Congratulations, Inmarsat!

Transcription

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Page 1
January/February
2009
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
to install GSM on 300 Vessels
IN THIS ISSUE
satcoms
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement has agreed a fleet-wide deal
to implement GSM technology aboard its vessels,which will allow
crews to make calls and send SMS anywhere in the world
Taiwanese operator in 25
vessel VSAT installation – 2
New COO to take over at Inmarsat – 4
B
ernhard
Schulte
Shipmanagement
(BSM) has become
the latest company to join
the maritime GSM revolution, following the agreement of a deal to install the
Blue
Ocean
Wireless
mobile phone system
aboard its 300 fully managed vessels.
had previously installed
the GSM solution on two
initial BSM vessels, the
CAP
BRETON
(ex.
Christiane Schulte) and
HAPPY BIRD, as the company examined the technology in advance of this
full scale implementation.
BSM says that the
success of these installa-
The
Blue
Ocean
Wireless (BOW) system
that will be implemented
will include the ability to
send and receive mobile
phone calls and SMS messages, as well as a new
dedicated crew e-mail
facility called BOW-Mail.
BOW SIM cards are distributed to crews, who
BIRD, one of the service
evaluation vessels.
"Blue Ocean Wireless
has proven to be of great
benefit to the crew, helping them keep in touch
with their families and
loved ones - both through
SMS and voice - even
when we are in the deep
ocean water,” he said.
Crew welfare
The vessel HAPPY BIRD carried one of two test installations of the maritime GSM system
© 2009 DUALOG AS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Installations will be
managed by BSM affiliate
Telaccount
Overseas,
which handles communications for all of the company’s vessels.
Telaccount Overseas
tions, both from a technical perspective and from
a crew usage and feedback perspective, has
resulted in the move to
install GSM across the
entire BSM fleet.
can then insert them into
their own mobile phone
handsets.
The benefit of these
services to the seafarers
was noted by Captain
Mendoza of the HAPPY
The GSM agreement was
also welcomed by CEO of
the Bernhard Schulte
Shipmanagement Group
Andreas Droussiotis, and
by Adonis Violaris, group
marketing and communications director at BSM
and director of Telaccount
Overseas.
Mr Droussiotis said:
"We are very pleased to
announce the installation
of the Blue Ocean Wireless
service on 300 of our vessels. The technology represents a step change in the
welfare and working environment for our crew
members.”
“The ability to make
and receive voice calls and
use SMS from an individual's mobile phone, and
SingTel signs $130m satellite contract – 6
software
New US data submission rules – 11
Centralised computing and
Virtual machines at Maryville
Maritime – 12
Keeping the oil companies happy –
Hellespont Steamship Co – 16
HR and Knowledge
Management at Bernhard
Schulte Shipmanagement – 18
electronics and
navigation
$12m Nationwide US AIS contract
for Northrop Grumman – 24
EU project puts Euro 23m into
electric shipping – 25
UKHO and China reach agreement on
distribution of ENCs – 26
Developing an
ECDIS mindset –
Dr Andy Norris – 28
continued on page 2
Congratulations, Inmarsat!
- on your contribution towards providing truly global broadband coverage.
n
Morten Lind-Olse
CEO, Dualog
The shipping community is facing a range of new and exciting opportunities. The challenge now is to take control and optimise usage.
Working closely with early adopters of broadband, Dualog has developed Dualog® Connection Suite™ to meet the requirements of
the new broadband era.
More than 20 shipping companies have chosen Dualog® Connection Suite™. Customer feedback applauds smooth installations, user
friendliness and simplicity: “We can now plan hands-on with our ships as if they were branch offices,” and last, but not least
“we have taken full control over usage and cost!”
www.dualog.com
(+47) 77 62 19 00 or [email protected]
Meet us at Digital Ship Cyprus,
February 3 - 4 to learn more
and receive a live demo!
