature. KVH Watch is completely isolated from the vessel’s communications system and will include a dedicated LAN, support for manufacturer VPNs, and multi-factor authentication for remote-controlled access.
Another benefit of KVH Watch for equipment manufacturers is the ability to use Watch Flow to gather real-world performance data for product development. KVH knows this benefit well. Part of the motivation and research for developing KVH Watch comes from KVH’s own experience in monitoring its satellite antenna hardware through IoT connectivity. KVH evaluates performance data on 150+ data channels to power proactive monitoring and rapid resolution for thousands of VSAT terminals onboard vessels worldwide.
“We have seen the value of IoT firsthand for some time now,” notes Kits van Heyningen, “and have had situations where we spotted and addressed a problem remotely before the vessel itself saw the issue. We believe other equipment manufacturers will quickly see the advantage of that kind of proactive approach.”
KVH is a mobile tech innovator that provides connectivity solutions for commercial maritime, leisure marine, and land mobile applications on vessels and vehicles, including the award-winning TracPhone® and TracVision® product lines, the global mini-VSAT Broadbandsm network, and AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service (CaaS). The company’s KVH Media Group provides news, sports, and entertainment content with such brands as NEWSlink™ and SPORTSlink™.
Note to Editors: For more information about KVH Watch, please visit the website, kvh.com/watch. High-resolution images of KVH products are available at the KVH Press Room Image Library, kvh.com/Press-Room/Image-Library.
About KVH Industries, Inc.
KVH Industries, Inc., is a global leader in mobile connectivity and inertial navigation systems, innovating to enable a mobile world. A market leader in maritime VSAT, KVH designs, manufactures, and provides connectivity and content services globally. KVH is also a premier manufacturer of high-performance sensors and integrated inertial systems for defense and commercial applications. Founded in 1982, the company is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL, and more than a dozen offices around the globe.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding the expected competitive advantages of KVH Watch, anticipated date of commercial availability, the scope of services to be offered, the pricing and expected benefits of KVH Watch, and the predicted impact on customer expenditures. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Factors that might cause these differences include, but are not limited to: unanticipated technical and other challenges that arise during the launch of a new service; unanticipated technical, legal and regulatory delays with the launch of the new service; customer responses to KVH Watch; potential future changes to the pricing or other terms of KVH Watch; and potential unforeseen costs or expenses of providing the products and services included in KVH Watch subscriptions. These and other factors are discussed in more detail in KVH’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2019. Copies are available through its Investor Relations department and website, http://investors.kvh.com. KVH does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect new information and developments.
KVH Industries, Inc. has used, registered, or applied to register its trademarks in the U.S.A. and other countries around the world, including but not limited to the following marks: KVH, mini-VSAT Broadband, KVH Watch, AgilePlans, TracPhone, TracVision, mini-VSAT Broadband, NEWSlink, and SPORTSlink. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.