CapRock Launches Crew Infotainment Service

New crew welfare service entertains, trains and informs

HOUSTON, TEXAS - April 21, 2010

CapRock Communications, a global provider of  VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) communications to remote environments, today announced the launch of its latest value-added service offering, Crew Infotainment. The fully managed solution supports remote employees across energy, maritime and government services industries.

Today’s remote employees demand more than the ability to make a phone call back home to family and friends – they want reliable access to live television, video on demand, pay-per-view, gaming and music. They also need to stay updated on industry practices and technologies and be able to complete corporate training and certification courses without having to travel back to the corporate office.

By having a consolidated media console that integrates an almost limitless variety of electronic content, organizations with global operations can achieve increased employee retention, improved Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) standards compliance via distance training and reduced travel costs associated with on-site corporate training requirements.  

CapRock’s Crew Infotainment is a next-generation content distribution solution. Similar to the interface and menus found in hotel television systems, customers can quickly and easily access networked and on-demand content through an intuitive television graphical interface and remote control.   

“Our Crew Infotainment solution is the first of its kind for the markets we serve,” said CapRock Director of Product Management and Marketing Rohit Chhabra. “We are one of the first licensed providers to offer video on demand content to the offshore energy market that allows customers to legally view digital content. Whether it’s for the crew onboard an offshore drilling vessel or cargo ship or even for personnel stationed at a remote camp, employees can now complete a mandatory safety training class, watch a movie in their downtime or record their favorite television show during working hours.”

The IP-based Crew Infotainment solution is scalable and modular by design to meet the unique requirements of CapRock’s diversified customer base and contains enhanced features and functionality not found in traditional analog solutions. Features include trick-play capabilities – pause, fast forward, rewind and seek – quick channel changing, closed caption options and interactive program guides for live TV. Customers can also leverage advantages over analog solutions such as improved remote troubleshooting capabilities and fewer equipment requirements – which reduce maintenance and operational costs – and the solution doesn’t require users to switch out equipment when a site moves into a new region. In addition, the on-demand content allows crew members to stay entertained and trained while en-route or outside of a satellite footprint.

CapRock secured its first crew infotainment contract with one of the largest offshore drilling contractors earlier this year. The service represents the latest addition to CapRock’s suite of crew welfare services which include prepaid crew calling cards, newspaper email service and on-demand wireless Internet service.

About CapRock Communications

With nearly three decades of experience, CapRock Communications is a premier global satellite communications provider for the energy, maritime, government, engineering and construction andmining industries as well as for disaster recovery services. The Company utilizes the latest field-proven satellite technologies to deliver highly reliable managed communication services including broadband Internet, voice over IP, secure networking and real-time video to the world's harshest and most remote locations. CapRock delivers on its promise to be the market's reliability leader by leveraging "best of breed" partnerships, technical expertise and a robust global infrastructure that includes four self-owned and operated teleports and eleven regional support centers across the U.S., Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific. More information about CapRock is available at www.caprock.com.

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