Inmarsat, Microsoft team up to deliver cloud services via satellite

Mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat has entered into a collaboration agreement with Microsoft to deliver cloud services via satellite.

Under the agreement, Microsoft said users of its cloud computing service, Azure, will be able to connect their IoT infrastructure to cloud-based applications via Inmarsat’s mobile connectivity network.

The partners said the collaboration will initially focus on the delivery of Industrial IoT-based solutions to the agriculture, mining, transportation and logistics sectors.

Azure users will also be able to access to a variety of tools that will help connect anything to anything, bringing together assets in the physical world with applications in the digital world, no matter how remote the location.

Tara MacLachlan, Inmarsat’s VP of Industrial IoT Strategy, added that the collaboration will enable Azure users to access the data generated and processed by its intelligent edge IoT solutions.

“Analyzing this data and using it to optimize operations is where the fundamental value of IoT resides,” he said.

Paul Gudonis, President of Inmarsat Enterprise, affirmed that industrial IoT solutions have the potential to bring transparency and intelligence to the global supply chain.

Inmarsat owns and operates a global portfolio of satellite networks, specifically designed for customer mobility, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band, and S-band.

Microsoft Azure, on the other hand, is being built as the world’s computer, extending the reach of Microsoft’s cloud through IoT and intelligent edge services, according to Sam George, Director, Azure IoT.

“Our goal is to enable customers to take advantage of connected IoT solutions no matter where they are in their journey. With Inmarsat, customers across industries from agriculture to mining and logistics sectors will benefit from the power of the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge with global satellite connectivity in the most remote parts of the globe,” he explained.