17 November 2002
Satcoms
Artel Communications Selects Gilat for RwandaTel Network
Do it Best
Corporation Selects Spacenet Solution
HNS Europe to Provide Italian
Operator with Services
HNS Supplies Maqsat-ACT
SkyStream Networks Signs Deal With BT Broadcast
Services
SND to
Provide DirecWay Broadband Services in Latin America
Telkom SA Selects Gilat's 360E VSAT
Solution
Earth
Observation
Grafton Technologies Uses QuickBird Imagery for Airport
Management
Navigation
Boeing Receives GPS IIF Production
Approval
Technology
MicroSat
Systems Selected for Team Encounter Project
Business
Gilat Finalises Debt Restructuring Plan
OTE Announces Financing of Satellite
Program
Satamatics and SkyWave Mobile Establish Global
Partnership
Products and Services
Earth Alert Emergency Management Solution Unveiled by NASA
Sinking Boats Raise
Automatic Alarm up to Space
Stratos Announces New Inmarsat Services
Artel Communications Selects Gilat for RwandaTel Network
(13 November 2002)
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has been selected by Artel Communications to
provide an additional two-way satellite communications telephony network for
use throughout Rwanda.
The 400-site DialAw@y IP network
will be deployed evenly throughout the country, each VSAT servicing two public
phones using a prepaid (scratch card) system and powered with solar energy.
Artel will deploy, operate and maintain the VSAT network for RwandaTel,
Rwanda's national telecom company. Deployment has already begun and is expected
to be completed by the end of January 2003. With the completion of this
project, Rwanda, with a total land area of 24.950 sq km, will have one of the
highest densities of public satellite telephone lines per square kilometre in
the world (1 public telephone per 30 sq km).
In July, Gilat announced
a separate agreement with Artel for a hub station and a 100-site DialAw@y IP
network to provide consumers and businesses with telephony and high-speed
Internet service in the education, health care, financial services and
government markets throughout Rwanda and Central Africa.
DialAw@y IP
is one of the only VSAT products capable of providing high-speed Internet
connectivity and toll-quality telephony service on a single, low-cost platform.
Each unit supports a PC/LAN connection and up to six telephone channels. It is
a low-cost solution for the fulfilment of Universal Service/Access Obligations,
Public Call Office requirements and small office/home office (SOHO)
requirements for bundled telephony and Internet access.
Do it
Best Corporation
Selects Spacenet Solution
(13 November 2002) Spacenet Inc has been selected by
Do it Best Corp to provide a US-wide, broadband wide area network to serve
members of its retailing co-operative.
Do it Best serves
more than 4,000 independent hardware and building materials retailers
throughout the United States. Recently, the company embarked on a program
designed to improve the operating efficiency of its nation-wide store network,
principally by connecting all its US stores to its Indiana corporate
headquarters. Connexstar will be an integral component of this objective.
Spacenet's Connexstar broadband satellite service will be used to support
a variety of critical business communications requirements, including
high-speed Internet/intranet access, e-mail, fast credit authorisation, store
polling, distribution of advertising materials and price file update
distribution to stores for accurate and consistent pricing.
Do it
Best's goal is to have the vast majority of its 4,000 members equipped with
Connexstar service by late summer 2003.
HNS
Europe to Provide
Italian Operator with Services
(14 November 2002) Hughes Network Systems Europe
(HNSE) has signed a contract with Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA., the first
telecommunications operator in Italy capable of offering integrated
communication services for mobile and fixed line telephony and Internet access.
Wind will use the satellite services to provide a SCADA (Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition) network to its customers.
The HNSE
satellite solution Wind is deploying connects customers' sites not reachable by
terrestrial lines, allowing remote management without on-site personnel. The
satellite network enables Wind to link additional remote sites quickly. Also,
it can be used to provide back-up for terrestrially connected sites.
Once the SCADA network becomes operational, Wind will deploy and provide new
applications and services to sites located in remote areas.
Installation is underway, with Phase 1 completion is slated for the end of the
year.
Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA is the number one Italian
telecommunications operator capable of providing convergent fixed-line, mobile
and Internet services. At the end of June 2002, Wind had a total of 26.3
million customers, including 8.1 million mobile and 7.2 million fixed-line
users, and 11 million Internet subscribers.
