Multimedia provider Sentech has launched a range of four new products as part of its ongoing efforts to generate additional revenue streams.
The products include VMesh, a hubless satellite-based communications tool; MailLink, a multi-functional hosting service; MultiNet, a point to multi-point offering capable of transmitting huge amounts of data without blocking or slowing regular information traffic; and a new visual advertising medium, InStoreAd.
According to Marcel Steyn, Sentech portfolio manager for product development, VMesh connects multiple sites directly with one another across a single satellite link, which speeds up connections and significantly improves the quality of messaging.
"Terrestrial data-lines may break down or give you inadequate on-air access, while hub-based satellite systems may create too much latency, whereas with VMesh, the remote sites talk directly to one another via a single satellite hop, making it a geographically independent system," he says.
"Since VMesh coverage includes all of Africa and can also be extended to western and central Europe, we feel it has huge significance for government departments, humanitarian and donor agencies and businesses which need to communicate with branches in remote African locations."
Steyn says that since there is only a single satellite hop between sites the human ear picks up no echo over a voice-line, video conferencing quality is improved and seamless data-links are possible because, without significant latency, in-house software applications will not call a time-out.
"VMesh links can be created across the entire continent of Africa, and network speed per site can vary between 64kps and 8.75Mbps.
Other products
MailLink has been launched as a dynamic e-mail cluster, aimed at ensuring uptime of over 99% across multiple servers with built-in redundancy, improved security, multiple mailboxes, the ability to access e-mail from anywhere and also to receive faxes directly in a user's inbox.
"The product does not stop here, as we will be improving as we go along, with future developments such as calendaring, instant messaging and shared folders all on the cards," says product manager Mike Kuczmierczyk.
According to Georg Wenhold, product manager for MultiNet, recent enhancements to Sentech's IP Multicast solution permit the simultaneous and secure transmission of voice, video and text information from a single source to multiple sites without transmission breaks or the overloading of existing terrestrial links.
He says MultiNet is being marketed as a supplementary communication vehicle for use in parallel with terrestrial links, as it uses satellite technology for cost-effective point-to-multipoint data transfer.
"The main benefit of this product is cost-efficiency. Imagine sending large files to multiple points over the current WAN infrastructure - not only might important data be lost, but other applications may also fail," says Wenhold.
"MultiNet is targeted at medium and large business, as its bandwidth can carry video-on-demand communication across an organisation's offices, corporate advertising, company-wide communiqu'es, training modules, CD images and materials for marketing purposes, and much more."
The final product is InStoreAd, which uses satellite bandwidth up-linked to decoders connected to TV monitors placed in stores or shopping centres.
Advertising slide presentations are run on a loop that is synchronised with in-store radio content, allowing on-screen visuals and text to reinforce radio broadcasts carried on public address systems.
"Radio station owners will be able to offer advertisers standard advertising slots on radio or for added impact, radio slots bundled with our visual tool, effectively allowing for visual advertisements on radio," says product manager Dingaan Daka.
He says InStoreAd is being marketed to private and commercial radio stations and is also being packaged with Sentech's established Business Radio service as a value-adding option.
* In other Sentech news, Business Day reports today that the parastatal's chief financial director has been suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation against him, although Sentech did not give any further details.
Related stories:
Sentech seeks R300m upgrade
Broadband for Africa as SA lags behind
INSITE 2004 goes wireless with Sentech
Share
