Over the past twenty-five years, Skymira’s history has provided a window into the evolving landscape of satellite communications. Skymira has consistently listened to customer needs and pushed the boundaries of technology to deliver innovative satellite communication solutions.
Email Over Satellite
In 1998, before wireless internet connections, Skymira developed a satellite email service that kept tugboat companies in touch with crews at sea. Skymira’s email-over-satellite service also provided GPS data which allowed companies to track and monitor vessels.
Maritime transportation companies immediately adopted the technology which significantly improved workflow efficiency and the quality of life for offshore workers. Foreshadowing a pattern that would become a hallmark of Skymira’s solutions, this email-over-satellite service provided enhanced operations and savings – it cost just ten percent of other products on the market at the time.
wherever they go.
Forms Over Satellite
Staying connected with an old PDT-100 satellite antenna.
As Bob Landsfield, Skymira’s Founder and CEO, likes to say, Skymira was in the cloud before there was a cloud. Skymira’s satellite solutions provided remote access to information and enabled virtual data sharing – a precursor to the cloud-based solutions everyone uses today.
Soon oil and gas companies were also using Skymira’s satellite-based applications. With the addition of SCADA capabilities, Skymira’s solutions provided instant communication, tracking, and monitoring across various operations and locations.
Cellular Internet Adds a New Dimension
When cellular internet came along, many people thought satellite was doomed. But from his front-row perspective, Bob quickly realized that while cellular internet would change the world of satellite, it wouldn’t replace it. Gaps in cellular coverage, especially in remote and disaster-prone areas, would continue to be filled by satellites.
Skymira migrated its solutions to new platforms that supported full TCP/IP internet connections, and cellular internet became another tool in the toolbox. With its deep expertise in satellite, Skymira integrated cellular and satellite networks to enable customers to maximize both. This blended approach provided comprehensive communications coverage for law enforcement officers, first responders, line workers, oil and gas crews, and others.
This experience reinforced Skymira’s commitment to providing network agnostic solutions. The flexibility to quickly adapt to technological advancement makes Skymira’s communication systems future-proof.
Push-to-Talk over Satellite
Installing a Skymira GoKIT
By this time, Skymira’s track record of providing secure, reliable solutions had won a number of government contracts. With customers in law enforcement, wildland fire, and other government agencies, Skymira established itself as a security-conscious satellite solutions provider.
When Skymira’s satellite partners began to develop a new push-to-talk over satellite gateway, they approached Bob and asked Skymira to help launch it. Bob and the Skymira team learned by fire as they worked to troubleshoot problems and develop end-to-end systems that worked.
From writing software and engineering systems to getting a dedicated instance of PRISM satellite service, Skymira gained expertise in every aspect of RoIP technology. In the end, Skymira reinvented RoIP to create world-class solutions that LMR users could count on wherever they went.
Tracking P25 Portable Radios and Individual Officers
This comprehensive experience and knowledge proved invaluable when Skymira listened to its customers once again. Responding to requests for a way to track individual officers via portable radios, Skymira developed the P25 IP Relay (P25-IPR). This time Skymira engineered both the hardware and software to create a groundbreaking solution.
The P25-IPR stripped away all OEM requirements and limitations to provide a truly network- and manufacturer-agnostic solution. The P25-IPR takes the raw data – including audio, GPS location, and man-down alerts – from any conventional P25 radio and transmits it via any IP network, whether satellite, LTE, FirstNet, or fiber. This creates seamless interoperability between devices and across agencies that solves many long-standing radio communication challenges.
In every phase of Skymira’s journey, the driving force has been a commitment to provide the solutions customers need. Bob’s belief that the people serving their communities deserve the best has fueled Skymira’s continuous push to innovate. Whatever is on the horizon, Skymira remains ready to listen to customer needs and push the boundaries of satellite and communication technology to ensure that frontline heroes can operate safely and effectively wherever duty calls.