NetHope Expands VSAT Certification Program To West Africa

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a company of VT Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), today announced that NetHope, a global information technology Non-Governmental Organization; the Global VSAT Forum (GVF); iDirect, a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology; and Intelsat, the world's leading provider of satellite services, have partnered to create a new, three-day VSAT (very small aperture terminal) certification program in Dakar, Senegal.

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The new course expands NetHope's successful GVF training program from Nairobi, Kenya into West Africa, and will bring critical VSAT installation skills to the region as it seeks to develop its core communications infrastructure. iDirect is sponsoring the course by donating X1 and X3 satellite remote routers. Intelsat will provide the necessary satellite bandwidth through Intelsat 23 to support the HOST (Hands-on Skills Test) three-day field training session in Senegal, as well as the GVF 510 online course for VSAT professionals. Intelsat will also support logistical costs for the training as well.

The GVF course, which combines interactive online training developed by SatProf, Inc., with classroom instruction and skills testing, provides aspiring telecom professionals in West Africa with VSAT training and certification, preparing them to install VSAT networks for a multitude of applications, including enterprise, banking and disaster relief. NetHope's 39 international humanitarian organizational members will manage a directory of course graduates as a resource for organizations in Africa that need qualified VSAT technicians.

The inaugural course will be led by GVF instructor Nenad Bojovic, Director of Field Operations at the International Rescue Committee, and takes place September 17-19 at the Ecole Superieure Multinationale des Telecommunications Telecom College in Dakar, an ITU Center of Excellence, Cisco Training Academy Partner and GVF Training Center.

"Qualified VSAT specialists are in high demand throughout Africa. By partnering with GVF and iDirect, we can develop the resources required to build reliable communications infrastructure in the region, especially in areas that need it most."

Joe SIMMONS
Director of Global Connectivity Programs, NetHope

"This program has seen tremendous success since it began in Nairobi. NetHope and GVF have become such a strategic voice in the satellite industry, and iDirect is looking forward to help expand this important program."

Dean GRIFFLER
Senior Vice President of Global Sales, iDirect

"Intelsat is committed to training our customers and their technical teams to improve satellite access skills, training nearly 1,100 individuals in the last four years. We're proud to partner with iDirect, GVF and NetHope to support this critical effort."

Ron BUSCH
VP, Network Engineering, Intelsat

For more information about how to register and for details about the program, visit http://gvf.org/nethope-13b-dakar.html.

Global VSAT Forum, headquartered in London, with a regional office in Washington DC and global affiliates, is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit organization with 200+ members from every major region of the world. The broad-based membership represents every sector of the satellite industry, including fixed and mobile satellite operators, satellite network operators, teleports, satellite earth station manufacturers, system integrators, value added and enhanced service providers, telecom carriers, consultants, law firms, and users. For more information please visit http://gvf.org/

NetHope's mission is to act as a catalyst for collaboration, bringing together the knowledge and power of 38 leading international humanitarian organizations so that the best information communication technology and practices can be used to serve people in the developing world. We do this by working across our membership as a highly collaborative team, solving common technology problems, fostering strong relationships with private industry and educating our members and the wider humanitarian community, worldwide. Our work is guided by six fundamental values: technology matters; benefitting all benefits one; learning through collaboration; build for the field; bias for action; and trust above all else. For more information please visit www.nethope.org

Intelsat (NYSE: I) is the leading provider of satellite services worldwide. For over 45 years, Intelsat has been delivering information and entertainment for many of the world's leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet service providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat's satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for transmissions of video, data and voice services. From the globalization of content and the proliferation of HD, to the expansion of cellular networks and broadband access, with Intelsat, advanced communications anywhere in the world are closer, by far.

iDirect, a subsidiary of VT Systems, is a global leader in IP-based satellite communications providing technology that enables our 350+partners to optimize their networks, differentiate and expand their businesses. The iDirect Intelligent Platform™ allows our partners to run their entire business operations more efficiently via a single, unified IP-based satellite architecture, whether it's providing core IP applications to the enterprise or specialized services to any number of diverse vertical markets. iDirect is the #1 name in global satellite communications in key industries including maritime, military/government, and oil and gas, with a 62% hub market share and more than a quarter million remotes installed worldwide. In 2007, iDirect Government Technologies (iGT) was formed to drive adoption of its IP-based solutions in the U.S. government market. In 2008, iDirect Asia Pte Ltd was established in Singapore to enhance its value-add and responsiveness to customers in the Asia Pacific region. For more information please visit www.idirect.net.

VT Systems is an engineering company providing integrated solutions to the commercial and government markets in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors. VT Systems' innovative solutions, products and services include aircraft maintenance, repair and modification; software solutions in training and simulation; satellite-based IP communications technology; network solutions that integrate data, voice and video; rugged computers and computer peripheral equipment; specialized truck bodies and trailers; weapons and munitions systems; road construction equipment; and ship design and shipbuilding. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., VT Systems operates globally and is a wholly owned subsidiary of ST Engineering. Please visit www.vt-systems.com.

SOURCE iDirect