Iridium  Selects Northrop Grumman Business Unit To Provide Global Support For New OpenPort Maritime Satcom System

 

March 19, 2008

Iridium Satellite has reached an agreement to appoint Sperry Marine, a Northrop Grumman Corporation  business unit, as the global support partner for Iridium OpenPort optimized-bandwidth marine satellite systems. 

“The alliance with Sperry Marine is an important element in our strategy for rapidly capturing a significant market share in the marine broadband sector this year,” said Greg Ewert, executive vice president, Iridium Satellite. “Since our public launch of Iridium OpenPort at the Satellite 2008 conference last month, we have had an overwhelming response from the marketplace, and the agreement with Sperry Marine will provide a worldwide network of trained service locations for installing, commissioning, testing and servicing the shipboard equipment.” 

“Sperry Marine is uniquely qualified to be the global support partner for Iridium OpenPort with our network of offices in 16 countries and more than 250 service depots covering every major seaport in the world,” said Andy Fraser, director of worldwide service, Sperry Marine. “We will also leverage our IP-based ServiceNet tools to ensure efficient and timely shipboard service for Iridium’s customers.” 

Under the agreement, Sperry Marine will supervise, install and commission the Iridium OpenPort terminals, provide onboard service, technical support and warranty repairs, and develop training packages for technical staff around the world. Sperry Marine will also provide logistics, handling and distribution of equipment inventory at prime support locations, and will provide workshop repairs at the Sperry Marine center in Vlaardingen, Netherlands.