5 Reasons Hughes is a Partner of Choice for Government and Defense
Choosing a satcom partner is a daunting task for government and defense agencies. Most face heightened demands and expectations for services but are often limited by legacy systems or site-specific transport types. They may be unclear how to navigate their way to better solutions. Yet their missions can suffer when they lack much-needed networking capabilities. Changes in technology (plus tight budgets) further complicate matters.
Having the right service provider as a partner can make all the difference. During a recent interview, Rick Lober, VP/GM, Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division, outlined 5 reasons Hughes is considered a “Partner of Choice” for government and defense agencies.
Network management expertise – Hughes runs the largest satellite communications network in the world; and not only satellite networks, but all types of multi-transport systems, including GEO, terrestrial, and soon LEO. Multi-transport, interoperable solutions require increasingly sophisticated network management to deliver a seamless, connected experience for users. As Mr. Lober noted, “Based on our decades of developing network management techniques, we are expert at running reliable, highly efficient, cost effective networks.”
Vendor agnostic approach – Beyond being a best of breed systems integrator, Hughes is also an honest broker. “Whether it’s for antennas or networking technologies, we recommend the best solution to meet the customer’s mission, even if it’s not a Hughes product,” he said. Plus, Mr. Lober said, Hughes value is further enhanced by its expertise in Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and artificial intelligence technologies, both of which improve network performance, availability and reliability, especially across distributed organizations – civilian and military.
One-stop-shop – Hughes stands apart with its capabilities as a satellite operator, managed service provider, and equipment manufacturer. “In building and designing equipment, we benefit from a virtuous feedback loop, where we see what customers need under our managed services and incorporate that feedback into our next generation innovations.”
Customer focus – The Hughes culture goes beyond being “responsive” to customer needs, Mr. Lober said. Hughes teams are dedicated to not only meeting requirements but going the extra mile to tackle tough technical challenges, add new capabilities, and expand best practices that directly benefit customers. As an example, Hughes developed the HM400 modem series to meet requirements regarding temperature, shock, and vibration thresholds, to support use in unmanned aerial vehicles and rotary wing aircraft.
“Best value” procurement option – Agencies are moving beyond selecting vendors based on price only and, instead, considering factors such as quality, expertise, and the ability to minimize risk. Given its strengths in network management, system analysis, and integration – regardless of the network technology being used – Hughes solutions meet best value procurement goals. Hughes also has the structure and resources to operate either as a prime or sub-contractor, depending upon the customer’s needs.
In today’s hyper-connected world, the pressure mounts for government agencies to deliver the types of user experiences that commercial enterprises provide to both staff and constituents – regardless of location. That means experiences that benefit from high-speed connectivity, fast running applications, video in real-time, Wi-Fi connectivity, on-the-move communications, collaboration capabilities and data on demand. Choosing the right satellite systems partner is a critical step to making it all possible.