Search ST Engineering

Network operator increases focus on business continuity and private networks for banking and healthcare industries in rural United States

Herndon, Va., July 29, 2019 – ST Engineering iDirect, Inc., a company of ST Engineering North America, today announced that Mainstream Data is expanding its business continuity and private networking services based on the iDirect platform. The additional satellite IP networking infrastructure will enable Mainstream Data to meet growing connectivity demand from both existing and new customers in the healthcare and banking sectors across areas in the United States, including areas with underdeveloped communications infrastructure.

To serve their customers today, enterprises are increasingly dependent on uninterrupted IP network connectivity, driven increasingly by Software as a service (SaaS) applications and cloud computing. As a result, communications service providers are expanding their investment in network infrastructures that support higher access speeds and provides resiliency in the event of connectivity failures. However, many communities in rural North America remain underserved by terrestrial IP infrastructure, leaving a critical gap in enterprises’ ability to maintain their connections with customers, data centers, and partners.

“If a company loses access to mission-critical applications that are hosted in the cloud or VoIP connectivity, the business screeches to a halt,” said Scott Calder, CEO of Mainstream Data. “This is especially true for hospitals and banks, for whom being online 100 percent of the time saves lives and preserves business. As one of the largest fully-integrated satellite-based Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity providers in North America, we continue to build our network around ST Engineering iDirect because its technology allows us to deliver the highest possible quality at an affordable cost to our customers.”

Through an IP networking solution built on the iDirect platform, Mainstream Data monitors customers’ primary IP link and provides a fully-managed backup connection over satellite whenever the primary connection suffers degradation. The company leverages ST Engineering iDirect’s advanced Quality of Service (QoS) capability, prioritizing latency-sensitive traffic to support critical communications. To support its expansion, Mainstream Data purchased what will be its third iDirect hub.

“It is always great working with partners like Mainstream Data, who work hard to serve critical organizations that keep our citizens healthy and our economy running with constant connectivity,” said Darren Ludington, Regional Vice President, Americas, ST Engineering iDirect. “Satellite is a reliable means of connecting even the most geographically diverse sites with critical IP connectivity, as it is essentially immune to ground-based outages and network compromise. We look forward to continuing to help Mainstream Data grow its business in key vertical markets where maintaining always-on connectivity is a cornerstone of their brand promise.”

*****

Mainstream Data is a fully integrated satellite network operator focused on providing IP connectivity services to underserved healthcare, banking, and enterprise customers throughout North America. For more information visit www.mainstreamdata.com.

ST Engineering North America is the U.S. headquarters of ST Engineering, a global technology, defense and engineering group specializing in the aerospace, electronics, land systems, and marine sectors. Based in Alexandria, VA, it has major operations across 17 cities in 13 states and employs about 5,000 people providing innovative products and solutions to commercial and government customers across diverse market segments.

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering North America, is a global leader in satellite communications providing technology and solutions that enable its partners worldwide to optimize their networks, differentiate their services and profitably expand their businesses. Based in Herndon, VA, it has focused on meeting the economic and technology challenges across the satellite industry for more than 20 years. Today, the product portfolio, branded under the name iDirect, sets new standards in performance and efficiency, making it possible to deliver voice, video and data connectivity anywhere in the world. ST Engineering iDirect is the world’s largest TDMA enterprise VSAT manufacturer and is the leader in key industries including mobility and military/government. In 2007, iDirect Government was formed to better serve the U.S. government and defense communities. For more information please visit www.idirect.net.

Get the latest news delivered to your inbox