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SATCOMS NEWS
continued from page 1
Vol 9 No 5
Digital Ship Limited
213 Marsh Wall
London E14 9FJ, U.K.
www.thedigitalship.com
PUBLISHER
Stuart Fryer
EDITOR
Rob O'Dwyer: Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4940
email: [email protected]
CONFERENCE PRODUCERS
Karl Jeffery: Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4935
from the privacy of one's own quarters,
has already proven to be significant in the
lives of our crew."
Mr Violaris added: "We are very
pleased to announce that we will embark
on a major installation of the BOW GSM
solution on behalf of our client Bernhard
Schulte Shipmanagement.”
“The solution has proved to be reliable and has already become an invaluable service for many of BSM's officers
and crew.”
This deal marks another considerable
milestone for Blue Ocean Wireless, who
also recently concluded a major deal with
Hong Kong’s Wallem Group to install
GSM systems across the company’s
entire fleet.
BOW has made significant headway in
the industry in little more than 18 months
since it first began targeting the market in
earnest, attracting a number of new partners and investors, such as Smart
Telecom, Bank of Scotland (Ireland), and
NTT Docomo of Japan.
"This is the clearest validation we have
had since our launch that Blue Ocean
Wireless offers the most innovative communication solution for the merchant maritime industry,” said Robert Johnson,
BOW CEO.
“We are proud of this endorsement by
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement and
Telaccount Overseas and continue to
achieve customer installations ahead of
our expectations."
DS
The International Mobile
Satellite Organisation (IMSO)
and maintain co-operation and an
exchange of information on matters of
common interest” with three international maritime organisations: the
tor for KVH Europe following the retirement of Mads Bjerre-Petersen, the previous managing director, at the end of 2008.
Mr Lykke Larsen has served as KVH
Europe’s sales director since December
2007 and worked closely with Mr BjerrePetersen, who has managed KVH Europe
since its inception in 1992.
CapRock is to install VSAT systems
for Transocean’s fleet of offshore rigs, in
what the company says is the world’s
largest global deployment of such services
for a single drilling contractor.
reports that it has signed Memoranda
of Understanding (MoUs) “to establish
International Association of
Marine Aids to Navigation and
Lighthouse Authorities (IALA);
the International Chamber of
and
the
Shipping
(ICS);
International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO).
Cathy Hodge: Tel +44 (0) 20 7510 4945
ADVERTISING
Ria Kontogeorgou: Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 4931
PRODUCTION
Vivian Chee: Tel: +44 (0)20 8995 5540
EVENTS
Diana Leahy Engelbrecht
Tel: +44 (0)118 931 3109
CONSULTANT WRITER
Dr Andy Norris (navigation)
[email protected]
DIGITAL SHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
GBP £150 per year for 10 issues
Subscribe online at
www.thedigitalship.com
or contact Stephan Venter on
[email protected],
tel +44 (0)20 7510 4937
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
CYPRUS
Grand Resort, Limassol
February 3-4, 2009
OSLO
Telenor Expo Centre, Oslo
March 10-11, 2009
Printed by
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Reynolds House
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Hertz AL3 6PZ
U.K.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any form by any
mechanical, electronic, photocopying,
recording or other means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Whilst
the information and articles in Digital Ship
are published in good faith and every
effort is made to check accuracy, readers
should verify facts and statements direct
with official sources before acting on them
as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect.
Any opinions
expressed in this magazine should not
be construed as those of the publisher.
Representatives of IMSO and IALA
mark the signing of their MoU
Niels Reuther has been appointed as
commercial sales manager by KVH, having previously held the position of communications business unit manager at
Furuno Denmark, responsible for
growing Furuno’s VSAT business.
KVH has also promoted Svend Lykke
Larsen to the position of managing direc-
www.kvh.com
www.imso.org
www.caprock.com
Taiwanese operator in 25-vessel VSAT deal
www.shipequip.no
Formosa Plastic Marine Corporation, one
of Taiwan's largest ship operators, is to
install Ship Equip's SEVSAT satellite
communications system aboard 25 vessels in its fleet.
Formosa says that it will incorporate
the VSAT into its Vessel Management
System (VMS) solutions for its ships,
including chemical tankers, oil, bulk and
container carriers, as well as LPG and
sand suction vessels.
