Seattle, WA. – September 22, 2005 – Veterans of the telecommunications industry have joined together to launch SeaMobile, Inc., a global company providing wireless voice, data and Internet services to cruise lines, yachts, ferries, container ships and off-shore platforms. The trio of SeaMobile founders includes former DSS Direct/DirectTV® Founder William D. Marks, cable television entrepreneur William Marks, Sr. and McCaw Cellular Communications executive Jack Donohue. The extended SeaMobile executive team includes numerous business and technology leaders who have repeated success in using technology advantages to successfully deliver services to significant markets over the past two decades.
“The timing is right to extend wireless service to one of the last significant and under-served markets on earth – the open seas,” said SeaMobile President and CEO William D. Marks. “Our unique technology allows the maritime industry to offer familiar and affordable wireless telephone and Internet services not currently available to them. These services are craved by a new generation of people who both work and relax at sea, but who want the connectivity and freedom of mobility that has been at the core of the wireless revolution over the past two decades.”
Deep and Experienced Management Team
SeaMobile’s management team and board are comprised of proven wireless industry veterans, as well as former software, cruise line and yacht industry executives. Many served in senior positions with McCaw Cellular Communications, founded by wireless communications pioneer Craig McCaw and widely viewed as the company that launched the wireless industry in the mid 1980’s.
In addition to William D. Marks, SeaMobile’s executive team includes:
• Co-founder and Executive Vice President of Business Development Jack Donohue, who has held senior positions with McCaw International, Western Wireless International and Meteor Mobile of Ireland.
• Chief Operating Officer Chere Heintzmann, formerly President of Extend America (a Nextel alliance), Senior Vice President of Qwest Wireless, and Senior Vice President of McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless Services.
• Chief Technology Officer Jim Ellis, formerly VP of Engineering for Extend America (a Nextel alliance) and McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless Services.
• Vice President of Marketing Nancy Brumfield, formerly Vice President of Marketing at Extend America (a Nextel alliance) and McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless Services.
• Vice President of Sales Les Abberley, formerly Publisher of ShowBoats International Magazine and responsible for advertising sales for Yachting Magazine. The company also boosts of a blue chip board of directors and executive committee. Board members include: Chairman Bill Marks Sr., a pioneer of the cable industry and former President & CEO of American Video Corporation; John Chapple, President, CEO and Chairman of Nextel Partners and a former Executive Vice President of Operations with McCaw Cellular/AT&T Wireless; and John Zagula and Rich Tong, both partners with the venture capital firm Ignition Partners and both former executives with Microsoft.
Members of the Executive Committee include: Steve Hooper, also a partner with Ignition Partners, former CEO of AT&T Wireless Services and long-term executive working with Craig McCaw, having served as CEO of every major McCaw company except Nextel and Richard Kirby, former President & Co-CEO of Renaissance Cruises.
“Without question, SeaMobile’s team is the most experienced group of wireless services leaders ever focused on the maritime communications market,” said Richard Kirby, SeaMobile Executive Committee member and former cruise line executive. “These are people who have driven – many on repeated occasions – the transition of wireless technologies to successful commercial wireless markets. As interesting as the technology can be, it only matters if it translates into a service that meets the growing demand for extended connectivity to the hundreds of millions of wireless users around the world, including those who want and need to be as connected at sea as they are on land. That’s why I joined them and delight in bringing cruise line experience to the organization.”
Founders and Ignition Provide Early Funding
SeaMobile is funded by company founders, other private investors and Ignition Partners, the venture capital firm started by former Microsoft® and McCaw Cellular executives.
“We have fortunately bet and won on many companies funded by Ignition over the past five years,” said John Zagula, Ignition Partner and SeaMobile board member. “The SeaMobile opportunity presents what may be one of the last untapped wireless markets, led by a team of professionals with the breadth and depth of experience to maximize the opportunity.”
Marks added, “We are thrilled to have the support of Ignition Partners. In addition to being investors in our business, the team at Ignition is actively involved with us as key business partners, offering advice and opening doors. We’re also tapping into other Ignition portfolio companies to develop unique service offerings. ”
Technology Makes Using Wireless “Same” at Sea
SeaMobile’s proprietary technology is a sophisticated IP/software based solution that is “agnostic” to the type of phone (GSM, GPRS or CDMA) used by the wireless customer when accessing the SeaMobile network at sea. This allows virtually anyone aboard any vessel at sea to use voice and data services available through their wireless home carrier, just as they would on land. In addition, SeaMobile’s solution can work with any satellite provider, including those currently offering services to the maritime industry.
With more than 200 roaming agreements with wireless carriers around the world, SeaMobile establishes transparent connectivity for wireless services. Charges for calls and data services while at sea will simply appear on the wireless customer’s bill from their home carrier.
Cruise Lines Gain Competitive Advantage
“The cruise industry is growing rapidly and cruise line companies are competing with land based resorts for travel and tourism customers,” continued Marks. “SeaMobile helps cruise lines become more competitive by offering the same high quality communications connectivity that land based resorts offer. As people make vacation choices, a criterion has become the ability to stay connected with the office, as well as with family and friends. SeaMobile eliminates the communications barrier to choosing an at-sea vacation.”
SeaMobile’s solution caters to other maritime industries as well, including workers in the oil and gas industry who spend months aboard off-shore platforms and otherwise have very limited and impersonal ways of communicating with family and friends.
About SeaMobile
SeaMobile Inc., (www.SeaMobile.com), founded by some of the world’s top mobile phone and telecommunications executives, delivers new and enhanced wireless voice and data communications services to the global maritime industry. SeaMobile technology enhances the communications experience of anyone at sea by offering vessel-to-shore, shore-to-vessel and intra-vessel voice and short messaging services, as well as WiFi Internet access services. Wireless customers use their own mobile phone or laptop computer just as easily as they do on land. SeaMobile service allows cruise lines and offshore vessels superior communications capabilities to improve operations, productivity and customer service. SeaMobile offers packaged and customized wireless solutions for cruise lines, ferries, yachts, container ships and offshore platforms. The company has offices in Seattle, WA, Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Paris, France.
About Ignition Partners
Ignition Partners, (www.ignitionpartners.com), headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., is a premier venture capital firm focused on investments in software and communications technology, with a particular emphasis in enterprise and consumer facing software and services, telecommunications and network infrastructure. Ignition brings together an unparalleled combination of domain focus, technical expertise and operational experience. Ignition's partners are proven business leaders who have built some of the world's most successful businesses of the last two decades, including Microsoft Windows, McCaw Cellular Communications, AT&T Wireless and Microsoft's enterprise business. The VC's founders are also credited with leading McCaw's entry into wireless and Microsoft's Internet turnaround. |
