Specially designed satellite networks can support inventory and stock control, ordering, price checks, sales information and instant customer credit checks. Head offices have the facility to monitor individual stores' performance and communicate details of forthcoming in-store promotions and offers. Many major players in the manufacturing industry now have plants across the world, some situated in emerging markets. Pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham chose VSAT to integrate its national and global operations. VSAT provided a system which supports high levels of data transmission as well as access to more than 55 locations, some in remote areas.
Satellite allows hotels to monitor reservations and bookings.
All hotels in the chain can be linked to a central reservation system which holds details of room availability and tariffs in all of the group's hotels. This makes it possible to launch marketing campaigns for hotels that are under booked. Satellite has long been favoured by the news industry, because of the need to transmit stories instantaneously to multiple destinations around the world. One of the UK's news and information providers, PA News, delivers news and information services with increased speed and reduced queuing at peak times via satellite. More than 2,000 news stories are broadcast over the network every day.