Trials of the system, ongoing since
October 2007, have proven successful and
motivated Formosa to proceed with a
wider scale implementation, says TW Wu,
port engineer with Formosa Plastics
Marine Corporation.
“Ship Equip has been providing
SEVSAT solutions in the marine communications market for some years now, and
we know them as a dedicated company
with a reliable system from the trial installation," he said.
“Their ability to meet our stringent
requirements while working closely with
the VMS system, as well as the ability to
provide technical support around the
world were important reasons for our
choice."
M C Liu, assistant manager of Formosa
Plastics Marine Corporation, added: "We
believe Formosa will benefit in many
ways from using SEVSAT, such as in the
onboard use of the VMS system,
improved work efficiency for shore side
and sea operations, the possibility of electronic training onboard, and providing
Formosa’s crew with cheaper voice calls
and internet service."
Gilles A Gillesen, vice president for
Asia & Pacific for Ship Equip, commented
that his company was glad to be able to
work on this project to integrate with
Formosa’s “pioneering” VMS system.
“We are looking forward to participate
in their future development, in creating a
better working environment for the crew
as well as contributing to their operational
efficiency with the availability of new
technologies," he said.
“This contract strengthens our position in Taiwan as well as in Asia, and
we are pleased to have Formosa as a
valued customer."
Dag Olav Tennfjord, Ship Equip; M C Liu,
Formosa Plastics Marine Corporation;
and Gilles A Gillesen, Ship Equip,
celebrate the satcom contract
4-year Stena deal for MCP
www.mcp.com
Maritime Communications Partner (MCP)
has signed a renewed 4-year management
contract with Stena Line for the deployment
of mobile phone services, including GSM
and GPRS, onboard 16 passenger ferry vessels, including two new super ferries.
The contract will last until 2013, while
Stena Line has also confirmed its intention
to partner with MCP in the future to
explore further wireless solutions for ship
staff and SMS-driven marketing solutions
for passengers.
"This contract maintains and builds a
positive environment for our customers,"
said Hans Bjorkborg, managing director,
Stena Line IT Services AB.
"Today, 95 per cent of our GSM business comes from voice and SMS, but we
are seeing an increased volume of data
traffic. Whether smart phones or computers, passengers utilise wireless channels
Digital Ship January/February 2009 page 2
to check calendars, synchronise emails
and tasks."
Stena Line's route network consists of
18 ferry routes around Ireland, Britain,
Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Poland and Germany. Routes are serviced
by fast ferries, traditional combi-ferries,
RoPax-ferries for freight and passengers
and pure cargo ships.
Stena Lines' two 1,200 passenger RoPax
super ferries, to join the Harwich to the
Hook of Holland route in 2010, are also
included in the agreement.
The two companies are looking at the
further possibility of deploying MCP's
new PinPoint Messaging service, which
uses wireless technology to provide passengers with ship information on a handheld display, aboard Stena vessels.
Relevant customised messaging and
communications can be sent to each passenger via SMS directly to their mobile
phones using this system.
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seven seas. one communication provider.™
worlds
fastest
growing
maritime
broadband
provider
Always online and unlimited use of internet and e-mail
at a fixed cost. High quality - low cost telephone lines.
SEVSAT
Ship Equip is the fastest growing, always on maritime broadband provider
world wide, offering the SEVSAT high speed maritime broadband with
worldwide coverage through Ku- and C-band satellite communication.
Visit us at stand 02 at Digital Ship Cyprus!
www.shipequip.no • Tlf: +47 70 17 24 00 • E-mail: [email protected]
ÅLESUND
O S LO
SINGAPORE
H O U STO N
S E AT T L E
LO N D O N
R E Y K JAV I K
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SATCOMS NEWS
New COO for Inmarsat
www.inmarsat.com
Inmarsat reports that Perry Melton has
taken on the role of Chief Operating
Officer at the company, with effect from 1
January, 2009.
He takes over from Michael Butler,
who will remain as president and an
executive director of the company until
30 April 2009 when he will leave the
business, as previously announced in
March 2008.
