Electronics Review Vol 23 No. 3 - ST Electronics

P R O J E C T SExtending constant connectivity to any locationCase Study 2Telespazio Argentina: A 48-hour fix to deliver reliable connectivityIn 2006, Telecom Personal, one ofArgentina’s leading cellular provider,contacted satellite provider TelespazioArgentina when it was seeking to expandcoverage to remote rural markets.SCPC (Single Channel Per Carrier)links to backhaul traffic were beingutilised; however, Telecom Personalwanted a more cost-effective solution.After analysing the situation, TelespazioArgentina concluded that a sharedbandwidth satellite platform would workbest. A new satellite IP network wasconfigured to allocate bandwidth acrossmultiple distributed locations. After sixmonths, engineers determined that thetest network was not conducive to whatthe company needed.With an opportunity slipping away,Telespazio Argentina put in a lastminutecall to iDirect, which deliveredits own IP networking technologyto their offices. Within 48 hours,Telespazio Argentina had its iDirectnetwork running. Within ten days, ithas successfully tested the networkin Telecom Personal’s environmentwithout experiencing any of the cellularprovider’s previous problems. Andfive days later, Telespazio Argentinaimplemented the iDirect solution.Since that time, the cellular backhaulnetwork has performed flawlesslyin every category, from bandwidthefficiency and quality of service, toreliability and seamless integration withTelecom Personal’s cellular network. Ithas also proved to be a boon to TelecomPersonal’s business. Thousands of newsubscribers have been added, providinga steady revenue stream in what hasbeen a saturated mobile service market.Case Study 3BT Communications: Improving network availabilityand transaction timesVisa International has a vast presencein the global economy. Owned by andcomprising 21,000 member banks,this ubiquitous service associationhas issued over one billion Visa cardsworldwide on which transactionsworth trillions of US dollars take placeevery year in more than 150 countries.In 2003, Visa’s Central and EasternEurope, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA)business recognised that the legacynetworks it depended on to processcard transactions were unable to keeppace with business growth and desiredresponse times. The company neededa new, more efficient and reliablenetwork.Visa was drawn to BT, a serviceprovider with a universal reach capableof providing and supporting secureconnectivity in some of the mostunderdeveloped parts of the world.BT’s VSAT solution, which is based onthe iDirect platform, was a two-waycommunications platform designed tooptimise IP traffic delivery over satellite,and comprised both terrestrial andsatellite technologies across 265 sitesin 51 countries.The new solution exceeded Visa’sexpectations. Member banks areenjoying 99.5 percent availability.Average transaction times havedropped by over half a second. Mostimportantly, the company is adding toits bottom line by paying less in networkmanagement costs.Get Connected withSatellite ServicesThe need for reliable, extendablebroadband connectivity continues tobe a high priority for organisationsaround the world. Satellite servicesare being used in a variety of markets— including Maritime, Cellular, Oil andGas, Financial, and Enterprise — todeliver connectivity beyond traditionalboundaries. This trend towardleveraging satellite offers organisationsa flexible, affordable way to extendapplications to any location.8 ELECTRONICS REVIEW