VIKAND and Inmarsat to bring a COVID-19 video information hotline

This service will ensure that Inmarsat clients have 24/7 access to call VIKAND’s expert staff for information to help navigate COVID-19 related, medical questions.

VIKAND and Inmarsat to bring a COVID-19 video information hotline

VIKAND SOLUTIONS, LLC, a global, maritime medical operations and healthcare solutions provider, and INMARSAT, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, have announced that VIKAND will bring a COVID-19 information hotline to Inmarsat’s global shipping and energy clients.

This service will ensure that Inmarsat clients have 24/7 access to call VIKAND’s expert staff for information to help navigate COVID-19 related, medical questions. By facilitating access to timely information for a vessel, client uncertainty will be reduced, their decisions will be more informed, and actions can be taken faster by clients to help mitigate and resolve risks. The hotline video call functionality is powered by proprietary AI Edge collaboration technology from FrontM who like VIKAND are a Certified Application Provider (CAP) to Inmarsat.

Peter Hult, CEO of VIKAND, said:

“By urgently providing this video information hotline along with Inmarsat and FrontM we will offer vessel owners and Captains all over the world easy access to information to help give relevant medical information around COVID-19 at this difficult time.  Over the longer term, our shared vision for the partnership with Inmarsat is to ensure a healthier environment onboard ships, early intervention when seafarers are not well and a rapid support system in the event of an emergency, utilizing the communication strength of Inmarsat.”

Marco Cristoforo Camporeale, Head of Digital Solutions, Inmarsat Maritime, said:

“We are delighted that VIKAND and FrontM will join Inmarsat in delivering this timely, relevant and requested information service to our Fleet Xpress clients. This is fully in line with our wider partnership vision to help resolve medical concerns quicker and allowing companies to respond earlier in case of medical emergencies. As part of our new suite of Maritime Digital Solutions, our Dedicated Bandwidth Services are available across either our Fleet Xpress or FleetBroadband networks and are designed specifically for applications such as VIKAND that need direct access to the vessel and  cannot be constrained or interrupted by crew or operational traffic.”

Guillermo Acilu, founder & CTO of FrontM, said:

“We are extremely honored to be collaborating with Inmarsat and Vikand to assist in the provision of this urgently needed Covid-19 hotline service. In these unprecedented times, it has never been more important to provide shipping firms and their seafaring workforces with access to the satellite, communication and healthcare support needed to provide the level of care and attention seafarers need to overcome the current crisis whilst remaining healthy at sea.”