Wind is the leading
non-incumbent operator in the Italian fixed telephony market and the third
mobile player. Wind runs Italy's most successful Internet portal, Libero, and
is the largest Internet Service Provider in Italy.
HNS
Supplies Maqsat-ACT
(14 November 2002)
Hughes Network Systems Inc (HNS) is providing its TES Quantum solution to the
Maqsat Satellite Communications and Atlantic Coast Telesys (ACT) joint venture,
enabling them to provide on-demand telephony services throughout Africa and the
Middle East. The Maqsat-ACT joint venture will offer a wide range of services
from Maqsat's gateway and newly opened teleport facility located in Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, including voice, fax, data, and Internet access.
The HNS TES Quantum solution employs advanced, low-bit rate
voice encoding to maximise bandwidth efficiency and reduce costs and supports a
least-cost routing option. In addition, billing, pre-paid and calling card
services can be tailored to meet the customer's specific requirements.
Maqsat Satellite Communications, a Dutch satellite communications provider, was
founded in mid 2000 and is headquartered near Amsterdam in Alphen aan den Rijn,
The Netherlands. Maqsat is involved in three main activities: consultancy and
engineering; distribution of satellite products; and provisioning of satellite
services. Recently, Maqsat opened its new teleport facility in Amsterdam. Among
its customers are ISPs, ASPs, government agencies, and financial institutions.
Maqsat also provides HNS' PES VSAT services and DirecWay high-speed Internet
services to its customers.
Atlantic Coast Telesys is a provider of
custom VSAT solutions for both government agencies and commercial enterprises
on six continents and also is a full-service engineering firm specialising in
DSP and satellite communications.
SkyStream Networks Signs Deal With BT Broadcast Services
(11 November 2002)
SkyStream Networks has signed a deal with BT Broadcast Services (BTBS). Under
the agreement, BTBS will deploy SkyStream’s Edge Media 5000 Routers (EMRs)
for its interactive Corporate TV service, BT Enfocast.
BT Enfocast brings together the interactive elements of the Internet and the
power of broadcast technology to enhance fundamental business processes such as
training, internal communications, and investor, partner and customer
relations. BT Enfocast enables the UK’s leading corporate businesses to
deliver interactive broadcast quality TV to the desktop. BT Broadcast Services
intends to expand this service on a world-wide basis.
BT Broadcast
Services selected SkyStream's industry leading EMRs because they provide the
performance and reliability, whilst easily integrating with existing
satellite-based networks. SkyStream’s EMRs will also enable BT Broadcast
Services to quickly and efficiently bring advanced new revenue generating
services to the corporate business market. BT Broadcast Services joins more
than 150 service providers and broadcasters world-wide that are using
SkyStream’s solutions for content delivery via satellite, cable and
telecommunication networks.
SkyStream’s Edge Media Router (EMR)
resides at the edge of enterprise networks or in service provider POPs and
extracts IP content from incoming DVB MPEG-2 transport streams routing it via
10/100 Fast Ethernet onto corporate LAN or last-mile broadband networks for
multi-point delivery. The EMR is an integral part of SkyStream's end-to-end
solution for delivering Internet content via broadcast networks.
BT
Broadcast Services has developed a range of solutions that help companies
communicate with the audiences that matter to them. BT Enfocast - its Corporate
TV product - provides a platform for businesses to deliver real time or
on-demand broadcast quality footage direct to the desktop PC. Using satellite
technology, BT Enfocast provides a cost effective, interactive means to
communicate with key stakeholders including staff, customers, shareholders and
the wider business community, without slowing down the IT network. Key
applications include: internal communications, training and eLearning,
corporate governance and financial reporting, and news distribution (including
live desktop feeds of Bloomberg, BBC News 24 and CNBC).
SND to Provide DirecWay Broadband Services in Latin
America
(14
November 2002) SND Electronics Inc (SND), one of the largest open market and
franchised distributors of electronic components and computer peripherals, and
Hughes Network Systems Inc (HNS) have announced an agreement which enables SND
to provide HNS DirecWay Internet services to Latin American customers.
