The Telemar Group through its German subsidiary Telemar GmbH is to provide broadband satellite communication for the entire Rickmers fleet. The Rickmers Group, operating a fleet of 102 vessels, is a'diversified group with activities in the business fields of'ship owning and ship management, liner shipping,'investment and real estate as well as maritime related services. Today, the Rickmers Group employs more than 3,200 crew on board and more than 450 staff ashore worldwide.

The contract encompasses satellite airtime through Telemar's partner Vizada until the end of 2014. Moreover, Telemar will - in a turnkey approach - deliver and install a customized hardware solution including Thrane & Thrane FB500 terminals as per Rickmers' specifications, which will allow access to the global arteries of digital communications in real time via the Inmarsat Fleet Broadband network. Further value will be generated by Telemar's dedicated project engineer, maintenance of the equipment and a 24/7 priority customer service.

Rickmers has selected Telemar for its unique value of integration and management of all communications and networking needs. The Rickmers project is remarkable not only in terms of figures and numbers but also for the future-proof integrated architecture that may set the pace within the shipping Industry. A scalable design has been chosen to meet future requirements and will allow Rickmers continuous optimization and enhancement, also through possible further technological options.

Rickmers appreciates the distinctive global servicing network offered by Telemar and its integrated capabilities. Telemar is not only a communication provider and a last mile systems integrator with distinct technical expertise but also a global maintenance player close to the end user. This puts Telemar in the best position to design and implement Broadband systems and to optimise the total cost of ownership for Rickmers.