Vizada distributes Thuraya GmPRS service

Thuraya GmPRS (Geo mobile Packet Radio Service) is the first mobile satellite service to provide an always-on internet connection enabling customers to web-browse, use email & webmail, download content, share files (FTP) and set up a VPN (virtual private network), all with the same Thuraya handset. Customers pay only for data sent and received.

The GmPRS service has been developed for professionals working remotely with limited access to traditional telecoms services, including journalists, oil and gas sector employees, mining teams and NGO personnel. It is available in 110 countries worldwide using Thuraya SO-2510 and SG-2520 handsets.

Thuraya sells to these end customers through a network of over 100 distributors. This includes Vizada, which recently received the Golden Award in Service Promotion from Thuraya for generating the highest revenues of all Thuraya service providers in 2006.

Vizada customers of the GmPRS service will benefit from Vizada Online, a management tool enabling distributors or owners of large numbers of Thuraya handsets to activate, bar and suspend SIM cards as required.

"The clear demand for an always-on mobile internet connection in remote areas combined with Vizada's extensive customer portfolio will ensure the success of the GmPRS service on the mobile satellite market," stated Jeroen Jaspers, Marketing Manager Handheld at Vizada.

In addition, Thuraya is planning to offer Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) on its MMS-enabled phone later this year. Customers will be able to send pictures or video clips while in remote areas to an email or another MMS-enabled device.