This month’s unveiling of the Iridium 9603, the company’s latest data module, has set the bar spectacularly high for all devices designed for embedding into M2M solutions. The significantly reduced profile of the 9603 breaks down design barriers, being the world’s smallest two-way satellite data transceiver, and ensures its place in the hand-held and similar sized devices market.

The ‘smaller-than-a-matchbook device’ offers new ways for people and assets to make necessary, two-way connections reliably, in near real-time. Personnel tracking, mobile field monitoring, defence, research, search and rescue, remote sensing and even U.S. forces around the world are only some of the 9603 application areas.

This type of technology is already being actively incorporated into products, with speculative launch dates being considered as early as June of this year, and we can understand this anticipation. Joel Thompson, vice president of product management at Iridium stated that with this device, “Iridium is disrupting the global M2M market […] through our innovative approaches to reduce the size of our data and voice/data modules.” We do not hesitate to agree and will be keeping a watchful eye on the progress of this and other devices in the near future.

The design process of the Iridium NEXT constellation is moving on at pace with the recent news that S3 group has been selected to develop a new custom Integrated Circuit for use in the Iridium NEXT system.

S3 are long standing technical parters for Iridium, having played a key role in the development of the 9602 Short burst data product. Their new design win will see them develop an Iridium Radio Frequency (RF) customer Integrated Circuit to allow next generation Iridium communications devices to deliver the upgraded services enabled by the NEXT system.

Iridium NEXT will enable higher data speeds as well as powerful new services and devices when it launches in 2015. Like all Iridium partners we’re keeping a very close eye on NEXT developments and are pleased to hear that the design process is moving ahead and that everything is on schedule for 2015.

There’s been some exciting news from Iridium HQ over the last few weeks as they announced the completion of the satellite preliminary design review phase of the NEXT program. Completion of this phase is a major step forward for NEXT in that all preliminary design and specification details for the program are now in place.

With full construction due to start later next year (2013), Iridium are now on track to begin assembling engineering model units to verify the design and performance of the system. This phase (Critical Design Review) is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2013, after which full construction can begin.

With preliminary design agreed and signed off, there are a number of critical milestones still to meet before the NEXT constellation starts launching in 2015.

– 2012: Detailed hardware and software design culminating in the Space Segment Critical Design Review (CDR) in early 2013

– 2013: Initial space and launch vehicle hardware production and extensive performance testing to ensure it meets its requirements

– 2014: Satellite and launcher/dispenser level qualification testing and the initiation of satellite low-rate production in preparation for the first launch

– 2015: First year of launching and integrating Iridium NEXT satellite vehicles into the Iridium(R) constellation; transition to full-rate production

– 2016: Second year of launching and integrating the Iridium NEXT satellite vehicles

– 2017: Planned complete constellation replacement with Iridium NEXT fully operational

Like all Iridium partners, we’re looking forward to seeing what NEXT can do and making full use of its ground-breaking functionality. We’ll keep our readers updates on NEXT developments as the project progresses.

There was some great news from one of our valued satellite partners last week when Iridium reported strong financial results for the third quarter of 2011. The headline figure was a record third quarter revenue of $102.1 million, growth of 8 percent over the same period in 2010.

The revenue split between service revenue and equipment sales and support illustrates the strength of Iridium’s growing subscriber base. Service revenue represents recurring revenue from this installed user base and had grown by an impressive 11 percent over the third quarter of 2011. Service revenue now accounts for 68 percent of Iridium’s total revenue.

It’s not hard to see where this growth is coming from as Iridium continues to attract subscribers at a very healthy pace. At the end of the third quarter 2011, the company reported 508,000 billable subscribers. That’s an increase of almost 100,000 subscribers over the same period in 2010 and an additional 30,000 since the end of the second quarter of 2011.

These impressive results demonstrate the strength of the satellite communications industry and highlight the incredible success that Iridium are having with a diverse and flexible product portfolio. They’re understandably bullish about 2012 so let’s hope the success continues.

Here’s a fascinating story from one of our esteemed satellite partners, Iridium Communications. It explains how Iridium satellite technology plays an integral part in tackling the growing threat to international shipping from Somali pirates.

Iridium is the preferred communication medium for ship “citadels” – a fortified, onboard panic room where crew can take refuge if the ship encounters pirates. Earlier this year, NATO published guidelines for the comms systems to be used in these citadels and specified self-contained, independent, two-way external communications, sepcifically a satellite voice and email solution.

Due to its global reach, compact size and low latency SBD for tracking, Iridium has emerged as the favoured partner for these on-board emergency systems and is currentle being deployed in citadel systems worldwide.

Iridium Communications announced last month that it had reached a significant milestone. As of September 12th, Iridium  clocked up its 500,000th billable subscriber for its satellite voice and data services. The profiel of these customers is 90% commercial against 10% government.

One of the main reasons Irdium has cited for this growth is the rapidly expanding M2M data market. Q2 2011 results showed that M2M subscribers now account for 32% of billable commercial subscribers.

“Our consistent double-digit growth in subscribers — more than 25 percent growth every year for the last five years — is a reflection of our global network reach, our service offerings enabling important connections, and our expanding partner ecosystem,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “This milestone demonstrates how far we’ve evolved over the last 10 years from a supplier of mobile satellite phones for niche markets into a global communications company connecting anyone and anything, all over the world, in ways and places in which they expect to be connected.”

We’re looking forward to more positive news from all our satellite patners and to seeing how Iridium NEXT (the company’s next-gen network) adds additional value for partners and cusomers.

Wind industry developers and consultants will have cause to celebrate today thanks to the introduction of WindLinx™, a unified wireless service from Wireless Innovation Ltd and NRG Systems. The new service, designed exclusively for those conducting wind measurement campaigns using NRG Systems’ communication modules, streamlines the wireless account set-up process and simplifies overall management of met tower data transfer from multiple sites around the world.

“WindLinx eliminates the need to juggle information from multiple wireless providers – it’s a one stop shop for the management of wireless communication services for met towers,” said Larry Jacobs, marketing manager for NRG Systems. “With this global wireless service, customers can now meet all of their wireless service needs through Wireless Innovation – a single provider that offers flexibility and competitive rates,” said Jacobs.

WindLinx™ allows for uniform activation of communications services (including Iridium satellite, GSM and CDMA). The WindLinx™ web portal, a key feature of the wireless service, allows for remote management and monitoring of wireless account activity.

“Wireless Innovation has supplied Iridium based satellite connectivity and complimentary back office services to NRG Systems’ customers for many years now,” said Jeff Martin, Commercial Director for Wireless Innovation. “We understand the communications needs of NRG’s customers and the challenges of working with multiple service types and their providers across geographic regions. The introduction of the capability of Cellubi allowed us to provide the cellular part of Windlinx. The unification of communications and benefits of a single back office management platform is a natural extension of the existing services and solution that can take care of all met tower communication needs, anywhere in the world.”

NRG System’s Symphonie™ iPacks will ship pre-configured for WindLinx wireless service, including a form instructing customers how to activate and manage accounts. Customers wishing to remain with existing service providers may continue to do so. NRG Systems and Wireless Innovation have been technical partners since 2004 with the successful introduction of NRG Systems’ Symphonie iPack Iridium satellite communication module. For additional information or a demonstration of the WindLinx™ wireless service visit www.windlinx.com.