Stratos is First Inmarsat Distribution Partner to Reach 2,000 IsatPhone Pro Activations

--New handheld satellite phone service is now available with Stratos ChatCard--

BETHESDA, MD, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ - Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has reached a milestone of 2,000 IsatPhone Pro activations. Stratos is the first Inmarsat Distribution Partner to reach this sales milestone for the popular handheld satellite phone.

The 2,000th activation was managed by StratosELITE Partner Tesacom for the Brazilian Army. The Army's First Division is deploying the IsatPhone Pro to ensure dependable voice connectivity during its response to the recent flood disaster in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state.

Inmarsat's new IsatPhone Pro is the first product in the Inmarsat Global Satellite Phone Services (GSPS) family. Among the first 2,000 Stratos activations are first responders, journalists, oil & gas workers and government officials worldwide who require reliable, high-quality voice connectivity in the most remote locations. A circuit-switched data service at 2.4 kbps will be available on the IsatPhone Pro by the end of this quarter.

IsatPhone Pro from Stratos also is now available with Stratos ChatCard for affordable pre-paid calling. Stratos ChatCard is ideally suited for personal crew calling and for companies with fixed operational budgets.

Customers using the IsatPhone Pro from Stratos benefit from The Stratos Advantage, a wide range of value-added services that ensure optimal communications performance and cost efficiency. The foundation of The Stratos Advantage is Stratos Dashboard, which enables customers to manage their use of satellite airtime by providing real-time information on voice and data traffic used, with associated costs.

Stratos Dashboard further enhances the user experience of the IsatPhone Pro by providing instant provisioning, as well as rebilling and reporting options to minimize unexpected invoices and potential financial risk. Stratos Dashboard supports both postpaid and prepaid rate-plan options.

To further enhance the IsatPhone Pro's ability to contribute to business efficiency, Stratos now is successfully testing its AmosConnect maritime communications application on the platform. AmosConnect from Stratos is expected to enable IsatPhone Pro users to manage all email, SMS and interoffice communications.

"Our global facilities and our network of more than 400 Channel Partners have been working overtime to meet orders for the IsatPhone Pro from every corner of the world," said Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm. "As expected, a wide range of professionals understand that this affordable, reliable service can help them ensure optimal productivity and safety. They also appreciate our ability to activate their service quickly and support it with innovative value-added services to ensure the best possible performance."

Tesacom CEO José Sanchez Elia said, "We are working closely with Stratos to meet the growing demand for the IsatPhone Pro from all regions in South America. Once activated, we notice customers value the product's ease of use, as well as how The Stratos Advantage services help them efficiently manage the solution." He added, "Customers are selecting us as their source for the IsatPhone Pro because they appreciate our local stock of the product, as well as our experienced support professionals in each country who understand their critical applications."

Inmarsat GSPS' full global coverage is made possible by the latest-generation Inmarsat-4 (I-4) satellites, which are among the world's largest and most advanced communications satellites. The I-4s were designed with IP communications in mind and are optimized to deliver high-quality and dependable data communications, well into the 2020s.

About Inmarsat GSPS from Stratos
Inmarsat GSPS from Stratos offers a competitive alternative to the handheld, fixed and maritime phone solutions now available in the marketplace. The services offer high-quality voice connectivity via small, affordable equipment - ideal for remote workers in the energy, mining, government, media and first-responder communities. More information is available at www.stratosglobal.com/isatphonepro.

About Stratos ChatCards
Stratos ChatCards provide an affordable means of separating postpaid/business traffic from private calls. Stratos ChatCards are available for all Stratos services, including IsatPhone Pro, FleetBroadband, BGAN, mini-M, Fleet, and Inmarsat B. The Stratos ChatCard service is not available for calls originating from the United States. Physical Stratos ChatCards also are not available for purchase in the United States.

About The Stratos Advantage
Stratos Dashboard is used by many Stratos customers who deploy Inmarsat BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband mobile broadband satellite services. Stratos Dashboard also is widely used worldwide by customers deploying Inmarsat GSPS from Stratos. The Stratos Advantage value-added services provide users with cost control, firewall management, full traffic information, pre-paid facilities, high security options, easy VPN access, messaging services and a full range of IP options. More information on The Stratos Advantage is available at www.stratosglobal.com.

About Tesacom
Tesacom is South America's leading provider of remote telecommunications solutions, serving more than 8,500 customers in the government, maritime, oil & gas, agriculture, first responder, mining, transportation and military markets. With offices and regulatory compliance in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Panamá, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, Tesacom offers a wide range of integrated communications solutions, including satellite voice & data and text messaging. The Company also offers a full range of value-added applications, including network integration, asset tracking and control, automatic vehicle location, vessel monitoring, dispatch and logistics control, and ECDIS & G-ECDIS integration for civil and military maritime applications. Tesacom provides 24x7 customer support in Spanish, Portuguese and English. Please, visit www.tesacom.net for more information.

About Stratos
Stratos is the world's trusted leader for vital communications. Stratos offers the most powerful and extensive portfolio of remote communications solutions including mobile and fixed satellite and microwave services. More than 20,000 customers use Stratos products and industry-leading value-added services to optimize communications performance. Stratos serves U.S. and international government, military, first responder, NGO, oil and gas, industrial, maritime, aeronautical, enterprise, and media users on seven continents and across the world's oceans. Stratos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat plc. For more information, visit www.stratosglobal.com.

SOURCE Stratos Global Corporation