A historic Inka Engineering Expedition now underway in the high Andean mountains of Peru will be video cast live to visitors at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, thanks to a joint expedition by universities from the United States, South America, and Asia. NewCom International, a global communications company specializing in unified video, voice and data solutions, has been tapped to provide satellite services and facilitate streaming video from the expedition in the Andes back to the Smithsonian.

The ten-day research expedition, which kicked off July 11 following a successful trial run last year, is being funded jointly by the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian.  Students and researchers from Virginia Tech, Iowa State, the University of Colorado, and North Carolina State, as well as from institutions in Peru, Argentina, Chile and Asia, are collaborating with Native scholars from the National Museum of the American Indian to learn the engineering secrets behind the ancient Inka road and bridge system that stretches over some of the country’s most rugged terrain.  A research team of archeologists, anthropologists, and engineers will help students explore how ancient Inka engineers handled hydraulic and geotechnical issues, as well as overall construction of their structures without the use of iron tools, the wheel, or stock animals.

Along the way, the team will conduct live video casts using a laptop computer, an antenna, and a modem that will be connected to the Internet via satellite and streamed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C, as well as to researchers at the participating institutions.  On July 19 and 20, museum visitors will be able to interact with the expedition team in the Andes of Peru and ask questions about their findings.

Cliff Schexnayder, an eminent scholar at Arizona State who helped spearhead the expedition and has been leading the charge to utilize tele-engineering applications, said the video casts facilitated by NewCom International enable researchers to bring the excitement and power of the field into the classroom.

“It’s difficult and costly to facilitate engineering expeditions – particularly to places as remote as the Andes Mountains in Peru.  As a result, very few researchers and students get the opportunity to experience this kind of hands-on learning,” notes Schexnayder.  “With this kind of tele-engineering technology, students and researchers located anywhere in the world can see and interact with field researchers and share in their findings as they are discovering them.” 

Wayne Smith, project manager for the Smithsonian, says the interactive video casts from the Inka Engineering Expedition will help educate staff at the Smithsonian and will be instrumental in the development of an Inka exhibit that will be unveiled three years from now.  But he says the video casts also provide a valuable interactive exhibit for visitors on July 19 and 20.

 “I think museums in general are trying to figure out new ways to be more relevant and real to visitors,” notes Smith.  “With these live video casts, visitors will able be able to see and participate in discussions with these field researchers as they uncover secrets about the ancient Inka civilization and one of its most impressive engineering achievements.”

To prepare for this year’s expedition, NewCom underwent several comprehensive field tests last year with the universities and the Smithsonian to ensure the project's success. A team from the Inka Engineering Expedition also underwent training at NewCom's facilities to understand how to activate the service while on the expedition.

"They are literally following in the footsteps of the Inkas," notes Jaime Munera, Director of Product Development and IT for NewCom. "The road is very steep and rough in places and burros are being used to carry the tele-engineering equipment that is being set up along the way. This expedition is an exciting project that demonstrates how communication technology can be used to vastly improve and expand educational opportunities and we are honored to be a part of it.”

NewCom International, a Miami-based global communications firm specializing in unified voice, video, data and content solutions, has added worldwide satellite phone coverage and mobile global broadband services to its bundled communications portfolio.

To address the critical voice communications needs of governments, military personnel, public safety officials and NGOs working in remote regions around the world, NewCom International has unveiled a suite of satellite phones that provide redundant global coverage. The satellite phones from Iridium, Immarsat and Thuraya provide the dedicated satellite reach necessary to ensure service continuity at all times.

In addition, the company has launched an affordable new Global Mobile Broadband service that intuitively tracks satellite footprints and automatically changes as necessary to ensure high-quality voice, video and data communications for the maritime industry. The Global Mobile Broadband service – which ensures access to reliable communications from any offshore location – comes with flexible airtime subscription plans to meet the varying needs of military, commercial and leisure vessels.

