Monday September 28, 12:17 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
ORBCOMM Introduces Value-Added Services for World's First Handheld
Satellite Communicator
ORBCOMM Now Offers Message-Dispatching and Weather Reports to Magellan GSC 100 Users
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 1998-- ORBCOMM Global, L.P. (ORBCOMM), a provider of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based data and
messaging communications services, today introduced ORB2You(sm) and ORBWeather(sm), value-added services available for the Magellan GSC 100, the
world's first hand-held, two-way global satellite communicator. The GSC 100, developed by Magellan Corporation, employs ORBCOMM's network of satellites to
transmit and receive brief text messages - called GlobalGrams(sm) - to and from anywhere on Earth.
The hand-held Magellan GSC 100 uses standard e-mail protocols to allow users to communicate with any Internet e-mail address and also features an integrated
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to track, navigate and relay positions worldwide. The GSC 100 is generating interest from a wide range of markets,
including disaster relief, environmental, military and industrial markets, where users share a common need for ubiquitous communications. This unique combination of
features also benefits outdoor recreational users, such offshore boaters, who require simple and affordable communications from remote locations.
The ORB2You message dispatching service enables virtually anyone to communicate with a GSC 100 user via the ORB2You dispatch call center. To contact GSC
100 users via phone rather than e-mail, individuals can dial toll-free 1-877-ORB2YOU and dictate their message to a dispatch center representative, who will then
transmit that message to the GSC 100. Similarly, a GSC 100 user can send a GlobalGram to the dispatch center for delivery to the intended recipient via phone or
facsimile.
ORBCOMM's ORBWeather service delivers position-specific weather reports directly to the GSC 100. To receive a weather update, a GSC 100 user would send
their GPS position report to the ORBWeather e-mail inbox, and then receive forecast conditions for the current day, the following day and the following evening, in a
standard, easy-to-read format. Up-to-date weather reports are valuable to users in remote locations, as well as for operators of marine vessels and other mobile
vehicles.
''ORB2You and ORBWeather are exciting value-added services for GSC 100 users,'' said Scott L. Webster, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
ORBCOMM. ''With ORBWeather, users can stay informed of weather developments - particularly useful information for remote users outside the coverage of
other telecommunications services. ORB2You offers the benefits of the GSC 100 to everyone, whether they use e-mail, phone or facsimile.''
''The GSC 100 was designed to give our customers the ability to send and receive text messages from anywhere on the globe,'' said Richard Sill, Executive Vice
President Sales and Marketing for Magellan. ''ORBCOMM's network of satellites has taken the word 'remote' out of the equation. In addition to GlobalGram
messages, the GSC 100 now has the value-added services of ORBWeather and ORB2You. We are excited about bringing these benefits to our customers.''
Magellan Corporation is a subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation. Magellan specializes in easy-to-use, affordable GPS and satellite communications products
for automotive, aviation, GIS, marine, outdoor recreation and wireless communications markets worldwide. The company is also a preeminent designer and
manufacturer of advanced vehicle navigation systems, and offers both geostationary and LEO satellite communications products.
ORBCOMM provides two-way monitoring, tracking and messaging services through the world's first low-Earth orbit satellite-based data communications system.
ORBCOMM applications include monitoring of fixed assets such as electric utility meters, oil and gas storage tanks, wells and pipelines and environmental projects;
tracking of mobile assets such as commercial vehicles, trailers, rail cars, heavy equipment, fishing vessels, barges and government assets; and messaging services for
consumers and commercial and government entities.
ORBCOMM is a partnership owned by Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE:ORB - news), Teleglobe Inc. [NYSE:TGO - news] of Canada (NYSE and
Montreal: TGO) and Technology Resources Industries Bhd. of Malaysia. Orbital is a space technology company that designs, manufactures and markets a broad
range of space products and satellite-based services. Teleglobe Inc. is recognized as a world leader in the intercontinental telecommunications industry. The
Teleglobe network includes submarine cables and satellite facilities linking North America with over 240 countries and territories. Technology Resources Industries
Bhd., a publicly traded holding company, controls the largest cellular operator in Malaysia.
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding ORBCOMM's expected commercial operations. These forward-looking statements
are based on a number of assumptions and ORBCOMM's actual results and operations may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
statements. For a description of factors that may cause ORBCOMM's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements, please consult the Securities and Exchange Act filings of ORBCOMM Global, L.P.
For more information on ORBCOMM services, please call 1-800-ORBCOMM, or visit the ORBCOMM web site at www.orbcomm.com.
Contact:
ORBCOMM Magellan
Wende Cover Don Meyer
(703) 406-5774 (909) 394-7062
cover.wende@orbcomm.com dmeyer@mgln.com
or or
Shandwick Miller/Shandwick Technologies
Devon Nagle Michael Newsom
(410) 558-2100 (972) 455-5571
dnagle@shandwick.com mnewsom@miller.shandwick.com |