According to the agreement, SND will provide its customers
with DirecWay broadband satellite service utilising HNS' hub and centralised
network management centre located in Germantown, Maryland. In addition, the
contract calls for HNS to supply all support services, equipment, software and
technology necessary for SND to deliver a wide range of two-way, IP-based
services to its customers, including broadband Internet connectivity, VoIP
(Voice over IP), video conferencing, electronic payments, content delivery
services and other applications.
Founded in 1973, SND is one of the
largest open market and franchised distributors of electronic components and
computer peripherals in the world. SND Computer Product Division is the largest
Intel and Microsoft OEM distributor in Latin America. In 2000 SND was acquired
by Consumer Electronic AG. The Group has approximately 400 employees and
presence in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia/South Pacific.
RED Technologies provides satellite communication solutions and Internet-
based applications and services to a wide spectrum of customers. RED designs,
develops and implements turn-key applications based on satellite communications
technologies with a range of products and services including: AVL (Automatic
Vehicle Location), software development for AVL industry, Web site development
and hosting services, ASP (Application Service Providers) services, Internet
Service Providers, Internet access digital maps, and many more. RED's
headquarters are in Guatemala, with offices in El Salvador and Dominican
Republic, with Mexico to be opened in the very near future.
In a joint
effort with SND Electronics, RED has become an authorised distributor for Latin
American and the Caribbean regions of HNS' DirecWay, a two-way broadband
Internet satellite service. RED is also a distributor of Vistar Datacom's
GlobalWave, also a two-way satellite system designed to track and monitor
mobile and stationary assets all across the northern hemisphere of the American
continent.
Telkom SA Selects Gilat's 360E VSAT Solution
(12 November 2002)
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has been selected by its long-time customer Telkom
SA Limited to provide a Skystar 360E satellite hub station and thousands of
VSAT terminals, establishing Gilat's satellite-based technology as Telkom's
broadband VSAT offering.
The agreement spans a five year
period, with an incremental deployment of VSAT terminals reaching a cumulative
amount of more than 26,000 units by the fifth year, making it when completed,
one of the largest VSAT networks in the world.
The network is to offer
integrated Ku and C Band broadband IP applications for corporate, SOHO and
SMEs, throughout Sub Saharan Africa.
Grafton Technologies Uses QuickBird Imagery for Airport
Management
(13
November 2002) DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite imagery is being used by
Grafton Technologies Inc to aid in airport development, management and
maintenance. The photos offer the highest resolution in commercially available
space imagery.
Grafton Technologies began using
orthorectified QuickBird satellite imagery in July 2002 to map airport features
at the Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine. Combined with a
geographic information system (GIS), the 60-cm resolution satellite images
provide airport planners and developers with spatial data that can support
airport expansion and improvement projects as well as environmental
analysis.
For the Portland International Jetport project, Grafton
Technologies will use DigitalGlobe's satellite imagery to identify urban growth
patterns that can constrain future airport development, evaluate the effect of
airport changes on surrounding roadways, and illustrate areas where roadway
construction might affect airport operations. Black and white QuickBird
satellite images will serve as the primary data underlays, over which Grafton
Technologies will insert coloured vector data to illustrate engineering and
planning details.
The company plans to use QuickBird imagery for
similar projects at two additional airports in the near future.
Boeing Receives GPS IIF Production Approval
(11 November 2002)
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems has received approval from the US Air Force
to begin space vehicle production of the first three satellites for the Global
Positioning Satellite (GPS) IIF program, all of which will be built by Boeing
Satellite Systems in El Segundo, California.
The GPS IIF
satellites will provide new capabilities, including new signals for civilian
users and critical, secure Operational Military codes for the warfighter. A new
civilian signal, in the protected Aeronautical Radio Navigation System
frequency band, provides redundant safety of life services for civil aviation
users and increased accuracy for a host of other users world-wide.
In
addition, GPS IIF is compatible with the US Air Force's Expendable Launch
Vehicle (EELV) and will provide 20% more on-orbit life than previous GPS
spacecraft. The Air Force has chosen the Boeing Delta IV to launch 21 of its 28
EELV payloads.
Designed for flexibility and growth, the GPS IIF system
architecture can affordably accommodate hardware and software changes through
incremental technology upgrades to improve efficiency and introduce new
military capabilities including anti-jam, greater accuracy, better availability
and higher integrity.
