ORBCOMM enhances their satellite solution and reduce support costs with AirVantage

Orbcomm is the leading U.S. global satellite data communications company, with 500,000 subscribers. Orbcomm provides low cost, reliable, two-way data communications services through a global network of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and accompanying ground infrastructure. The company monitors and controls mobile and fixed assets in four core markets: commercial transportation, heavy equipment, industrial fixed assets and marine/homeland security.

Challenges

Orbcomm needed a solution that could integrate a complete, hosted customer service solution with a complex billing engine and SMS Gateway and could accommodate new terrestrial communication partners for multi-mode, multi-bearer communication. The company was also looking for subscription and device management services.

Solution

Orbcomm discovered that the Sierra Wireless AirVantage™ Services Platform fulfilled its solution requirements by providing comprehensive firmware and software upgrade services, control of remote devices with device management services and comprehensive connectivity management for Orbcomm and its multiple cellular carriers. Orbcomm’s customers could take advantage of custom graphical user interfaces to view their individual assets, as well as define their own usage thresholds and set alerts to receive noti¬fications once thresholds are reached. The AirVantage™ Services Platform is offered through a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery method to reduce upfront capital expenditures and any on-going maintenance costs.

“Comprehensive device management and diagnostic capabilities are critical for anyone deploying M2M solutions and can no longer be considered options. Sierra Wireless’ AirVantage Services Platform is comprehensive, scalable and secure,” said Marc Eisenberg, CEO of Orbcomm. “Partnering with Sierra Wireless takes Orbcomm’s capabilities in this area to the state-of-the-art, allowing our customers to remotely administer firmware and software updates, troubleshoot application or connectivity issues and manage all aspects of their data communications.”

Orbcomm currently has 500,000 devices connected to and monitored by its AirVantage Services Platform solution. The comprehensive customer service solution provided the following benefits:

• Initiated new business model and profi¬t center by selling device management and providing MVNO services to M2M customers worldwide
• Provided customers with ability to remotely manage connectivity issues and data communications
• Improved customer control of overages and, therefore, wireless service charges