The Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) announced four new inductees for the 2015 Satellite Hall of Fame, to be honored on March 17 during SSPI’s annual Gala Benefit Dinner.  They will join more than 40 Hall of Fame members including Dr. Arthur C. Clarke, Dr. Harold Rosen, Olof Lundberg, Eddy Hartenstein, Frederic d'Allest, Sidney Topol, Takayushi Yoshida, Mary Ann Elliott, Mary Frost, Peter Jackson, Dick Tauber, Susan Irwin and Robert Berry.
 

By Q1 2017, 40 percent of U.S. Internet homes will have a streaming media player, bringing the total number of homes with these devices to 39 million, according to the new NPD Connected Intelligence Connected Home Forecast.  At the beginning of 2014 (Q1) only 16 percent of U.S. Internet homes had a streaming media player. Ownership is on track to climb to nearly one-quarter of homes, 24 percent, by Q1 2015 when consumers report device ownership that takes into account their holiday purchases.

Encompass Digital Media announced today the appointment of Chris Walters as its Chief Executive Officer. Walters will be responsible for day-to-day operations of Encompass on a worldwide basis. William Tillson will assume the role of Executive Chairman. Tillson will continue to provide executive leadership focused on global customer initiatives, technology partnerships and next-generation media delivery strategies. 

L-3 Communications (NYSE:LLL) announced today that it acquired the assets of MITEQ, Inc. for U$ 41 million..The business will be combined with L-3’s Narda Microwave-East business located in Hauppauge, N.Y., and the new organization will be called L-3 Narda-Miteq.

Kevin Kane, Director of Congressional Relations at ATK, and Matt Kramer, Director of External Communications at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, will be leading the Coalition for Space Exploration’s advocacy efforts in 2015. Each will serve a one-year term, effective January through December 2015.

ORBCOMM, a global provider of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of InSync Software, Inc. (InSync), a  provider of Internet of Things (IoT) enterprise solutions across a broad spectrum of vertical markets, applications and customers. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., InSync’s software powers global sensor-driven asset tracking and remote monitoring applications that allow end users, managed service providers and independent software vendors to increase asset visibility, improve operational efficiencies and reduce risk.

Goldin Associates LLC  announced  that restructuring industry veteran Marc S. Kirschner has joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director and member of its Management Committee. In recent years, Mr. Kirschner has served as an advisor and trustee in major bankruptcy matters, including Refco, Tribune, Le-Natures, Superior National, Yellowstone Mountain Club and Washington Mutual, often working with major alternative investment funds. 

SES Government Solutions (SES GS) today announced the appointment of a new President and CEO, Brig Gen Peter Hoene, USAF (Ret), effective March 2, 2015.

As the Corporate Vice President for Development at SES GS, Hoene led the company’s fleet development initiatives on behalf of U.S. Government requirements, as well as most of the company’s business development and capture efforts.  In 2014, despite weak market conditions caused by a rapid decline in defense spending, he led the SES GS team that won the company’s most new business in the past decade.

Smart home and IoT research from Parks Associates finds ownership and usage of connected devices is growing among U.S. broadband households.  Among its findings include that  26% own a streaming media device.

Other findings include:

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced it will again present NAB Show Collaborative, a global initiative designed to support and strengthen innovation, growth and opportunity in the digital media and entertainment industry.