This incremental upgrade approach to the GPS IIF
program will, in turn, reduce the technical risks inherent in developing GPS
III, the next generation satellite system, as well as answer the near term
needs of the warfighter today.
The Boeing-led Control Segment team,
that includes Lockheed Martin and Harris Corp, will also play a key role in the
modernisation of the entire GPS ground system architecture design to reduce
operator workload and operational costs.
MicroSat Systems Selected for Team Encounter Project
(13 November 2002) Team
Encounter, Houston, Texas, has selected MicroSat Systems Inc as the provider of
the spacecraft carrier bus for the Earthview Flight that is planned for the
fourth quarter of 2004.
The Earthview Flight mission
will provide flight verification of technologies required to deliver and deploy
a solar sail into a solar escape trajectory in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
It is designed to take a spacecraft out of earth's sun system and journey to
other stars that might have planets similar to earth.
After a
successful demonstration of the Team Encounter Earthview Flight, MicroSat
Systems and Team Encounter look to further their relationship with the flight
of Humanity's First Starship in late 2005. This mission will use the solar sail
propulsion concept to transport a payload out of the sun's solar system on a
journey to other stars. Team Encounter and MicroSat Systems also have executed
a long-term agreement to jointly pursue missions of interest to both
companies.
MicroSat Systems Inc is a small Colorado-based company that
designs, develops, integrates, tests and operates high performance satellites
and spacecraft subsystems, including lightweight thin film solar arrays and
multi-functional composite structures.
Gilat Finalises Debt Restructuring Plan
(14 November 2002)
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has reached agreement with its major bank and
holders of a majority of bonds on the details of its restructuring plan.
The Company, its major banking creditor and bondholders
holding a majority of the US$ 350 million (face value), 4.25% Convertible
Subordinated Notes due 2005, have agreed on the details of the debt
restructuring plan and requested that the Israeli District Court in Tel Aviv
convene a meeting of the bondholders and banks to approve the arrangement.
If the Court accepts the application, the Tel-Aviv District Court will
convene a meeting to be tentatively scheduled for early January 2003, of the
Company's banking creditors and bondholders to vote on the restructuring plan.
The Company expects to distribute proxy information to the bondholders during
December. The plan as submitted has been approved by the Company's primary
lender and holders of a majority of the bonds, but is subject to finalisation
of definitive agreements with the banks, bondholders and another major
vendor.
The plan as submitted to the Court stipulates that bondholders
will convert approximately 77% of its debt of US$ 361,974,000, or US$
278,720,000 into approximately 80% of the outstanding shares post restructuring
or US$ 1.38 of debt per share. In addition, the bondholders will receive in
exchange for the remaining debt of US$ 83,254,000 a new, 10-year convertible
bond, with a 4% annual interest rate and a voluntary conversion price of US$
0.87 per share. The interest payments will be deferred in 2003 and 2004, after
which time the interest payments commence semi-annually in 2005. Principle
repayment of the bonds will begin in 2010 and 2011 with US$ 5 million each
year, and principle balance due in 2012. The Company will have the right to
force conversion under certain conditions.
The plan calls for the
Company's lead banker, Bank Hapoalim, to convert US$ 25,500,000 of its existing
bank debt to new equity equal to approximately 7.31% of the outstanding equity
post restructuring and US$ 5,100,000 into new convertible bonds. The Bank is
also a bondholder and its expecting holdings post-structuring will be 14.1%.
The Bank has also agreed that the remaining debt of US$ 71,400,000 will be
under the following terms: Interest - Libor plus 2.5%, payable semi-annually;
10 year term with 2 year grace period on principal, partial grace period in
2005 and 7 remaining years of full payment. The plan contemplates that the
other banks will amend their loans under substantially the same
terms.
OTE Announces Financing of Satellite Program
(12 November 2002)
Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation SA, the Greek full-service
telecommunications provider, has announced that OTE's Board of Directors has
decided to increase the funding in HellasSat, contributing US$ 30 million to
the company's share capital.
