(Bethesda, MD, March 4, 2002)  
Stratos today announced that it has launched its new packet switched service, Satelan. This new IP communication solution is a flexible, fast, and sec  
ure service for people who need a full office solution on the move.  
 
''This IP based service is set to revolutionize the world of portable satellite communications, giving users a cost effective and efficient method of communication,'' said Jim Parm, Stratos COO. ''The new IP Satelan service is the first of its kind in mobile communications industries.''  
 
 
The Satelan service offers users a choice between two types of communication channels: packet switched (Internet Protocol) or circuit switched (PSTN or ISDN), which means users now have the freedom to choose a packet data connection for more casual data communication or 64kb/s ISDN for time critical communication.  
 
 
The advantage of the new IP channel - apart from the fact that it is compatible with all IP based technologies - is that customers only pay for the data sent and received and not for the length of time that they are connected. Ideal for LAN / WAN network connectivity, web browsing, email, file transfer and more, the 'always ON' connection means that users can leave the connection up because once files or web pages are downloaded they can be read at leisure without incurring the familiar costs normally associated with continuous connectivity.  
 
 
The ISDN channel on the other hand is perfect for larger, time critical file transfers, video conferencing and anything that uses the full bandwidth available. ISDN is more efficient in these cases because the user has a full 64kbps ISDN channel at their disposal which will enable high speed data transfer and lower cost.  
 
 
''The Satelan suite will redefine the concept of workstation productivity in remote environments, “said Adrian Mac Allister, Stratos Product Innovation Manager, London, UK. ''This first offering, a fully operational global packet-  
switched network, will allow users to make the most of their remote communications services without incurring the expense of long term connectivity.''  
 
 
The Satelan service provides the user with every communications tool they would normally have at their desk via a small satellite terminal (weighing less than 5kgs and the size of a laptop). This is linked to a PC, enabling the user, regardless of their location in the world - whether they are a business person sending emails from their hotel room, a journalist reporting live from a war torn city or army personnel on active duty keeping in touch with headquarters - to work as if they were docked at their office with the full suite of modern technology at their fingertips. The communication tools offered include  
Voice, Fax, Data, Email, Web browsing, Video conferencing, Store-and-forward video, Image and File transfer.  
 
 
Stratos (www.stratos.ca) is a publicly traded (TSE:SGB) international telecommunication services provider offering customers operating in remote locations a variety of wireless, IP, data, and voice solutions through a range of newly emerging and established technologies such as Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iridium, VSAT and others. Stratos serves an array of diverse markets including government, military, aeronautical, industrial, recreational and maritime users anywhere in the world.