SATLYNX and ARABSAT deliver satellite network for Central Bank of IraqGeneral Electric
Iraqi economy to receive major boost with deployment of state-of-the-art interbank payment system
Stuttgart, Germany & Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 8th, 2009.
Satlynx, a GE company and leading provider of satellite telecommunications, has teamed up with Arabsat the largest Middle-East satellite operator, to deliver a fully redundant satellite network that will provide the foundations of a new extensive communications platform for the Central Bank of Iraq.
The main contractor for this World Bank funded $2.7 million project is Luxembourg-based Iraqi owned firm, Alfa Consult. The network interconnects two Central Bank of Iraq locations in Baghdad with 7 other remote banks in Basrah, Mosul, Anbar, Kirkuk, Najaf, Hilla and Karbala. It forms the backbone over which the Iraqi Payment System (IPS) will run, enabling secure and rapid financial transactions to take place across the country to the benefit of the Iraqi economy.
"This is just the latest in a series of investments in the essential communications infrastructure of Iraq," declared Mr. Saleh M. Salman, Head of Payments Dept. at the Central Bank of Iraq., "the IPS system will cut the time required to process financial transactions in Iraq, thanks to the satellite system put in place by Satlynx and Arabsat."
The solution is based on the Satlynx Direct satellite platform, built around iDirect technology, with the main hub based at Satlynx's fully secured Teleport in Leuk, Switzerland. The Satlynx Direct platform with significant cost efficiency through bandwidth optimization enables two-way communications between the main sites in Baghdad and the remote sites throughout Iraq.
Full redundancy is provided at every level of the network, with two satellite terminals installed by Alfa Consult at each location and satellite coverage provided primarily via Arabsat's BADR-4 @ 26°East, with a hot stand-by option on a secondary satellite system.
The decision to base the network on satellite rather than terrestrial connections was an easy one given the unreliability of the infrastructure that remains after decades of neglect and the destruction that has taken place during the recent upheaval in Iraq.
Prime contractor Alfa Consult's Mr. Salar Zahed, Vice President, Director of Marketing, added "The lack of infrastructure has also meant that we had to cope with frequent power outages throughout the installation stages, but nonetheless, we were able to get the job done and deploy a secure and working network thanks to the Satlynx solution".
Ronny Svang, President and CEO of Satlynx is keen to stress the partnership aspect of the project: "All three organizations - ourselves, Alfa Consult and Arabsat - have worked closely together on this vital project and will continue to do so to ensure its long term success - a critical infrastructure component for the Iraqi economy. For our part, we will ensure that the network is monitored with meticulous diligence to ensure continuous service availability".
Khalid Balkheyour, President & CEO of Arabsat, added "As a body of the Arab League, we believe it was definitely Arabsat's role to actively support such an essential project that will constitute yet another important milestone in the recovery of the Iraqi economy."
"We're extremely proud to have been able to join forces with a long-time key and reputable partner like GE's Satlynx to provide the required space connectivity on our BADR-4 satellite, thus significantly contributing to enabling this critical data network with some of our primary capacity."
Satlynx is already operating many critical government and key NGOs' networks across the globe, including numerous major countries' embassies and is now actively supporting the MEA region's public bodies rapidly growing infrastructure deployment needs by folding its 20-years legacy know-how into strategic partnerships with key regional players.
About SATLYNX
The main contractor for this World Bank funded $2.7 million project is Luxembourg-based Iraqi owned firm, Alfa Consult. The network interconnects two Central Bank of Iraq locations in Baghdad with 7 other remote banks in Basrah, Mosul, Anbar, Kirkuk, Najaf, Hilla and Karbala. It forms the backbone over which the Iraqi Payment System (IPS) will run, enabling secure and rapid financial transactions to take place across the country to the benefit of the Iraqi economy.
"This is just the latest in a series of investments in the essential communications infrastructure of Iraq," declared Mr. Saleh M. Salman, Head of Payments Dept. at the Central Bank of Iraq., "the IPS system will cut the time required to process financial transactions in Iraq, thanks to the satellite system put in place by Satlynx and Arabsat."
