Microsoft, SES and GRC Showcase Azure Cloud for Remote Missions via Secure GovSat Connectivity Service
30.6.2021 09:50:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Microsoft and SES, in partnership with GovSat and UK-based solutions provider GRC, came together to demonstrate how Microsoft Azure Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities can be brought directly to end-users deployed globally in a highly secure, reliable way while maintaining network sovereignty - allowing users to exploit key Azure workloads regardless of location and drastically boosting the efficiency of critical missions.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210629006127/en/
Microsoft, SES and GRC Showcase Azure Cloud for Remote Missions via Secure GovSat Connectivity Service (Photo: Business Wire)
In these demonstrations the Azure Stack Mini R device was connected to a quick deployable tactical satcom terminal from GRC through the secure SATCOM connection on GovSat-1 satellite, and sent directly to Azure UK via the SES Cloud Direct service, giving connected and disconnected access to Azure services.
The first demonstrations of its kind highlighted how this technology could be used in a number of scenarios such as a remote disaster relief operation, collecting information for analysis, at any given classification, allowing AI and ML models to be used to categorise and assess the information locally before using the available SATCOM to update the overall situational awareness picture and, if required, updating the AI and ML models via hyperscale Azure DevOps processes.
“SES’s high-performance satellite network enables an important demonstration of secure cloud computing at the edge,” said Tom Keane, Corporate Vice President, Azure Global, Microsoft. “Together with our technology partners, Microsoft is bringing mission-driven customers the latest services they require in a secure and reliable way, regardless of the infrastructure available. This approach empowers mission owners and operators in both connected and disconnected environments, while giving governments total flexibility and control over their data.”
“Governments are looking to accelerate cloud adoption and extend it to the edge bringing its advantages to the end-users anywhere. We are proud that through our partnerships with Microsoft and GovSat, we have managed to demonstrate the security and performance of the network, alongside the required high degree of flexibility for the government customers,” said JP Hemingway, CEO of SES Networks. “Similarly, the same secure high-performance cloud communications services can be achieved on our MEO satellites, independent of the internet and other publicly accessible networks.”
“Utilising single-hop secure cloud communication between the headquarters and deployed teams, which is closed to publicly accessible ground stations and internet touchpoints, opens multiple opportunities for governments. The GRC’s solution together with the Microsoft Azure cloud service and SES’s secure resilient satellite networked connectivity makes the future of cloud-enabled government communications a reality already today,” said Steve Slater, Managing Director at GRC.
The demo is highly scalable thanks to the Azure Edge capability, as well as the wide array of SES’s satellite communications capabilities, including next-generation O3b mPOWER system that is capable of providing from Mbps to multiple Gbps connectivity for land, air and maritime government missions.
Further Information
The first demonstration showcased one-hop connectivity that enables cloud workloads to run at the edge and seamlessly connect back to hyperscale Azure in both connected and disconnected modes via the Azure Stack Edge Mini R.
For this demonstration, the companies leveraged multiple satellite terminals from GRC’s 6-SAT solution, GovSat’s dedicated Military Ka-band beam onboard its satellite and GovSat’s secure Mission Operations Centre in Luxembourg.
The second demonstration was performed with GRC’s deployable Satellite Ground Station (SGS), showcasing in-theatre connectivity as well as backhaul of data from in-theatre headquarters to the home country with no public internet touchpoints. The first satellite link was securely connecting a deployed terminal with the in-theatre headquarters terminal, and anchored directly to the deployable, private SGS hub. The second satellite link connecting the deployable SGS hub was anchored in the GovSat Mission Operations Centre, demonstrating backhauling to a home country.
The SES Cloud Direct service was delivered via a dedicated Microsoft ExpressRoute connection directly from the end-users to Azure data centres, enabling the cloud agility and performance via a dedicated MilSatCom GEO capability. For low-latency applications, SES can also bring the data from the edge to the cloud in a safe, secure and efficient way through its high-throughput low-latency O3b satellite network and its upcoming next-generation cloud-scale O3b mPOWER system, both operating in medium earth orbit (MEO).
Follow us on:
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram
Read our Blogs >
Visit the Media Gallery >
About SES
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries over 8,200 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 361 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com.
About GRC
GRC is a Hereford (UK) based company delivering fully managed, Satcom as a Service (6-SAT), RF, cloud and IP connectivity solutions to Defence, Government, Emergency Response and Commercial sectors. Its partnerships and Tier-1 VAR (Value-Added Reseller) status with leading hardware and airtime providers ensure cost-effective, intelligently integrated solutions, backed up by through life support and training.
