The new modems will be part of a system that combines Globalstar's satellite communications network with AeroAstro's Sensor Enabled Notification System (SENS) technology, allowing sensing or tracking data to be sent from remote locations via satellite and over the Internet to the customer.

These modems will provide businesses with an economic solution to remotely and automatically track the movement and condition of assets, such as shipping containers, or to monitor environmental data such as pipeline temperature and pressure or utility use.

By sending data over the Globalstar satellite network and through SENS decoders at the Globalstar gateways, the modems will enable reliable data transmissions in real-time from locations far beyond the reach of any ground-based network - a combination of features never before available in such a low-cost unit.

"Globalstar is continuing to broaden its portfolio of products and services, bringing affordable and innovative satellite communications applications to an ever wider range of customers," said Paul Thomas, Globalstar vice president of data products and services.

"These new simplex modems developed in partnership with AeroAstro will be an economically attractive solution for all manner of businesses who need to manage distant fixed and mobile equipment - from pipeline operators and electric power transmission companies to trucking and maritime cargo shippers."

"Asset management is a growing business, and our low-cost sensors offer the marketplace an economically viable and highly reliable solution," said Dr. Rick Fleeter, President and CEO of AeroAstro.

"By leveraging the capabilities of the Globalstar satellite network, our SENS system can be up and running in months, rather than years - at very economical costs to our customers."

The Globalstar/AeroAstro basic modem unit is expected to be available in volume quantities for as low as $60, including the antenna, on an OEM basis. Implementation of the modem into an end user solution will normally include additional components, such as housing and sensors, at additional cost depending on the particular industrial application.

The new modem -- the size of a wireless pager -- will allow data to be sent at pre-set or random intervals from the modem over the Globalstar satellite network and then transmitted to the customer's data collection facility via the Internet.

The new modems provide myriad business solutions for various industries: For pipeline operators, the new Globalstar/AeroAstro modems will make it possible to economically monitor pipeline conditions such as pressure and throughput, at regular intervals and in real-time across a field or across a continent, allowing extremely rapid notification of a pipeline break or other anomaly.

For shippers, the modems will provide the location of their containers, affording immediate notification of any emergency situations. With these features, assets may be tracked even in very remote locations, and, if coordinated with customs officials, these modems can be used to streamline freight traffic at international border crossings.

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