Mr Melton has been with Inmarsat for
Q3 financial results released by Iridium
over 16 years, with his most recent role as
vice president of sales and marketing.
Andrew Sukawaty, Inmarsat's chairman and chief executive said: "We are
delighted that Perry Melton will assume
the COO responsibilities in the New Year
and that Michael Butler will be key in
facilitating a seamless transition of the
core business activities to him during the
first part of 2009. Perry has been playing
a key operational role for many years
and this move is a natural transition for
the business."
www.iridium.com
Iridium has released its financial results
for the quarter ended September 30, 2008,
posting a 19 per cent increase in revenue
quarter-on-quarter.
Subscribers totalled 309,000 by the end
of Q3, up from 225,000, with revenue
reaching $88.2 million and creating EBITDA of $29 million and a net income of
$16.9 million.
The EBITDA figure represents a 23 per
cent increase on the $23.7 million reported
for the same period of the prior year.
Iridium is expecting to see more
growth in coming months following the
recent release of its Iridium OpenPort
service, offering 128 kbps connectivity on
a global basis, and its first new satellite
phone in four years, the Iridium 9555.
“Iridium OpenPort is a lower-cost
voice and data communications device
that competes with Inmarsat’s maritime
service, offering a unique value proposition,” said Matt Desch, Iridium chairman
and CEO.
“In addition, the Iridium 9555 delivers
the reliable, secure, real-time, mission-critical communications service that Iridium
users have come to expect and using the
only communications network providing
truly global coverage.”
“With the launch of these two new
Iridium products, we not only add substantially to Iridium’s product portfolio,
but we also offer important innovations to
the market that we believe will have significant impact on the way businesses use
MSS services and the benefits they can
derive from those services.”
In September the company also
announced a planned combination with
GHL Acquisition Corp, as a final step
before launching an IPO in 2009. The closing of this transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals,
which the parties expect to occur during
the first half of this year.
Commenting on this deal, Mr Desch
said that: “Our transaction with GHQ is
an important element in funding our
next-generation satellite constellation,
Iridium NEXT."
"We are on track with our network
development, and prime contractor selection will take place by the middle of next
year. The potential for serving many new
markets, in addition to our extensive,
existing customer base, continues to drive
our focus on building Iridium NEXT and
on remaining the fastest-growing provider
of global MSS services.”
Dutch installations
for SeaVSAT
www.seavsat.com
Netherlands-based
VSAT
provider
SeaVSAT has begun work on two new contracts in January, with fellow Dutch companies Spliethoff and Cornelis Vrolijk and
Jaczon.
Spliethoff has installed a 1024/256 kbps
VSAT system with 4 VoIP lines aboard the
m/v Dijksgracht, the first in a series of 8
globally trading ships to be equipped with
the system.
Cornelis Vrolijk and Jaczon has also
installed one VSAT system so far, with the
Johanna Maria implementing a similar
1024/256 kbps connection with 4 VoIP
lines, and intends to roll the system out to a
total of 12 vessels.
SeaVSAT packages are available with
1024 kbps / 256 kbps, 2048 kbps / 512 kbps
and 4096 kbps / 640 kbps bandwidth
speeds.
