Beam Communications Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian company World Reach Limited, has today entered into a strategic product development initiative with Iridium (News - Alert) Communications. This agreement describes a new product development initiative under which Beam will act as the primary contractor and original equipment manufacturer of a new Iridium solution.

Beam Communications is a manufacturer and distributor of a broad range of Iridium and Inmarsat (News - Alert) Satellite voice, data, tracking terminals and accessories for the global telecommunications market. Though the company has long been a value added manufacturer of Iridium, this agreement marks the first time Beam is to be directly utilized by Iridium for its engineering and manufacturing expertise in an effort to design, develop and manufacture a dedicated Iridium product.

“This undertaking by Iridium clearly demonstrates once again Beam’s capabilities in developing leading-edge high-tech solutions for satellite network operators," said Michael Capocchi, managing director of Beam Communications, in a statement. "This initiative will enhance the company’s overall position in developing products under contract in the future. For commercial reasons the exact details of the product being designed and manufactured cannot be disclosed; however the company is extremely excited that Iridium has contracted Beam to undertake this new product initiative.”

The initial order commitment for the new product is expected to produce incremental sales revenue in excess of $3 million in the first year of commercial sale. The product is expected to launch in the second half of 2013.

In November, Beam Communications released RapidSat700, which operates with the Inmarsat broadband global area network (BGAN).

Ideal for emergency situations, this new portable satellite communications system features rapid setup, providing easy access to voice and higher speed satellite data access in remote areas. Powered by a built-in lithium battery backup, RapidSat700 is capable of delivering 24 hours of non-stop transmission with data transfer speeds up to 492kbps.

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