Jaime Munera, director of IT and product development for NewCom International, says the expanded offerings reflect his company’s ongoing commitment to provide the complete communications solutions necessary to address the diverse needs of the governments, NGOs and enterprise sectors it serves.

 “With so many crises and conflicts around the globe, having access to reliable voice communications anytime, anywhere is imperative – which is why we felt so strongly about offering a comprehensive line of satellite phones to the global government, military and NGO communities we serve,” notes Munera.

“We are constantly looking for ways to tap new technology to provide high-quality voice, video, data and content services at the most affordable prices possible,” he adds. “Our new global mobile broadband service is part of this initiative.”

Government, military and law enforcement personal now have instant access to critical voice, video and data communications anytime, anywhere? thanks to the Emergency Communications Response Network™ (ECR) recently unveiled by Miami, Florida-based NewCom International.

NewCom International, a global communications firm that specializes in unified voice, video, data and content solutions, developed ECR to provide an instant, cost-effective contingency plan or back up should regular communications go down.  It also serves as an on-the-go communications center for mobile military and public safety corps units.

ECR is a compact, self-contained communications E2E solution that includes voice, Internet, SCADA connectivity, email, fax, video surveillance, VideoMeetings™ and data services. Along with the communications components, the package includes a portable antenna and optional solar power supply.

“Having the ability to instantly communicate via voice, video, instant messaging and email is critical to providing aid and security when a natural disaster or tragedy strikes – or to support mobile military or public service operations around the globe,” notes Jaime Munera, Director of IP and Product Development for NewCom International. “ECR is a comprehensive, cost-effective solution that serves as both an emergency back-up system and as an ongoing mobile communications center – with flexible pricing plans tailored to the needs of the user. Users can activate the box instantly by calling our NOC and pay only for bandwidth they use; keep the box activated for a low monthly fee and pay for bursts when emergency usage occurs; or pay a fixed-flat rate for ongoing usage.”  

NewCom’s Emergency Communications Response Network™ utilizes aggressive compression technology combined with iDirect’s powerful, efficient shared platform service to minimize bandwidth requirements, ensuring a low-cost solution that delivers high-quality voice, video and data services. 
ECR is just one of several bundled solutions that NewCom has developed to address the needs of the governments, business and organizations it serves.  Other self-contained bundled solutions include NewCom’s Rural Education Package, which integrates internet access and its VideoMeetings™ (virtual teaching) service with world-class online educational materials that meet government curriculum requirements, and Live Stream Mobile™ – a mobile video streaming package.

Mobile Video Stream Service Ideal for Politicians, Performers, Educators and Business Executives

(March 10, 2011 – Miami, FL) Politicians, performers, educators, business executives and event planners nowLiveStream.jpg have an easy, affordable way to stream live video from virtually any location around the world, thanks to the LiveStream Mobile™ package recently unveiled by Miami, Florida-based NewCom International.

NewCom International, a global satellite communications firm committed to fostering education, advancing health care and promoting economic development through 21st century communications, has developed a turnkey, self-contained live video streaming package that offers affordable, high-quality live streaming services for anyone wishing to stream video content to viewers around the globe from any location – however remote – throughout North America, Central America, South America, Africa and Asia.

The service, a cost-effective solution that utilizes NewCom’s iDirect-based NetSharing platform, is portable and easy to use.  Users need only to connect a video camera to the components in the LiveStream Mobile box, set up the small antenna that comes with the LiveStream Mobile package, embed one of several available streaming feeds onto their web site, and start the camera rolling. The live feed is transported via satellite to a streaming server at NewCom’s Miami teleport facility, and is broadcast live on the correlating Web site. The service utilizes aggressive compression technology combined with iDirect’s powerful, efficient shared platform service to minimize bandwidth requirements, ensuring a low-cost solution that delivers high-quality video streaming performance.