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MINIMUM COST, MAXIMUM
CONTROL OF YOUR SATELLITE
COMMUNICATIONS
Advanced E-mail Connectivity
Full Communications Suite
RAPIDOMAIL 5.0
• See features on the right
INSTANT MESSAGING
• Context and presence information
Users can see who is online and available for contact
Client software available for PC’s, laptop, mobile
phones, Blackberry’s, PDA’s
• Real time communication
• Store and forward function to send messages to users
not currently online
• Conference / chatroom facilities
• Full conversation history and archive
• File and document transfer facility
• Interface with shore based PDA / Blackberry devices
FAX
• Sends and receives faxes as e.mail
• Each vessel is allocated a unique fax number allowing
senders to use standard fax services
SMS
•
•
•
•
Simple to use interface
Send individual and group messages
Receive SMS replies
Long text function allows you to type long messages which are split and sent in sequence
• SMS Delivery notification - be alerted when a message
you send has not been received
INTERNET ACCESS
• User profiled secure internet access
• User authentication defines which websites or web pages
can be accessed by the user on the post paid account and
which on their personal pre paid account
• Caching and pre-fetching
• Content filtering
• Content security
• Full log reporting
COMPANY INTRANET
• Web based access
File sharing
Web links
Active directory synchronisation
Data import
FTP file transfers
• Input information directly to shore side servers
Improves operation efficiency
No costly daily update files
Custom designed form templates
• Automatic creation of back up onboard vessel for future
reference
• Easy to update – information can be added or removed
instantly
BILLING & REPORTING
NEW RAPIDOMAIL 5.0
• Up to the minute access to current vessel costs
• Per-user billing of service use; splits your terminal bill
into usage by user account
• Pre-paid and post paid billing
• Quota limits for post-paid service usage
• Real-time updates of session cost
• Full visibility of service use for accounting and cost
control
• Pre-paid account top-ups using Virtual PIN or online
Credit Card authorisation
NEW Advanced features
• Instant automated retrieval of mail received into ships
shore-side mailbox
• Auto-sync – synchronises dial up connections and starts
moving data within 3 seconds
• Antivirus – with automatic updates, average size 20kb
per day
• Crew pre-paid data cards
REMOTE SUPPORT
• Quickly establish remote control with minimum data cost
• Access for AND Group support personnel and shipping
company IT administrators
• Drag and drop two way file transfer
• Service unattended machines
• Extensive system snapshot with remote diagnostics
• Reboot and reconnect
BACK OFFICE
• Service access is controlled by shore-side managers, via
our web-portal
• Detailed service usage billing reports available online
• Enterprise class fully hosted email servers
• Email Spam and virus filtering
• Sophisticated email filter rules with whitelist / blacklist
and size constraints
• Web filter with virus, spy-ware and mal-ware protection
• Shore-side IP firewall to block unwanted traffic
• Fine grain control of web site access from the server
• Enterprise class private hosted Instant Messenger server
SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED FREE
• IPSIGNATURE & RAPIDOMAIL SOFTWARE is FREE OF
CHARGE, there are no monthly fees or licence cost, users
only pay for airtime incurred
Other Features
• Automated set up procedure, all settings can be
maintained and updated shore side
• Advanced data compression – compresses data by 90%
• Enterprise class antivirus and spam filters
• Full archiving
• Point of failure restart
• Automated file transfer protocol to interface with
existing applications
• Split billing capability
• Web based reporting including;
• Up to the minute vessel costs
• Connection history – access to Inbox and Outbox
records
• News and weather reporting service
For further information e-mail
[email protected]
Tanners Bank • North Shields • Tyne & Wear • NE30 1JH
Tel: +44 (0) 870 444 9679 Sales: +44 (0) 870 444 9681
www.and-group.net
24/7 TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• AND Group provide full 24/7 support for all of our
software products. Our support personnel have a
minimum of 5 years experience in satellite
communication systems
73 Grammou St & 123 Kifissias Ave
Maroussi • GR-15124 • Greece
Tel : +30 2108066975
[email protected] www.and-hellas.gr
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SATCOMS NEWS
SingTel signs $130m satellite contract
www.singtel.com
Singapore Telecommunications Limited
(SingTel) has agreed an approximately
US$130 million contract with Mitsubishi
Electric Corporation to build its new ST-2
satellite, which will be used, in part, to
provide SingTel’s Office-At-Sea range of
maritime communications applications.
SingTel and partner Chunghwa
Telecom will co-own the ST-2 satellite
through a joint venture, owning approximately 62 per cent and 38 per cent of the
shares respectively.
ST-2 is targeted to be delivered in 2010,
and will replace the current ST-1 satellite,
which will retire in 2011.
The new satellite will offer significantly
improved capacity, as well as wider coverage than ST-1, to include regions such as
the Middle East.
