Eco-Voyage First to ‘Tweet’ from the Arctic

La Jolla, Calif., June XX, 2009 – The Open Passage Expedition is harnessing the power of social media to document the effect global warming is having on the Arctic during its revolutionary voyage across Canada’s once-frozen Northwest Passage. Utilizing GPS tracking and communication equipment provided by Blue Sky Network, the Open Passage crew has updated their blog, Facebook status, and Twitter feeds, as well as posted photos to Flickr directly from the boat, keeping their fans up to date with activities in real-time.

On June 6, Open Passage’s 40-foot yacht, the Silent Sound, embarked on what will be a four-month journey through the Arctic with the goal of drawing attention to climate change. Through their Twitter feed, Open Passage’s crew has shared with the public the spotting of whales and black bears, as well as the safe navigation through narrow passages. Apart from viewing the crew’s updates on social media channels, the public can also accurately follow Open Passage’s voyage live via Blue Sky Network’s Yahoo-powered map: www.blueskynetwork.com/Press/Open_Passage_Expedition.php.

“As far as we know, we are the first ‘Twitter-ers’ to use the service from the Arctic. We are amazed at how easy it is to document everything we are encountering and immediately share it with the rest of the world,” said Cameron Dueck, Captain of the Open Passage Expedition. “Blue Sky Network has enabled us to stay connected to the public during this important journey in the most popular communication method of the day- social media. Without Blue Sky Network, this would not have been impossible.”

Blue Sky Network’s D2000 device enables the Silent Sound’s crew to update their Twitter status using Twittermail, a Twitter application that updates status via emailed ‘tweets’ from the vessel. The crew types messages into the D2000’s keypad, which are then transmitted via modem to a designated email account which automatically syncs with Open Passage’s Twitter feed. The device is engineered to withstand Arctic-type environments, and as it operates on Iridium’s global satellite network, it allows the crew to stay in contact with the rest of the world regardless of their locale.

“Here at Blue Sky, our primary goal has always been facilitating communication between those traversing remote areas and home base,” said Carlton Van Putten, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Blue Sky Network. “With blogs and social networks emerging as the future of human communication, it made sense for us to help Open Passage communicate during its voyage using this new channel. We are grateful that we can play a key role in sharing this green message, and look forward to keeping up with the Open Passage tweets in weeks to come.”

About Blue Sky Network
Blue Sky Network is a leading global provider of voice and data services via the Iridium satellite network. Our aviation, marine and vehicle products for GPS tracking, real time flight tracking and fleet management provide reliable fleet tracking and communication services. Blue Sky Network’s solutions serve the Aviation, Oil and Gas, Government, Forestry, Mining, Supply Chain Management and Intermodal Transportation markets. Founded in 2001, Blue Sky Network is headquartered in La Jolla, Calif. with customers and distributors worldwide. For more information about our company and solutions, visit the Blue Sky Network website at www.blueskynetwork.com.