Bob Wise

MTN Satellite Communications, a provider of wireless communications technologies to the maritime industry, has officially opened its Seattle operation under the direction of technology veteran Robert Wise.

We reported on Wise’s appointment as chief innovation officer at MTN in April, at the time noting that the Ignition-backed company planned to grow its presence in the region by adding software developers and engineers. MTN now employs 10 people in the Seattle office, with plans to double by the end of next year. The office is responsible for advances in mobile, communications and cloud technologies.

Those are specialities of Wise, a respected technologist who most recently served as an engineering vice president in HP’s public cloud computing business. Before that, he worked as an executive at Seattle mobile music startup Melodeo and as a vice president of engineering at Vsys.

Wise calls Seattle “one of the best places in the world to recruit talent”  — especially those with skills in the arenas of mobile, communications and cloud computing.

“As MTN has for more than three decades, we plan to surprise the market with exceptional advances in consumer and enterprise connectivity,” Wise said in a press release.

The company, which says it provides communications technologies to more than 80 percent of the cruise ship market and 90 percent of the largest yachts in the world,  is currently seeking new office space in the Seattle area.

The arrival of MTN marks the latest technology company to set up an innovation center or engineering office in Seattle, following the paths of companies such as The Climate Corp., Splunk, Ticketmaster, Facebook and Zynga.

Previously on GeekWireFrom Facebook to Zynga: A guide to the tech giants establishing Seattle outposts

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