The recent announcement of a multi-year contract with U.K. lottery operator Camelot Group plc has now positioned Hughes as a leading provider of managed services in Europe, expanding beyond its earlier major wins in North America.

Under the Camelot contract, the continent-wide HughesNet broadband satellite service will be utilized to provide a comprehensive, highly reliable VPN solution connecting more than 27,000 lottery sites throughout the U.K. Hughes satellite terminals will interface with Camelot’s lottery equipment at each site, including point-of-sale digital media screens used to display a wide range of announcements, such as jackpots, local information, and missing-person alerts. The multi-year deal for Hughes includes provisioning of all networking equipment, installation, maintenance, and ongoing support.

“The highly secure and reliable HughesNet VPN service was an important element in our bid for the new lottery license,” said Neil Kellar, Camelot’s IT Director. “Hughes" experience deploying very large networks, including more than 70,000 network nodes for lottery terminals worldwide, was a key factor in our decision.”

Hughes has gained that experience providing broadband satellite networks and services to GTECH Corporation, the world’s largest lottery and gaming solutions company. (See related story in Channels, Spring 2007). Today, the GTECH network connects more than 70,000 lottery sites in the U.S., using 10 network hubs and all the necessary operations equipment to deliver high-quality, end-to-end lottery services to its customers.

But managed services go far beyond the lottery business. Industry leaders in the retail, restaurant, entertainment, and petroleum sectors rely on HughesNet Managed Services for their enterprise networks. The Yankee Group recognized this leadership in a 2006 report, documenting more than 110,000 sites managed by Hughes in the U.S. alone.

For example, BP Products North America employs the HughesNet Optimized VPN service to connect its 14,000 retail stations across the U.S. (See related story in Channels Summer 2006.) In Europe, BP uses HughesNet Optimized VPN to connect over 4,000 sites throughout the U.K., Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria. As a fully managed broadband offering, HughesNet Optimized VPN creates a seamless network service by using the most efficient and cost-effective technology available at each site—whether satellite or landline. The result is a uniform and cost-efficient broadband service at each station, and includes all operations, network management, and proactive monitoring.

Both Camelot and BP are prime examples of a trend in which today’s enterprises are moving away from the direct operation and maintenance of their networks. Instead they’re relying on a single proven provider to manage all their network needs, freeing staff to focus on running their core businesses and on building growth and revenue, confident that network management is in the hands of an experienced service provider.

“We are proud to have been selected by Camelot to provide the broadband network solution and services for this nextgeneration lottery system in the U.K.,” said Pradman Kaul, chairman and CEO, Hughes. “In today’s competitive business environment, enterprises need expert partners to help them meet their business goals. With our success providing networking solutions and services on two continents, Hughes is now poised to expand HughesNet Managed Services globally.”