HellasSat is a company
responsible for the launch and commercial use of a satellite that will be
positioned at 39° E and have a wide coverage. The satellite will have two
deployable antennas through which it will provide Pan European coverage, while
the two available steerable beams can be moved to cover South Africa and Middle
East. The satellite is expected to be operational in time for coverage of the
2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Previously OTE had contributed US$ 12.5
million in HellasSat's share capital. Through the current injection of capital
OTE will temporarily hold a large majority of the company's share capital;
however, as there is interest from other investors to participate in this
venture, OTE's interest is expected to decrease over time.
Satamatics and SkyWave Mobile Establish Global Partnership
(11 November 2002)
Satamatics Ltd and SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc have announced the signing
of a strategic partnership to collaborate on technology, network infrastructure
and intellectual property.
Both SkyWave and Satamatics
currently develop and market products and solutions for global asset tracking,
monitoring and control solutions over land, sea or air. The partnership allows
both companies to take advantage of Satamatics' established, global coverage
hub and network, enabling them to focus their resources on market development
and producing competitive solutions for customers world-wide.
Both
companies are motivated by the desire to accelerate the adoption of satellite
telematics systems based on affordable, reliable Inmarsat D+ technology.
Inmarsat was the world's first global mobile satellite communications
operator and is still the only one to offer a range of modern communications
services to enterprise users in the maritime, land-mobile and aeronautical
sectors. The Inmarsat D+ service is designed to enable the control and
monitoring of remote fixed assets, such as pipelines and storage tanks, as well
as enabling the tracking and control of mobile assets such as trucks, trains,
and ships.
Inmarsat D+ is a two-way system that allows, for example,
status and control information between a transport manager's desktop and a
truck in transit, and information about flow, and remote control capabilities,
between a pipeline installation and a central monitoring station. The D+
service utilises the Inmarsat network of geostationary satellites to provide
reliable, low cost and global roaming coverage.
Earth
Alert Emergency
Management Solution Unveiled by NASA
(13 November 2002) NASA and 3e Technologies
International (3eTI) have announced the availability and ongoing enhancement of
the "Earth Alert Emergency Management Solution".
Earth
Alert is a multi-faceted solution for Emergency Management (EM)
Agencies/Organisations and First Responder communities. The Maryland Emergency
Management Agency is consulting on the NASA-funded Earth Alert system's ongoing
enhancement to provide additional value-added services.
MEMA's goal is
to spearhead deployment of NASA's Earth Alert Emergency Management Solution so
that other EM Agencies and Organisations can improve their efficiency and
effectiveness in alerting, response, and relief for critical incidents.
The Earth Alert System is designed to help the EM Community save lives
rapidly while meeting the challenges for: reduced manpower pools, resource
monitoring, faster response, increased information sharing, increased
operational commitments, as well as mobile Web-based information access.
Earth Alert supports text messaging between an Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) and field support personnel. With MEMA's assistance, tailored forms have
been designed to assist First Responders in locating damaged areas for
Emergency Managers who use Damage Assessment Forms for real-time reporting to
the EOC.
Field information is transmitted to the EOC with precise
GPS-based location information. The GPS latitude-longitude data enables First
Responders and Emergency Management personnel to identify and locate areas for
prompt damage assessment. The system's Damage Assessment Reports have latitude
and longitude information automatically attached for instant map reference.
At MEMA's recommendation, all Earth Alert System information can be
retrieved and accessed through the Internet. Incident and management reports
can be generated, uploaded, accessed and downloaded. These system capabilities
enable EM Agencies to implement a crisis management solution without incurring
large infrastructure costs or the need for extensive training on device and
system use.
NASA's Earth Alert Solution performs two primary types of
tracking. - Asset and Personnel. By installing a 3eTI tracking device into an
asset (vehicle, stationary equipment, mobile care facility, etc.), an Emergency
Manager can keep track of the asset via the Internet. They can "geo-fence" the
vehicle's operation area and be notified when it moves.
Managers can
receive alerts when the asset is being manipulated or tampered with, which
provides theft security. When sensors are added to a 3eTI tracking device, the
device can auto-activate and report critical incidents for various conditions.
These capabilities provide for enhanced asset management, faster response time
to critical incidents, and possible mitigation of situations before they
escalate.
When equipped with the system's GPS-enabled wireless phones,
the Earth Alert Solution will track EM Personnel or First Responders and route
the closest individual to the event faster and more accurately.
