The VSAT business weathered the storms of DSL proliferation and a lack of awareness of the capabilities of the latest broadband IP VSAT systems in the enterprise market, to grow strongly since 2005.

Technology developments, greater bandwidth efficiency, application load balancing in high availability hybrid networks and just simply demand for broadband everywhere continues to drive purchase decisions for VSAT globally.

From the US Military to Chinese Air Traffic Control  and from the small school in Brazil's Amazon to the oil tanker somewhere in the Pacific Ocean broadband connectivity has become essential and for all of these types of customer, VSAT is the only viable solution.

The past year has seen the introduction of new VSAT platforms bringing far greater bandwidth efficiency and much higher levels of functionality.  At the same time, application demands have evolved and with the maturation and decline of once key verticals, new ones are taking their place, often placing VSAT in hybrid role opening even larger market opportunities.  The distinctions between voice and data, star and mesh systems as well as interfaces and bandwidth have begun to be blown away and, in their place, technology which integrates a satellite network with the terrestrial infrastructure has become the battleground.

There is now a real sense that the diversity, redundancy and load balancing capabilities that VSAT can bring to a large terrestrial network is not just nice to have, but essential for those enterprises focused on the quality and real-time operation of their businesses.  Video is helping to drive these initiatives and front of store digital display networks are now being rolled out based on IPTV systems.  Government focus on bringing broadband to rural areas, the growth of retail opportunities in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America, consumer services in North America and Europe and key strategies to reach down into the mass markets in Africa all offer exciting new areas of business development.

At the same time, niche market opportunities remain strong and some, such as maritime VSAT services, offer huge possibilities for expansion as the next tier of the pyramid of commercial shipping lines opens up with real needs for broadband at sea. comms-on-the-move (COTM) is being implemented by military forces as a strategic necessity and the GSM backhaul market is set to change radically with new base station designs.  VSAT technology is helping to enable these opportunities with integrated functionality increasingly making satellite services transparent to the user wherever they are.

At VSAT2008 you will hear speakers addressing both critical market-driven technology developments and trends within key niche markets.  The conference draws the highest profile speakers and delegates from the four corners of the globe because it is the only event which covers operational experiences and customer application examples from all regions of the world.

With industry-leading speakers, increased floor-space and additional features the COMSYS VSAT2008 conference is set to be the best yet.   The objective is simple - to focus on the key issues, latest developments and strongest areas of opportunity in the global marketplace by bringing together the major decision-makers and most successful exponents in the industry. Whether you require an industry update, coverage of new technologies and market developments, a chance to network with some of the most influential people in the VSAT business or just some inspiration, the COMSYS VSAT2008 Conference will meet your needs.

Do you have an interest in a particular topic or would like to sponsor the conference, please contact:

Owen Glassey
Event Manager
owen@comsys.co.uk

Gayle Armstrong
Promotions Manager
gayle@comsys.co.uk

Tel: +44-1727-832288

Fax: +44-1727-810194

What delegates said about the last VSAT2007 VSAT conference ...

• "The place to meet the movers and shakers of the VSAT Industry" 

   Doron Elinav, VP Marketing, Gilat Satellite Networks

• "Great Conference! Well Done. Congratulations!!!" 

   Vinod Shukla, Senior Vice President, Hughes

• "One of the best conferences I have attended" 

   Dawood Shah, Managing Director, Afsat

• "Depth and breadth is fantastic. Mr Bull understands the history, dynamics, economics and trends better than anyone" 

   Erwin Hudson, CTO, WildBlue Communications

• "Well balanced portfolio of presentations, all the main players, great networking opportunity, not to be missed" 

   Dave Saunders, Principle Consultant, L3 Communications

• "Well organised & excellent speakers" 

   Federico Masier, COO, Netdish

What delegates said about previous COMSYS VSAT conferences ...

• "One of the best events I have ever attended." 

   G. Martin, LMI

• "An excellent forum. You have brought together an excellent mix of global operators, suppliers and users." 

   Senior Technical Manager, TASC

• "Great speakers with up-to-the-minute status on the industry trends."

   Stuart Taylor, Manager,
  Satellite Plans & Procurement, New Skies Satellite

• "Good diversity of Satcom industry topics plus excellent networking
  opportunities."

   George Jusaites, Director, Commercial Wireless Products Group,Andrew Corporation

• "Good mix of industry and end user presenters. The conference is well organised and provides opportunities to develop new business."

   Marybeth Majka, Manager, Corporate Markets, Intelsat

• "The conference has really grown to an important & professional event you should not miss."

   Reinhold Zanoth, Manager Advanced Commercial Projects, SES Astra

• "Great platform to network on the future with service providers, end-customers and technology suppliers. Very good presentations."

   Marc Stenfert-Kroese, Senior Manager, Marketing, ND Satcom

• "Very exciting presentations and subjects. The scope of the material was excellent."

   Karen Nissly, Business Line Manager, Intelsat

• "Excellent conference with high level of speakers and very informative subjects."

   Ana Claudia de Barcelos Pereira, Engineer, Vicom