The firm’s integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise enables the company to develop unique solutions according to the customers’ requirements

IEC Telecom, one of the leading international providers of satellite communications services, is showcasing OneGate Energy, a smart and agile satcom solution that paves the way for the digital transformation of the marine and offshore sector.

Known for supplying high-quality satellite-based solutions to customers for more than 20 years, IEC Telecom delivers efficient end-to-end voice and data services, when and where it matters the most, says Nabil Ben Soussia – VP Maritime & Managing Director at IEC Telecom Middle East.

IEC Telecom has been shortlisted among finalists for Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa for the development of OneGate, which empowers oil rigs and supports vessels with a completely new level of connectivity.

Operating from a virtual platform, OneGate can be fully controlled from the onshore headquarter reducing the need for human involvement onsite – thus steering a course towards future vessel automation, he explains.

"At Adipec, we will present a new modification of OneGate – OneGate Energy. This satcom solution is designed to meet the requirements of remote units on land," he says.

The virtualisation of all services is the key innovation in this product. That is why all OneGate services can be added to, changed, or removed remotely. This gives an unparalleled level of flexibility and eliminates the operational burden of sending pieces of hardware to the remote sites every time when new update/enhancement of communication system is required.

OneGate addresses all major challenges of the oil and gas industry including logistics, cyber security and optimising connectivity.

Simplifying logistics: The change of exploration team disposition involves a lot of logistics around connectivity infrastructure.

While OneGate provides access to numerous machines based in cloud, the actual terminal is a single and compact server rack that can be transported from one location to another.

OneGate also enables remote maintenance. It means field operations do not have to wait for maintenance team to arrive. A lot of Augmented Reality applications allow offsite experts to counsel and guide technicians online by using reliant connectivity.

OneGate Energy

Cyber security: OneGate separates corporate environment from staff network. This segregation ensures that e-operations and classified data remain safe from any infected personal file within staff network.

Optimising connectivity for better usage experience: High-speed connectivity can help retain the right people and attract the best talent. With millennials joining a workforce, connectivity becomes a deciding factor for employment.

OneGate is equipped with functionality that allows to optimise traffic providing better user experience for employees.

The benefits of equipping staff with data connectivity extend far beyond socialisation. In the modern fast-paced environment, self-education has become a part of the day-to-day life impacting both personal and professional growth, says Soussia.

Established in Dubai, UAE in 2008, IEC Telecom has been participating in Adipec for more than ten years.

"At Adipec, we introduced our best-selling solution Orion Edge a few years back and announced the upcoming launch of Thuraya VSAT+ in 2018. We also launched IEC Welfare, a new IEC solution based on YahClick service providing competitively priced data packages for individual staff use," he says.

Adipec has earned a reputation as the premier oil and gas show in the Middle East and has maintained this status for several years. Participation in the show is an opportunity for IEC Telecom to meet its customers and partners from the region as well as introduce its solutions to new prospects. Adipec is an ideal platform for business networking, new product launches and other important corporate announcements, he observes.

Having opened its second office in Abu Dhabi in 2011, IEC Telecom’s portfolio includes a wide range of satellite products (from handset to VSAT services), solutions and value-added services.

IEC Telecom’s integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise enables the company to develop unique solutions according to the customers’ requirements.

"We facilitate digitalisation for remote units on land and offshore. For urban networks, we provide powerful satellite back up to ensure the business continuity of enterprises. IEC Telecom offers global coverage for international operations and a wide variety of area-by-area plans for regional use," he says.

IEC Telecom has ten offices across eight countries: Afghanistan, France (2 offices), Kazakhstan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey and the UAE (2 offices).

Referring to business, he says enterprises around the world are investing more on technologies to reduce their operational, exploration and production costs. Digitalisation is the key to success in this journey. For the past few years, IEC has been working a lot on such customised projects.

"Our integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise allows us to develop unique solutions tailored for individual customers’ needs," he asserts.

Globally Oil and Gas companies are adopting digitalisation to stay sustainable and competitive, by reducing their production and exploration costs. The oil and gas industry can save up to $73 billion within 5 years in exploration and production by adopting latest technologies, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

"We are expecting that oil and gas producers in the Middle East will continue to invest in the sector to scale up their production."

According to BP Energy Outlook 2019, the Middle East remains the largest oil producing region and the second largest gas producer, with 36 per cent of global oil and 20 per cent of gas output.

Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) last year approved Adnoc’s new integrated gas strategy and plans to raise its oil production capacity to 4 million barrels per day by the end of 2020 and further increasing it to 5 million barrels per day by 2030.

The SPC’s approval of gas strategy will add potential resources that will enable the UAE to achieve gas self-sufficiency, with the aim of potentially transitioning to a net gas exporter. The SPC announced new discoveries of gas in place, totalling 15 trillion standard cubic feet. It also announced new discoveries of 1 billion barrels of oil in place and approved Adnoc’s new five-year business plan and capital investment growth of Dh486 billion between 2019 and 2023. All these provide ample opportunities to technology companies like IEC Telecom, he adds.