MELBOURNE, Fla., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) has signed a new, multi-year contract with Carnival Corporation that will ensure cruise ship passengers and staff have access to the latest high-speed Internet and advanced voice and data services available as they sail the high seas. Harris, an international communications and information technology company, has provided satellite communications services onboard select Carnival cruise ships for the past 10 years.
The new managed services agreement initially covers Carnival vessels under the Costa Cruises brand, Italy's largest tourism group and Europe's #1 cruise company. Harris will provide Costa ships with significantly more satellite bandwidth, a modern all-IP network, and operational support of onboard equipment including dual C-band and Ku-band antennas for seamless global coverage and high reliability. Costa Cruises operates 14 cruise ships with worldwide itineraries, and expects to commission 3 new ships by 2012.
"Our guests, crew, and administrative staff expect more bandwidth and highly reliable service, and we rely on the high quality worldwide coverage and support provided by Harris," said Giuseppe De laco, Costa Cruises CIO and vice president Corporate Information Technology.
"Today's cruise ship passengers and crew expect to access the same communications services onboard a ship as they do when they are on land," said Rick Simonian, president of Harris Maritime Communications Services (MCS). "Costa is at the cutting edge when it comes to communications technology, and these upgrades will provide continued excellent service and assured communications for their fleet."
Harris MCS provides worldwide VSAT systems and managed services for the maritime community, remote land-based installations, and autonomous buoy systems for marine science and environmental monitoring. For more information about Harris MCS visit www.mcs.harris.com.
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation & plc is a global cruise company and one of the largest vacation companies in the world. Its portfolio of leading cruise brands includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line in North America; P&O Cruises, Cunard Line and Ocean Village in the United Kingdom; AIDA in Germany; Costa Cruises in southern Europe; Iberocruceros in Spain; and P&O Cruises in Australia. Additional information about Carnival Corporation is available at www.carnival.com.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets worldwide. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and 15,000 employees -- including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications(R) products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.
SOURCE Harris Corporation
