Speedcast Readies New Model of Its Industry-Leading SIGMA Universal Remote

Speedcast, a leading communications and IT services provider, has released a new model of the company’s SIGMA network management platform with new architecture for the award-winning Universal Remote. Hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, the enhanced SIGMA platform makes connectivity path management and network control simpler, faster, and more economical than ever before.

From the intuitive user interface to intelligent and secure network switching, the enhanced SIGMA streamlines the complexities of diverse connectivity paths, making the concept of 100% uptime a reality for customers with critical operations or remote business requirements.

SIGMA’s newly released feature sets enable customers to seamlessly incorporate new technologies and communications paths as they launch, including low-Earth-orbit (LEO) and medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellite constellations. Customers can seamlessly layer any connectivity path, including Starlink and OneWeb, to their existing corporate network, optimizing application performance and offering robust edge security.

The SIGMA platform is being implemented as part of a multi-path, multi-orbit connectivity solution for a Europe-based logistics and transport company with a fleet of cable-laying vessels. The ability to support a significantly expanded number of WANs with a full enterprise SD-WAN suite that enables smart load balancing, QoS, WAN switching, and next-generation firewall has driven increased interest in the enhanced SIGMA platform. The network management solution was also recently deployed for a Singapore-based ship management company and a North America-based tanker fleet.

“Demand for highly diverse networks and seamless integration with third-party VSAT services, such as Starlink and OneWeb, has been a major sales driver for us,” said Joe Spytek, CEO at Speedcast.  “Our SIGMA Universal Remote brings together the full suite of enablers for extensive multi-path network management.”

An AWS-qualified platform, SIGMA’s new architecture spotlights Speedcast’s innovative approach to network management. It removes complexity and cost for operations and gives users complete transparency and control of their networks. Built-in traffic and policy management provides users with real-time bandwidth monitoring and the ability to control and prioritize data usage for critical applications over crew welfare or other remote site requirements. In addition, the platform includes Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cloud-native technology for added network security through a Zero Trust approach, which validates users and device access to applications anywhere in the world. The SASE framework helps organizations simplify their IT infrastructure, advance threat prevention, better protect their data, easily connect users and devices wherever they are located, and reduce total costs.

Updates can be pushed over the air to remote sites, saving customers critical time and delivering cost savings with complete remote upgrades. With a growing number of communication paths, satellite orbits, unique constellations, and specialized technologies, the new remotely extensible SIGMA enhancement ensures that customers always have access to the latest network management features for future-proofed operations.

“This is just the beginning,” said Spytek. “Being cloud-native, the SIGMA platform is highly scalable and can speed up our time-to-market to bring customers the edge applications that will make a difference for their remote operations. We’re working to prioritize new features on SIGMA so we can deliver value to customers faster and help them accelerate their operations.”

Speedcast maintains the largest technology-agnostic network in the world, incorporating satellite, LTE, Microwave and L-band to ensure the highest levels of uptime, availability, and performance. Now, as a Starlink and OneWeb authorized reseller and integrator, Speedcast brings together the right solutions and expertise to meet customers’ needs everywhere they operate. Added SIGMA features are slated to bring advanced networking functionality, zero-touch provisioning, enhanced remote staff and crew welfare, and more throughout 2023.