Thanks to Barco OpSpace, we can see all our sources on one workstation.
OpSpace workstations give Inmarsat total control over satellite network
Burum, NL - 2023
Operators in the control room of Inmarsat have recently started using Barco OpSpace workstations to ensure data connectivity and telephony for their customers based on an extended satellite network.
- All sources, from satellite dish to the meet-me points, on one workspace
- Easy to expand or scale with new sources
- Workspace remotely accessible
Inmarsat is a telecommunications company that provides mobile satellite communications in locations where you don’t have a normal mobile connection, such as aboard an airplane or in the middle of the sea. The organization has more than 32 ground stations worldwide and 14 satellites running on geostationary orbit in space. These resources allow them to provide clients with data connection and telephony anywhere.
From a control room manned 24 hours a day, Inmarsat monitors the global network and related services. Recently, the company started using Barco OpSpace in their control room.
Monitoring dozens of sources
Marcel Kingma, manager at Inmarsat, explains how they use the Barco OpSpace workstations: “In our control room, we monitor all network components. That means we monitor everything from the satellite dishes to the meet-me points, which are the points where the signal goes out into the Internet.”
To monitor all this, the Inmarsat operators receive a huge amount of information. They work with dozens of sources, which until recently were displayed on dozens of desktops in the control room. Those desktops are distributed across several large tables in the room. This setup, however, is gradually being replaced by Barco’s two new operator workstations.
Responding quickly with an overview
Dutch systems integrator INTER worked with Barco to create two new OpSpace workstations in the Inmarsat control room. This solution allows all control room sources to be seen on one integrated workspace, which operators can control with just one keyboard and one mouse.
Marcel Kingma explains: “Thanks to Barco OpSpace, we can see all our sources on one workstation. Before, we used to have to walk from table to table in case of an emergency; now we get the overview all at once. With Barco OpSpace, we can very quickly call up a situation preset at the operator workstation during an alert. This allows us to immediately see what’s going on and respond quickly to the situation."
Forward-looking solution
“Barco OpSpace also brings benefits for the future,” Marcel says. “For example, if the organization wants to expand with new satellites, we don’t have to modify the entire control room. We would just virtually install a desktop somewhere with the application we need to do our monitoring. We can then load this right in via Barco OpSpace.”
Inmarsat will also use the new system for disaster recovery. Suppose something happens to this location. What happens next?
Marcel Kingma: “In such a case, it’s clearly critical that we can maintain access to our systems. With Barco OpSpace, our London location can easily check in with us if we have a problem here. In addition, we want to be able to work remotely, should the need arise. With the new system, we can just log in remotely. Previously, this was a lot more cumbersome. We had to log in separately for each system. Now we see all sources and applications at once.”
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