Thuraya checks on social media with SatSleeve

Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) leading operator, Thuraya, has introduced its SatSleeve product; the world’s first and only satellite adaptor for the iPhone^, which provides access to users’ favourite applications, electronic mails (emails) and instant messaging.

Shereen Hanafi, Director of Communications, Thuraya, disclosed this to ITRealms, saying that the SatSleeve not only allows users to make phone calls and send Short Messaging Service (SMS) via Thuraya’s satellite network, it also enables them access to emails, as well as popular social media and instant messaging apps such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and WhatsApp among others.

Thuraya SatSleeve, according to Samer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer of Thuraya, affords users to now post news updates, chat via messaging apps with their contacts as well as send and receive email from the most remote locations in satellite mode. The device can be used across Thuraya’s extensive satellite network with coverage in over 140 countries.

, said: “The new release of the SatSleeve, which now includes data, underscores our commitment towards delivering new and innovative mobile satellite products. Thuraya is powering ahead of the competition with our strong product innovation strategy focused on making satellite communications more accessible and user-friendly. Users today are increasingly relying on their smartphones to stay connected and we strongly believe in listening to them and to their requirements as we develop new mobile satellite products that align with their needs.”

Thuraya SatSleeve enables users to enjoy ubiquitous coverage even in the most remote environments that are not served or that are under-served by terrestrial networks. The device also serves as an important mobile communications device, in addition to being a security backup for users that are operating in remote locations and in areas where natural or man-made disasters can render terrestrial communications unavailable.

 

The SatSleeve customers, he highlighted include corporate users, enterprises from all industries, explorers, mountaineers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Just as SatSleeve could be used across the Thuraya network either with a Thuraya SIM card or with a standard GSM SIM card available from 356 worldwide GSM operators across more than 160 countries, from September 10.

"This makes the Thuraya SatSleeve highly flexible with the ability to be suited to the users’ individual needs," official says.

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*SPix: amer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer of Thuraya

 

American Express, MasterCard, Visa endorse SkySIM

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) offers a new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) platform also tagged SkySIM CX SIM-card that allows several different Near field communication (NFC) applications to be executed securely and simultaneously on a single SIM card, just as it gets green light from the American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.

Press Officer of the company y, Mr. Stefan Waldenmaier confirmed this to ITRealms says that the SkySIM CX SIM-card family provides protected areas that can be used for electronic payment and ticketing applications and for customer loyalty programmes.

According to him, network operators will be able to expand their service offerings for banks, public transit authorities, and other service providers.

The first product in the new SkySIM CX family, he said, received EMVCo, American Express, MasterCard, and Visa approval, thus confirming that it meets the requirements for secure payment systems such as American Express ExpressPay, MasterCard PayPass, and Visa payWave. Just as the SkySIM CX family also supports the transit applications MIFARE, CIPURSE, and Calypso.

In addition, he said, the new SIM cards have up to 1.3 megabytes of memory in the highest-capacity version, enabling them to store data for multiple applications.

“They contain a powerful processor capable of loading applications in a minimum of time. The operating system is highly scalable thanks to its modular architecture,” he said.

The new product family gives network operators an opportunity to create new business models. As well as offering their own applications, they will now be able to set up highly secure areas on the SIM card – referred to as “containers” – for third-party applications. Service providers can run their own applications in these containers, in return for a fee payable to the network operator. This will help to bring the widespread introduction of NFC services another step closer.

For end users, the new SIM cards provide more than just a means of using their mobile device as a public transit ticket or loyalty card. If they own two or more accounts, they can even decide on the spur of the moment which one they wish to use for a particular payment transaction. Devices equipped with the new SIM card can also serve as personal ID for access to company premises.

Axel Deininger, Group Senior Vice President at G&D says the outstanding feature of the new SIM card is not only its functionality but also its security.

“The card has been tested and approved by EMVCo as an integral unit, and not a single weak point has been detected. This latest addition to our NFC portfolio enables us to offer network operators a complete secure package comprising hardware, software, and services, in the form of SIM cards, a mobile wallet, and trusted service management services,” he said.

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