About GovSat
GovSat is a public private partnership between the Government of Luxembourg and the world-leading satellite operator SES. GovSat’s mission is to provide secure, reliable and accessible governmental satellite communication services to address the demand resulting from defence and institutional security applications. The company’s first satellite GovSat-1 is a multi-mission satellite that will use X-band and Military Ka-band frequencies on high-power and fully steerable mission beams to support multiple operations. For more information visit: www.govsat.lu
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210629006127/en/
Contact information
Suzanne Ong
External Communications, SES
Tel. +352 710 725 500
suzanne.ong@ses.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
VerSprite Launches Fork and Knife: AI-Driven Threat Modeling and Adversarial Testing Built for the Speed of Modern Software27.6.2026 00:28:00 EEST | Press release
VerSprite, a global leader in risk-based threat modeling and the firm behind the PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) methodology, today announced the general availability of Fork (www.forktm.com), a continuous application threat modeling platform, alongside Knife, an AI-led, human-on-the-loop adversarial testing platform for web applications and web API endpoints. Together, the two products operationalize a new model for product security—one where applications are securely designed, continuously modeled, and actively tested as part of the build process itself. The launch addresses a problem every security leader knows but few tools have solved: threat modeling is essential, never more so than in an AI-driven era, yet it has remained slow, manual, and anchored to frameworks designed for a different threat landscape. The problem: threat modeling matters more than ever—and most tools are stuck in 2005 For two decades, application threat modeling has leaned heavily on
Venture Global Announces Closing of $1.5 Billion Senior Secured Vessel Financing Facility26.6.2026 23:30:00 EEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Venture Global Shipping Holdings, LLC (“VGSH”), has entered into a Credit and Guaranty Agreement providing for a senior secured term loan facility (the “Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,500,000,000. The Facility will mature on June 26, 2032. Deutsche Bank and ING acted as coordinating lead arrangers for the Facility. ING also serves as facility agent and security trustee. VGSH intends to use the net proceeds from the Facility for general corporate purposes, including to reimburse Venture Global LNG, Inc. for payments previously made by it or its affiliates in connection with the acquisition of nine LNG carriers, funding certain reserve accounts, and paying transaction fees and expenses. About Venture Global Venture Global is an American producer and exporter of low-cost U.S. liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) with over 100 MTPA of capacity in production, construction, or development. Ven
Capco Recognized by OpenAI for Innovation and Responsible AI Leadership26.6.2026 21:00:00 EEST | Press release
Global management and technology consultancy Capco, a Wipro company,has been recognized by OpenAI for both AI innovation and responsible AI leadership. Capco received the AI Governance & Risk Excellence Award at the recent OpenAI Partner Summit 2026 in San Francisco, highlighting Capco’s ability to deliver enterprise-grade AI outcomes in highly regulated environments. The award recognizes Capco’s expert advantage when helping financial services and energy organizations to scale AI with confidence, balancing innovation with strong governance to reduce risk, strengthen compliance and improve customer outcomes. This award follows Capco winning the OpenAI Codex Hackathon, where its UK AI Lab competed against more than 30 teams and over 100 participants from across the OpenAI partner ecosystem. Capco's winning entry Sentra – a consulting-led, AI-powered retail banking solution – uses digital twin technology to identify vulnerable customers and recommend explainable next-best actions for fro
Incyte Announces Positive CHMP Opinion for Opzelura ® (ruxolitinib) Cream for the Treatment of Adults with Moderate Atopic Dermatitis26.6.2026 14:30:00 EEST | Press release
Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of Opzelura® (ruxolitinib) cream for the treatment of moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) in adult patients for whom topical corticosteroids (TCSs) and topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) are inadequate or inappropriate. “AD is a chronic skin condition that can have a significant impact on daily life. The positive CHMP opinion for Opzelura marks meaningful progress toward bringing the first non-steroidal topical JAK treatment option to adults in Europe with moderate AD for whom standard topical therapies have failed,” said Lee Heeson, Executive Vice President and Head of Incyte International. “If approved by the European Commission, Opzelura could help address an important gap for patients who have limited treatment options when TCSs and TCIs are inadequate or inappropriate.” The positive CHMP o
Datroway ® Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP as First-Line Treatment for Patients with Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Who Are Not Candidates for Immunotherapy26.6.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Datroway® (datopotamab deruxtecan) has been recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Datroway is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive opinion on results from the TROPION-Breast02phase 3 trial, which werepresented at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress and published in Annals of Oncology. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to grant marketing authorizations for medicines in the EU. In TROPION-Breast02, Datroway demonstrated a
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom