Orbcomm Inc., a global provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) and internet of things (IoT) solutions, announced that the government of Canada has exercised its one-year option on its contract through Orbcomm's Canadian partner Maerospace, a global supplier of automatic identification system (AIS) data and maritime domain awareness solutions.
Through its Canadian subsidiary, SkyWave, Orbcomm will provide satellite AIS data used for ship tracking and other maritime navigational and safety efforts to the Canadian government for monitoring Canadian and global marine traffic. The Canadian contract award, which extends through 2020, was the result of a competitive procurement process among providers and integrators of space-based AIS data service.
“Through our partnership with Maerospace, we have secured the opportunity to provide the Government of Canada with our satellite AIS data service through 2020, which is a testament to the success of this project over the past two years,” Marc Eisenberg, Orbcomm’s CEO, said in a statement announcing the contract. “We look forward to continue providing Canada with comprehensive, reliable AIS data to improve the visibility, safety and security of vessel activity in and around their borders.”
“With the extension of our multiyear contract with the Government of Canada, we can continue supporting their efforts to improve maritime domain awareness and surveillance, customs and border protection, fisheries and environment monitoring as well as search and rescue efforts,” said Eric Meger, founder and CEO of Maerospace. “By providing a global view of real-time and historical marine traffic, Orbcomm and Maerospace can help Canada continue to fulfill its national security mission.”
Orbcomm’s AIS service is designed to provide comprehensive and reliable global coverage, processing over 30 million messages from well over 200,000 unique vessels per day through a combination of satellite and terrestrial AIS data for marquee government and commercial customers worldwide.