The solution is based on the Satlynx Direct satellite platform, built around iDirect technology, with the main hub based at Satlynx's fully secured Teleport in Leuk, Switzerland. The Satlynx Direct platform with significant cost efficiency through bandwidth optimization enables two-way communications between the main sites in Baghdad and the remote sites throughout Iraq.
Full redundancy is provided at every level of the network, with two satellite terminals installed by Alfa Consult at each location and satellite coverage provided primarily via Arabsat's BADR-4 @ 26°East, with a hot stand-by option on a secondary satellite system.
The decision to base the network on satellite rather than terrestrial connections was an easy one given the unreliability of the infrastructure that remains after decades of neglect and the destruction that has taken place during the recent upheaval in Iraq.
Prime contractor Alfa Consult's Mr. Salar Zahed, Vice President, Director of Marketing, added "The lack of infrastructure has also meant that we had to cope with frequent power outages throughout the installation stages, but nonetheless, we were able to get the job done and deploy a secure and working network thanks to the Satlynx solution".
Ronny Svang, President and CEO of Satlynx is keen to stress the partnership aspect of the project: "All three organizations - ourselves, Alfa Consult and Arabsat - have worked closely together on this vital project and will continue to do so to ensure its long term success - a critical infrastructure component for the Iraqi economy. For our part, we will ensure that the network is monitored with meticulous diligence to ensure continuous service availability".
Khalid Balkheyour, President & CEO of Arabsat, added "As a body of the Arab League, we believe it was definitely Arabsat's role to actively support such an essential project that will constitute yet another important milestone in the recovery of the Iraqi economy."
"We're extremely proud to have been able to join forces with a long-time key and reputable partner like GE's Satlynx to provide the required space connectivity on our BADR-4 satellite, thus significantly contributing to enabling this critical data network with some of our primary capacity."
Satlynx is already operating many critical government and key NGOs' networks across the globe, including numerous major countries' embassies and is now actively supporting the MEA region's public bodies rapidly growing infrastructure deployment needs by folding its 20-years legacy know-how into strategic partnerships with key regional players.
About SATLYNX
Satlynx, a GE company, is a leading provider of two-way satellite communication services worldwide. Satlynx has an unmatched depth of experience and know-how in both the technology and the operation of large VSAT networks; providing turnkey solutions on a range of technology platforms more than 30 satellites.
Today, Satlynx serves customers in over 130 countries with 12,000 VSAT sites in operation and with a robust track-record in delivering satellite communication solutions. Satlynx continues to be the preferred choice for corporates, governments, maritime and media organisations world-wide.
More at: www.satlynx.com
About ARABSAT
About ARABSAT
Founded in 1976 by the 21 member-states of the Arab League, ARABSAT has been serving the growing needs of the Arab world for over 30 years. It carries over 340 TV channels and 160 Radio stations reaching tens of millions of homes in more than 80 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Europe--and way beyond around the world--including an audience of over 164 million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region alone tuned into Arabsat's video "hotspot" at 26ยบ East. Operating a growing fleet of satellites at the 26°East and 30.5°East positions of the geostationary orbit, ARABSAT is the only satellite operator in the MENA region offering the full spectrum of Broadcast, Telecommunications and Broadband services. This capacity will continue to expand with the launch of one new satellite every year from 2009 to 2012, making the ARABSAT satellite fleet the youngest in the region.
About Alfa Consult
Alfa Consult is a technology and construction company with major involvement in Iraq's reconstruction efforts over the last 5 years. The company is behind some of the highest profile projects in Iraq including the nationwide data network in 2004/2005 and its successor the nationwide IP network in 2009 and nationwide fibre related projects, The Iraq Inter-banking project, as well as the design/build of the Mamoon Telecommunication center and currently the rehabilitation of the war damaged Al Rasheed Telecommunication center in Baghdad. Alfa Consult also deployed its own WiMax based network in Baghdad (SkyCom: www.skycom-iq.com) providing internet and data connectivity for the larger Baghdad metropolitan area.
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