Bill Chang, SingTel’s executive vice
president of business, said: “ST-2 is an
important part of SingTel’s vision to transform the way our customers live and
work. It enhances our ability to offer businesses, such as shipping companies, a onestop Infocomm Technology (ICT) experience that will empower them to stay
ahead of the competition.”
Mr Chang notes that even before its
launch, more than half of ST-2’s capacity
has been signed-up by regional customers.
This move follows on the back of a
major maritime milestone for SingTel,
who signed its first major commercial customer for the SingTel Global Maritime
VSAT service recently when Denmark’s
Torm Shipping agreed to install the system across its 100-strong fleet.
Free WiFi in Antwerp port
Antwerp Port Authority has made its new
ANTWERPPORT WiFi wireless internet
network available for free throughout the
entire dock complex in the port.
The Port Authority hopes the WiFi
service will help to promote ship-to-ship
and ship-to-shore communication, with its
telecommunication department having set
up hotspots at strategic locations around
the port.
The wireless network has been up and
running since the summer, and during the
initial stages underwent testing by the
Port Authority’s own services, including
the survey boat, the dredging department
and the Harbourmaster’s Office.
After some tweaking, ANTWERPPORT WiFi is now operational both for
internal and external users, enabling them
to make use of e-mail and various internet
applications.
The system is intended to be developed
further in future, so as to offer an additional communication system to customers of the port.
ANTWERPPORT WiFi is available free
of charge and works with guest profiles.
Each guest profile is valid for 24 hours and
offers unlimited capacity for uploading
and downloading files. There is also
unlimited access to a number of websites
with port-related information.
On-Waves GSM for Louis Dreyfus Lines
and Transmanche Ferries
www.on-waves.com
Icelandic maritime GSM provider On
Waves has been awarded a fleet wide contract to install mobile phone systems for
all vessels of both Louis Dreyfus Lines and
Transmanche Ferries.
The agreement covers existing vessels
and is expected to include any additional
vessels in the future.
The On Waves service to be installed
on the ships will enable voice, SMS, Wi-Fi
and data connectivity over the satellite
connection while the ships are at sea.
Thibault de Keghel, passenger services
director for LD Lines, said that “LD Lines
has been focusing for a long time to bring
the very best of the industry to its passen-
gers, in every field, including GSM services. Further, Wi-Fi connectivity through
On-Waves, by using credit cards, is an
essential service to us.”
Constantin Simeonidis, CEO of On
Waves, also added: “We are very proud to
participate by offering our maritime GSM
and Wi-Fi services to the passengers of
LD Lines.”
“To have the trust of a well know
company like LD Lines, which operates
between France, UK and Ireland, is
a great endorsement of the reliability of
our maritime GSM service, and we are
highly honoured to participate into
LD Lines’ commitment to bring the best
of the mobile technology to their recurrent travellers.”
Marlink launches latest version of WaveCall
www.marlink.com
Marlink has introduced its new WaveCall
by Marlink service, the next generation of
the WaveCall satellite communications
system using the Sea Tel Ku-band VSAT
4006 antenna system. Marlink acquired
the WaveCall brand from Sea Tel at the
end of October 2008.
One of the new features offered with
WaveCall by Marlink is prepaid calling
cards, providing cost control options for
vessel owners and their crews.
Tore Morten Olsen, Marlink CEO, said
"We do our utmost to provide value
added services which our customers really need in their day-to-day business at sea.
Prepaid calling cards are an easy-to-use
service within our product portfolio, and
this is something which is very helpful for
crew members with high focus on cost
control."
The launch of WaveCall by Marlink
will be boosted by Marlink's increased
satellite capacity in current coverage areas
such as the Americas, Europe and the
Caribbean.
Marlink says it is also adding new coverage areas to meet customers' growing need
for high bandwidth in different regions.
Thrane VSAT
Stratos ChatCard
iDirect
5.0 comes Online integrates
technology
www.stratosglobal.com
www.thrane.com
Stratos has introduced a new ChatCard
Online 5.0 service to improve the orderprocessing performance of its ChatCard
and eChatCard maritime crew calling
applications.