 “What makes our LiveStream Mobile package so powerful is that it gives anyone – even those located in remote regions around the world – the ability to broadcast live video to their audience base,” says Dora Mejia, Director of Sales and Business Development for NewCom International.  “It makes it possible for political candidates in Latin America and Africa to reach their constituency.  It enables performers to reach their fan base.  It makes it easy for event planners to broadcast seminars, and allows researchers to share their findings as they are discovering them.   If you need an affordable, easy way to broadcast live video to your audience base, our LiveStream Mobile™ package is the answer you’ve been looking for.”

LiveStream Mobile is just one of several bundled solutions that NewCom has developed to address the needs of the governments, businesses and organizations it serves.  Other self-contained bundled solutions include NewCom’s Rural Education Package, which bundles satellite-based internet connectivity, web filters, virtual teaching services and world-class educational materials from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Office Without Borders™ – a self-contained mobile office package.

Education Package Combines Satellite-Based Internet Connectivity, Web Filters, Virtual Teaching Services and World-Class Educational Materials from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

(March 4, 2011 – Miami, FL) Governments, NGOs, foundations and private sector businesses interested in improving education in rural, developing regions throughout Latin America and Africa now have an affordable, turnkey solution at their fingertips, thanks to the Rural Education Package recently unveiled by Miami, Florida-based NewCom International.

NewCom International, a global satellite communications firm committed to fostering education, advancing health care and promoting economic development through 21st century communications, has developed a turnkey education package that provides high-speed Internet connectivity over satellite, world-class online educational materials and its VideoMeetings™ application that facilitates a virtual interactive classroom.   The rural education package also includes NewCom’s SafeAccess™ service which protects against viruses and enables governments or educators to block access to certain online content.

NewCom, which has been working to promote educational advancements in rural developing regions through Internet connectivity and its VideoMeetings service delivered via the satellite-based Evolution Platform by iDirect, recently teamed with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), the global education leader, to offer comprehensive online reading, math, social studies and science curriculum which meets international standards.  The online educational platforms, which can be customized to meet the requirements of individual markets, provide an end-to-end solution for educational systems - incorporating innovative content, teaching tools, assessment programs and professional development resources for teachers. The intuitive online educational programs can be used to teach students in the classroom or remotely via NewCom’s VideoMeetings™ service, while also enabling students without access to teachers to learn independently.

 “While partnering with governments, NGOs and private-sector businesses to bring high-speed internet connectivity to rural communities and schools throughout Latin America and Africa, we recognized the need for an affordable, turnkey educational solution that would provide the one-stop answer they need,” notes Dora Mejia, Director of Sales and Business Development for NewCom International. “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is the recognized world leader when it comes to quality educational content. By partnering with them and their distributors to bundle a comprehensive suite of online educational programs with our internet connectivity, VideoMeetings and SafeAccess services, we are able to provide the complete package necessary to ensure students living in the most remote corners of the globe can access a world-class education.”

Terry Nealon, Executive Vice-President, International at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt added: “Strategic partnerships, such as this one, allow HMH to deliver complete educational solutions which help students and teachers reach their full potential. HMH’s best-in-class digital curriculum resources and technology platforms, combined with NewCom’s ability to meet the challenge of internet connectivity in rural areas, makes for a powerful partnership, with the potential to dramatically improve the quality of resources available to educational communities all over the world.”

At the core of NewCom’s Rural Education Package is iDirect’s cutting-edge Evolution Platform, which comes equipped with ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) to ensure service continuity despite rain or other weather interferences in the storm-prone regions of Latin America and Africa.  The platform also works on small antennas and offers built-in bandwidth optimization features to ensure the most affordable solution possible.

