Hughes wins mandate from oil firms to automate retail network

Hughes Communications India Ltd Thursday said all three state-owned oil marketing companies have selected its satellite broadband system to automate their retail network.

"Under separate contracts, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) will each use the JUPITER system to upgrade network connectivity across 19,000 locations collectively to increase speed of transactions, eliminate manual interference, and deliver accurate, real-time data across the retail operations," the company said in a statement.

Hughes Communications India is majority-owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services.

"In addition to driving cost savings, our Hughes technology and managed services will help the companies take control over applications such as monitoring of tank levels at petrol pump outlets, checking and reducing pilferage, and ensuring updated pricing across all retail outlets across the country on a daily basis, enhancing customer satisfaction and achieving transparency in their operations," said Partho Banerjee, president and managing director, Hughes India.

The managed network solution the companies have chosen from Hughes encompasses deployment and management of the JUPITER System, including rental of VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminal) for five years.

Central management by Hughes will ensure high-speed connectivity and uptime with 24/7 support and monitoring, helping relieve the oil majors from network management while giving them data access, the statement said, adding the system will enable data transfers, loyalty card administration, web-based applications and banking transactions, as well as remote viewing of outlets.