Stratos and Alcatel-Lucent Team to Enhance Communications for Oil and Gas Workers in the Gulf of Mexico

HOUSTON and PARIS, Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Tapping into a major opportunity to expand and enhance offshore communications for the oil and gas industry, Stratos Global and Alcatel-Lucent are working together to boost IP connectivity between oil rigs, platforms and offshore vessels in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM).  Bringing IP/MPLS to the Stratos backbone network will be the first deployment of its kind in the GoM.

Stratos is the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions and the owner of the largest and most reliable digital microwave backbone in the GoM.  Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext andNYSE: ALU) is a leading global provider of fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services.  The two companies have signed a two-year agreement worth $5.2 million to enhance and increase IP communications for offshore oil and gas workers.

"Stratos has been serving the demanding communications requirements of the energy and transportation industries in the often harsh GoM environment for more than a decade," said George V. Head, Stratos Senior Vice President, Broadband Services.  "We are making a significant network investment –- including upgrading the Stratos network from nested ATM rings to an IP/MPLS infrastructure using advanced packet microwave and IP routing technology -- so we can continue offering high-bandwidth, low-latency, high-value and extremely reliable services while minimizing communications costs for our customers."

The recently launched StratosMAX II broadband service network is powered by Alcatel-Lucent's packet microwave and IP/MPLS technology to provide last-mile radio connections between remote locations in the GoM and back to shore.  The high-bandwidth, low-latency experience offered by StratosMAX II gives remote workers access to reliable voice service, corporate VPNs, high-speed Internet connectivity, Stratos Hot Spot WiFi service and a wide range of mobile communications applications essential for efficient and safe operations in the GoM region.

Stratos is deploying Alcatel-Lucent's:

• 9500 Microwave Packet Radio (MPR), managed by the 5620 Service Aware Manager, for a single service aware solution that allows Stratos to optimize service delivery in any condition as air bandwidth is fully exploited for maximum utilization of the radio band and service reliability.
• 7750 Service Router, 7705 SAR-8 and 5620 Service Aware Manager for a single converged IP network allowing Stratos to offer new IP services in a harsh environment with enhanced quality of service and end-to-end common operations and service management.  The IP solution also has the capability to deliver seamless services across fiber and microwave technologies;
• Professional services, including project management;
• WiMAX gear provided by Alcatel-Lucent under a reseller agreement with Ruggedcom.  The integration of the Ruggedcom offering expands the access footprint for customers in the GoM to operate off Stratos' industry-leading, digital microwave backbone.

"Enabling people working on the rigs and vessels in the GoM to communicate with each other and back to shore has been as challenging as the environment itself.  The solution we are deploying for Stratos will enable them to build on their history of offering their customers reliable, high-quality communications and will enable Stratos to offer new services for this special group of customers," said Walt Paskowski, Vice President of North America Strategic Industries Sales for Alcatel-Lucent.  "By selecting Alcatel-Lucent to help move toward an IP/MPLS infrastructure, Stratos underscores its commitment to enhancing their customers' experience through reliable, advanced communications services and end-to-end, lowest-cost routing back to their land interconnection points."

About StratosMAX II

Stratos is deploying StratosMAX II to more than half of its planned sites this year and will complete the initial deployment by the middle of next year.  StratosMAX II will significantly expand market coverage from Stratos' already extensive microwave network in the GoM.  StratosMAX II service levels will range up to 10Mbps and provide ultra-low-latency communications not available from VSAT alternatives.  This low-latency feature enables superior service quality and customer experience for lag-sensitive applications such as corporate VPN access, voice and video communications.  In addition to the high-quality connectivity back to the Internet, voice services, and corporate networks, StratosMAX II provides a VSAT-based, service-continuity feature to ensure that mission-critical communications are not impacted by short-duration service interruptions in the GoM.  This feature provides customers with a level of performance and reliability that is unparalleled in the GoM.  Those seeking more information on StratosMAX II can contact their Stratos account representative, call 1-800-375-1562 or visit www.stratosglobal.com/StratosMAX.

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.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) is the trusted transformation partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries such as defense, energy, healthcare, transportation, and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users.  A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry.  With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach.  Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 15.2 billion in 2009 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris.  For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent's blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent

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