ABOUT NEWCOM INTERNATIONAL
Led by the World Teleport Association’s 2010 Teleport Executive of the Year Jaime Dickinson, NewCom International – recognized for its world vision and commitment to fostering education, advancing health care and promoting economic development through 21st century communications – is a global satellite communications firm that focuses on providing innovative, customized solutions for governments, businesses, and organizations worldwide. In addition to its global satellite communications services, NewCom offers a comprehensive suite of voice, video and data services and bundles them into customized, turnkey packages for the clients it serves. Named the fourth fastest-growing teleport operator in the world in 2010 (Fast Twenty) by World Teleport Association, NewCom offers customers a highly trained engineering team, dedicated network operations center, world-class teleport and global support staff.  For more information, please visit: www.newcominternational.com or contact us: sales@ newcominternational.com

ABOUT HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company that is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. The world’s largest provider of educational products and solutions for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt develops and delivers interactive, results-driven learning solutions that advance teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Through curricula excellence and technology innovation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students. Today, HMH education products and services are used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhpub.com.

Winners to be named in Washington on March 15th during SATELLITE 2011

(New York City, March 3, 2011) -- World Teleport Association (WTA) today announced the finalists for its 2011 Teleport Awards for Excellence. From this group of finalists, WTA will name the winners at a luncheon ceremony on March 15 during the Association’s 16th annual Teleport Awards for Excellence Ceremony and Luncheon at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. 

With the exception of its Teleport Executive of the Year Award, which was named on March 2, WTA selects its finalists from nominations submitted to the association by its members. Recipients are selected by committees of previous recipients, WTA Board members and management, and Industry Leader and Patron members.

Independent Teleport Operator of the Year Finalists:
1. Arqiva Satellite & Media
2. SatLink Communications
3. Europe Media Port

Teleport Technology of the Year Finalists:
1. Comtech EF Data – CDM-750 High Speed and Trunking Satellite Modem
2. iDirect Technologies – Evolution DVB-S2/ACM Product Line
3. XipLink – XipLink Hub Optimizations

In 2011 WTA will present a new award for corporate social responsibility to a teleport or satellite operator whose technology, innovation and pro bono work has played a key role in enabling the broader society to become better as a result of its effort.

Corporate Social Responsibility:
1. Arqiva Satellite & Media – For providing free satellite terminals and airtime for field researchers in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil, as well as funding the planting of an environmentally-critical corridor of trees which enabled a local economy to do better.
2. Harris/CapRock – For providing emergency satellite communications for the price of $1 to the US Navy’s Naval Beach Group (NBG) for relief efforts following the Haiti earthquake.
3. NewCom – For providing free satellite Internet access and VideoMeetings services to Sacre Coeur, a hospital in Milot, Haiti helping victims of last year’s earthquake access doctors and healthcare services from around the world.
4. Thaicom – For an ongoing program to support education in the rural areas of Thailand by installing DTH terminals and televisions in schools which enable the reception of national education channels.

The 2011 luncheon, sponsored by SES, will be attended by over 150 guests, customers of and representatives from World Teleport Association. Attendees include teleport, satellite and content distribution technology industry executives, as well as previous awards recipients from around the world. A senior representative from SES, Chris Schram, will give the Host's Welcome and present the awards to the recipients. The 2011 event will be emceed by WTA's Director of Development Louis Zacharilla for the 15th time. In addition to honoring the winner from these three awards categories, WTA will present Adrian Ballintine, President of NewSat, with the Teleport Executive of the Year Award. Ballintine was named the teleport industry’s executive of the year on Wednesday, March 2.

According to Louis Zacharilla, "Every year we have an impressive roster of nominees who demonstrate the diversity in size and services that the teleport industry worldwide offers. Each has made significant contributions to the industry and the corporate social responsibility category will demonstrate a collective willingness to help others.”
 
About World Teleport Association
Since 1985, the World Teleport Association has focused on improving the business of satellite communications from the ground up. At the core of its membership are the world's most innovative operators of teleports, from independents to multinationals, niche service providers to global carriers. WTA is dedicated to advocating for the interests of teleport operators in the global telecommunications market and promoting excellence in teleport business practice, technology and operations.

For more information, please contact:
Orly Konig Lopez
240-425-3283 (mobile)
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