To enhance communication between crew members of ships and their families, Stratos Global Corporation, a provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced the commercial availability of AmosConnect Crew CommCenter, the latest version of its popular AmosConnect Crew satellite communications solution.

 

AmosConnect Crew is an all-in-one communication solution for personal networking and communications platform for crew members. Combining AmosConnect and Stratos (News - Alert) ChatCard, two of Stratos’ successful services, AmosConnect Crew enables personnel at sea to stay in contact with home via calling, e-mail and SMS at affordable, flat global rates -- thus helping retain qualified seafarers. It provides an easily manageable, separate account for each crewmember.

 

The Internet functionality of the new software version is expanded beyond email to include true onboard Internet cafe features, such as prepaid web browsing, prepaid chatting and access to global and local news services. AmosConnect Crew was developed in response to requests from ship managers who wanted a full crew-communication solution that would run entirely separate from the business communication onboard their vessels. AmosConnect Crew is based on the SMSCrewMail application from SMS Global Ltd.

 

By adding features that enable web browsing, chatting with all major Internet communities, and access to global news services, the latest version of AmosConnect Crew becomes the industry’s first complete, pre-paid onboard Internet café solution for crewmembers. It provides the first fully integrated, user-friendly interface for using email, SMS and the Internet.

 

Jim Parm said that AmosConnect Crew CommCenter demonstrates Stratos’ knowledge of evolving requirements and its commitment to providing ship managers with innovative new solutions to help them recruit and retain qualified seafarers. Parm added, that this new version enables ship managers to derive maximum value from their FleetBroadband and OpenPort broadband terminals and it also enable seafarers to communicate onboard in the same manner as they do ashore.

 

AmosConnect Crew now also have new cost-reduction and security features that enable ship managers to control the volume of Internet usage, control the size of messages, and minimize risks for onboard systems. Several leading ship-management companies, including Hong Kong’s Wallem and Malaysia’s MISC Berhad, have deployed AmosConnect Crew to improve crew welfare.