Page 64 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

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space and ground assets – seamlessly services to customers operating in nearly developing satellite resource management
integrating satellite with terrestrial 50 countries today. The O3b system is and optimization software to co-develop
networks. As the newest technology the only technically-, operationally- and the industry’s most advanced software
partner in the O3b mPOWER ecosystem, commercially-proven non-geostationary solution for SES’s O3b mPOWER and
Kythera, a leading provider of dynamic system for delivering low-latency data SES-17 satellites.” “For satellites to play
management systems for next generation communications today. In addition to O3b a key role in the cloud-scale connectivity
satellite payloads and networks, is working mPOWER, SES also will implement ARC ecosystem, we have to make sure our
with SES to develop ARC as an entirely new on its SES-17 high-throughput satellite. satellite network offers maximum agility
paradigm for communications services The geostationary satellite, which will be and adaptivity to real-time changes. This
delivered via high-throughput satellites. launched in 2021, is dedicated to providing is the heart of our network modernization
ARC’s ability to capture and utilize real- services for the aeronautical, maritime strategy and the reason why we are co-
time data from Customer Edge Terminals and fixed and mobile broadband markets developing and implementing ARC,” said
means that end-user requirements can be across the Americas with its 200 spot Stewart Sanders, SES’s Executive Vice
instantly aligned with space- and ground- beams. “Next-generation satellites such President of Technology and O3b mPOWER
based network resources. Together with as SES’s O3b mPOWER and SES-17 have program manager. “In choosing Kythera as
O3b mPOWER’s dynamic network and sophisticated on-board processors that the latest technology partner in the O3b
user terminals, it will further boost the offer tremendous new value in the form of mPOWER ecosystem, SES is laying down
next-generation system’s flexibility and flexible service and superior performance. a key building block in the realization of
network efficiency when it launches in The solution we are working on with SES is that strategy – the ability to fully integrate
2021. SES’s current O3b constellation about unlocking that value,” said Dr. Jeffrey the power of our space resources with the
has been operational since 2013 and is Freedman, CEO of Kythera. “We are proud to latest network software innovation.”
delivering fiber-equivalent connectivity be able to leverage our 10-year heritage of

SES Networks Tunes Up Private Cloud Connections with Azure ExpressRoute

SES Networks is the first satellite provider in Micrsoft’s Azure
ExpressRoute ecosystem. SES has ratcheted up its relationship
and connectivity options with Microsoft Azure by becoming an
Azure ExpressRoute services partner. The partnership allows
SES Networks to provide dedicated, private network connectivity
across land, sea and air, and other hard to reach places by using
its satellite systems. SES Networks CEO JP Hemingway said that
becoming an Azure ExpressRoute partner was a milestone for his
company as it seeks to offer connectivity solutions to enterprises,
energy companies and government sites in places that are beyond
the reach of fiber. Hemingway said SES has been working with
Microsoft Azure for a little more than a year. The fruits of those
efforts included last month’s announcement that SES was using
the open networking automation platform (ONAP) in partnership
with Microsoft Azure and Amdocs. ONAP is providing the global gateway network and terrestrial network infrastructure,
orchestration capabilities for the ExpressRoute services. Azure all of which can be used facilitate edge compute services. Azure
ExpressRoute announcement was a big step toward SES’s goal customers also will be able to tap into SES’s next-generation MEO
of providing a cloud-enabled, satellite connected suite of satellite communications system, O3b mPOWER. Launching in 2021, O3b
services to both its customers and Microsoft’s customers, mPOWER will deliver 10 times the throughput of the existing O3b
according to Hemingway. “There are many ExpressRoute Azure constellation. “We are collaborating with SES across a range of
connectivity partners out there,” Hemingway said. “But, obviously, initiatives to build upon their expertise in satellite communications
they’ve been predominantly around terrestrial connectivity with and increase connectivity to critical services and applications for
the large telcos, which have now enabled great access to the customers in remote and underserved areas,” said Ross Ortega,
cloud applications, cloud solutions, to those that are terrestrially partner, product manager of Azure Networking, in a statement.
connected. “What we bring into the mix now is that we’re enabling “This new collaboration between SES and Microsoft Azure
the breadth and the scale that satellite can enable so that we can Express Route further enables us to bring Azure to any business
bring cloud connectivity out to all of those users that we can reach or government site.” Hemingway said that SES has a similar
that other options can’t reach.” SES is able to provide connectivity cloud agreement with IBM Cloud Direct Link, and that he expects
services across its fleet of 50 Geostationary Earth Orbit (GE0) additional cloud partners going forward. SES also announced an
satellites and its 20 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. The expanded collaboration with Microsoft to use Azure’s cloud and
20 O3b MEO satellites in particular can deliver MEF-certified AI capabilities to deliver one of the first broadcast-grade cloud
data connectivity services with low latency across Azure’s services for media delivery.

64 SEPTEMBER 2019