Hapag-Lloyd is First to Deploy Stratos' New FBBPlus Managed Broadband Service

--New service combines FleetBroadband with VSAT for flat monthly fee--

BETHESDA, MD, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ - Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced the commercial availability of FBBPlus, its managed global broadband service for the maritime industry.

Stratos' innovative FBBPlus solution offers shipping companies a highly flexible migration path toward Inmarsat's Global Xpress 50Mbps services, which is expected to be commercially available in 2014.

FBBPlus combines Inmarsat's popular FleetBroadband satellite communications service with Ku-band VSAT service. For a flat monthly fee, FBBPlus offers a managed data communications capability of up to 25 GB per month.

The turnkey service offering, predictable cost, and high data allowance make FBBPlus ideally suited for global shipping companies that are customizing their own network environment and require greater throughputs and bandwidth.

Stratos recently began deploying FBBPlus on approximately 40 vessels for Hapag-Lloyd, under a five-year contract. Hapag-Lloyd, based in Hamburg, is one of the world's largest shipping companies and is recognized as having developed one of the shipping industry's most advanced IT systems.

For Hapag-Lloyd, Stratos is fully integrating FBBPlus with AmosConnect - Stratos' sophisticated maritime communications application - to manage all email, fax, SMS and interoffice communications. Also, The Stratos Advantage suite of value-added services will help Hapag-Lloyd attain the highest possible FBBPlus performance, security and cost control.

The FBBPlus service successfully meets the increasing data requirements of shipping companies. It offers the highly reliable FleetBroadband service with the capability and capacity of Ku-band VSAT within high-density shipping areas.

FBBPlus is the only service that delivers a managed MPLS extension network over separate L-band and Ku-band networks, delivering resilient and redundant paths. The MPLS network separates and logically manages business, crew and non-essential traffic - while delivering high-quality voice communications via the highly efficient Inmarsat circuit-switched network.

"Hapag-Lloyd is impressed by our ability to offer a flexible, fully managed broadband service. Because FBBPlus is based on FleetBroadband, Hapag-Lloyd is confident that it will help them meet their business goals and provide their ships with optimal performance and reliability at all times," said Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm.

Parm concluded, "As the world's leading FleetBroadband distributor, we understand the demand for higher volumes of data to support critical applications and business communications onboard - along with the increasing need to support crew with Internet-based services. Our creative FBBPlus solution demonstrates that we are perfectly positioned to expand our customers' communications capabilities as we prepare for the availability Inmarsat's Global Xpress services."

About FBBPlus
FBBPlus offers shipping companies a highly flexible migration path toward Inmarsat's Global Xpress 50Mbps services, which will be commercially available in 2014. FBBPlus combines Inmarsat's popular FleetBroadband satellite communications service with Ku-band VSAT service. For a flat monthly fee, FBBPlus offers a managed data communications capability of up to 25 GB per month.

Stratos has activated more than 7,000 FleetBroadband systems across all major geographic regions and vessel types. FleetBroadband from Stratos provides cost-effective, high-speed data and voice communications - available simultaneously.

Stratos offers a wide range of value-added services to provide ship managers with optimal communications performance, management control and cost efficiency. Stratos is the largest supplier of mobile satellite services to the maritime industry, with communications to more than 40,000 maritime terminals worldwide. In addition to FBBPlus and FleetBroadband, Stratos' industry-leading portfolio of maritime broadband satellite services includes Iridium OpenPort and the VSAT solutions OceanVSAT and StratosITek.

FBBPlus from Stratos Features The Stratos Advantage
With the benefit of The Stratos Advantage, FBBPlus from Stratos is elevated far above baseline services. The value-added services comprising The Stratos Advantage, including Stratos Dashboard, provide users with cost and traffic control, high-usage metering, firewall management, data optimization, real-time traffic overviews, instant remote provisioning, high security options, easy VPN access, messaging services and a full range of IP options.

In addition to offering The Stratos Advantage, Stratos works with application partners to deliver broadband business solutions in key maritime business areas. These solutions include voyage management, remote management, IT management and cargo management, which help reduce fuel and operations costs and improve crew and customer satisfaction. Maritime customers can secure more information on FBBPlus from Stratos by calling their Stratos account manager.

About Hapag-Lloyd
Based in Hamburg, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world's largest shipping companies, employing more than 6,900 professionals at 300 locations in 114 countries. The Company operates more than 130 modern ships and transports nearly five million containers annually. For more information, please visit www.hapag-lloyd.com.

About Stratos
Stratos is the world's trusted leader for vital communications. Stratos offers the most powerful and extensive portfolio of remote communications solutions including mobile and fixed satellite and microwave services. More than 20,000 customers use Stratos products and industry-leading value-added services to optimize communications performance. Stratos serves U.S. and international government, military, first responder, NGO, oil and gas, industrial, maritime, aeronautical, enterprise, and media users on seven continents and across the world's oceans. Stratos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat plc. For more information, visit www.stratosglobal.com.

SOURCE Stratos Global Corporation

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