Livewire Connections keep communications alive for Volvo Ocean Race 2012

Livewire Connections is working with the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race for a third consecutive time, by providing airtime services for the 2011 – 2012 Round the World Race.

Working with Volvo Ocean Race HQ and the six participating yachts, Livewire Connections in conjunction with Inmarsat and Land Earth Station Operator, are continuing the successful working relationship for reliable airtime at a managed cost that they provided for both the 2005/06 and 2008/09 races.

There are three aspects to the services provided. Primarily the focus is on safety, the safety of the crew and the yachts. Secondly it enables the skippers and crew to send and receive communications to friends and loved ones and finally the airtime services support the sponsorship campaigns, by enabling video footage, photographs and news updates to be streamed back from onboard the yachts.

Livewire Connections have been responsible for the activation of all Inmarsat C and FleetBroadband terminals, linking them to the satellites to establish any form of off vessel communications. Inmarsat C email accounts are set up in order for the teams to be able to send and receive communications when the FleetBroadband is on. Although each boat has a crew member trained for medical emergencies, short dial codes are set up to enable each yacht to contact race HQ and the shore side medical team in case of an emergency. There is also the emergency back-up service for the yacht crews where Inmarsat Isat phones are ready in the grab bags, should they be required.

The Volvo Ocean Race, above all else is a race that companies and organisations have invested significant amounts of funds in as part of their marketing strategies. As such with this, a high profile event, they want to have access to information about their yacht at any one time and be able to share that information with the wider audience through the Volvo Ocean Race Communication team.  Livewire Connections set up and download all of the race Data reporting Network Identification (DNIDs) and Enhanced group Network Identification code (ENIDs), in order to track the boats and send all Fleetnet ECG messages from the race HQ to the yachts. There is a 24hr watch system on all the yachts taking part, where reports are taken at 15 minute intervals, this information is then fed to race management as well as followers on the event website.

Monitoring and billing the sponsorship airtime is part of the service Livewire Connections provide. All firewalling and security is set up restricting internet access to specific sites such as weather information, uploading videos, images and video conferencing.  At all times, including the Southern Ocean, the yachts will communicate to the other teams, race HQ and the worlds media via Inmarsat FleetBroadband systems.

Livewire Connections train and work with Volvo Ocean Race HQ and the yachts to ensure they are prepared for all eventualities with regards to the airtime services.