Because Earth Alert is a Web-based solution, it is available to County and
State Agencies to utilise without buying their own expensive call centre
infrastructure, networked computer servers, or special hardware for field
deployment. The Earth Alert solution is low cost, easy to implement., and can
be utilised on a contracted or usage-based arrangement.
The Earth
Alert Emergency Management Solution (EAS) is a commercialisation program effort
at Goddard Space Flight Center. The project was developed in the Earth Sciences
Directorate under the authority of the GSFC/FEMA Memorandum of Understanding,
which calls for the transfer of NASA technology to aid the emergency management
community.
The initial phases of the Earth Alert Project were funded
by NASA/GSFC under the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program.
Under this program 3e Technologies International, also known as AEPTEC
Microsystems, in conjunction with GSFC/NASA, was able to develop an Earth Alert
Data Center in Blairsville, Pennsylvania and were able to demonstrate the value
of displaying location specific information on handheld devices with embedded
GPS and situation map displays.
The Earth Alert System utilises
commercial sector pager and cellular infrastructure. Since these initial
developments 3eTI/AEPTEC Microsystems has been able to extend the system to
include web based capabilities.
Sinking Boats Raise Automatic Alarm up to Space
(14 November 2002) A
new ESA-developed technology enables boat crews to check their positions, stay
in constant contact with shore, receive urgent emergency warnings, and enable
friends and family to remotely track them on the internet.
If a boat becomes dangerously water-logged or its power
system is on the verge of failure, an onboard GlobalWave MT2000 terminal can
send an automatic SOS message together with its exact GPS co-ordinates back to
dry land, via satellites orbiting 35,000 km above the ocean waves.
Less dramatically, a yachtsman can also use his satellite terminal to book
engineering or concierge service before he puts into shore. And even if his
vessel is laid up for the winter the service remains useful - satellite-linked
security sensors keep guard against intrusion.
Boat accessories
company Volvo Penta has begun making this two-way communications service
available to yachtsmen. It utilises a pre-existing satellite network called
GlobalWave, operated by Canadian-based firm Vistar Telecommunications.
The GlobalWave network has been operational since 1999, employing geostationary
satellites to give businesses the ability to remotely track and control assets
such as trucks, storage tanks and construction equipment. End-users access data
from GlobalWave with internet-linked servers.
As a boat represents
probably the most expensive purchase someone makes after buying a home,
extending GlobalWave to leisure and commercial boats seemed a good move.
But problems emerged. The prototype GlobalWave server software was
difficult to use, failed to permit customisation for marine or other specialist
uses and was unreliable and buggy.
It was here that ESA stepped in,
signing a contract to develop a new application server with Vistar and perform
pilot trials in a marine environment. The project commenced in July 2001, with
marine trials starting in September that year.
ESA worked with a
company called Navigation Research to fit five vessels with GlobalWave MT2000
terminals linked to bilge, voltage and intrusion sensors. These self-contained
GPS-linked terminals are extremely energy-efficient, capable of functioning for
a minimum of three years on battery power alone.
Ranging from a
sailboat to a catamaran to a power cruiser to a trawler, these boats sailed
along both coasts of the United States during the five month trial, one roaming
as far as Hawaii. Users toured a number of boat shows during the trial,
generating wide interest in the technology.
Trial feedback helped
improve the services now offered by Volvo Penta, anticipated to rapidly become
very popular. GlobalWave coverage was initially limited to the vicinity of the
US but through regional operators the network is due to cover the globe by the
end of this year.
Stratos Announces New Inmarsat Services
(13 November 2002) Stratos is to provide
land-based Inmarsat satellite communication services (Inmarsat B, C, M/Mini,
M/M4) for use in the United States. This is made possible due to a license
granted to Stratos by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that allows
for US Inmarsat terminal activation and usage.
In
addition to global communication capability, users are also able to take
advantage of an easy-to-use billing structure where the terminal owner simply
pays for calls to and from the terminal. With this new service, critical voice
and data communication capabilities are possible where conventional
communications are not feasible, as in instances where there is a lack of
terrestrial communications infrastructure. This is vitally important to a
number of commercial and government sectors, including mining and forestry,
homeland security, and the oil and gas industry.