Stratos said that it intends to have
migrated all ChatCard Online customers
to ChatCard Online 5.0 by early January
2009.
The ChatCard is used to help shipping
companies manage crew access to voice,
e-mail and SMS communications, for all
Inmarsat and Iridium terminals. Prepaid
internet access has also been added with
the recent introduction of ChatCard Data,
for use on the latest generation of
Inmarsat technologies.
ChatCard Online 5.0 is intended to
offer improved efficiency and costcontainment, with functions allowing
ship managers to activate and deactivate
cards, review the status and usage of
all cards, obtain card balances and
reload any card any number of times,
and transfer unused balances to another
card.
Order-processing times for adding
credit to cards with ChatCard Online 5.0
are up to three times faster than the previous version, according to Stratos.
Thrane & Thrane has implemented the iDirect
satellite communications platform as part of
its newly launched Sailor 900 VSAT system,
which will help to manage switching between
the VSAT and other installed satcoms.
Sailor 900 VSAT offers 1024 kbps downlink/256 kbps uplink fixed rate data packages,
but also features dual ports to provide automated switching between a primary, fixed-fee
VSAT network and pay-per-use coverage on
systems such as Inmarsat or Iridium.
Thrane's VSAT service will also utilise
iDirect's Group Quality of Service (QoS)
technology, which allows ship operators to
create bandwidth profiles that govern
uplink and downlink speeds for every
application onboard.
This can help shipping companies to
establish separate networks for crew and
operations communications, and preserve
bandwidth for high-priority applications.
The Sailor 900 VSAT service is initially
available in Europe and northern Africa
over Ku-band, but further expansion is
planned and iDirect notes that additional
features of its technology, such as geomapping, global network management,
and automatic beam switching, will help
to maintain seamless coverage as vessels
travel between satellite footprints.
Marlink acquired the WaveCall brand from Sea Tel at the end of 2008
SpeedCast to supply VSAT for six vessels
www.speedcast.com
SpeedCast has received a service order
from
SELEX
Communications,
a
Finmeccanica company, to supply six vessels with its SeaCast maritime broadband
VSAT satellite service in coastal sea
regions around India and South East Asia.
The service includes broadband data
rates of 512 kbps in the Ku-band, at a fixed
fee per month irrespective of operational
region, with Automatic Beam Switching
(ABS) technology built in. The contract
term is for 5 years for each of the six offshore service vessels.
"SELEX Communications is happy to
be again working with SpeedCast on this
prestigious project," said Dave Pressley,
offshore sales manager of SELEX
Communications.
"We have fitted and commissioned a
number of the vessels and, despite the difficult circumstances encountered by our
engineer recently in Mumbai, found the
support given by Speedcast first-rate."
"It is a great pleasure for SpeedCast to
be
working
again
with
SELEX
Communications," added Nick Dukakis,
SpeedCast's VP of business development.
"SpeedCast's competitive maritime
services, innovation and quality support
have been major factors in helping SELEX
Communications to win this project. Being
picked again, shows the quality, trust and
commitment we have with our partners
and we look forward to working and winning future business with SELEX
Communications."
p1-9:p1-14.qxd
11/02/2009
17:22
Page 7
Stay in touch
Connecting you and your business on board
Satlynx is a leading global provider of satellite communications services
with over 12,000 VSATs in more than 130 countries and offers broadband
satellite connectivity across ocean, sea and inland waterway for small
groups of vessels operating regionally to fleets operating on a global basis.
Meet us at the 4 th Maritime Communication
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Page 1
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Page 2
Digital Ship
SOFTWARE NEWS
CSL completes IMOS installation
www.veson.com
The CSL Group of companies reports that
it has completed installation of the IMOS
Chartering Module from US software
company Veson.
The Chartering Module is used to simulate and analyse the cost effectiveness
and profitability of potential voyages, estimating the profit/loss or TC equivalent of
a ship’s journey.
Simon Cox, director of contract administration for CSL International, noted that:
“The consecutive voyage feature is key for
us. Because we are a highly specialised
operator, we need to look at a whole
match and mix of consecutive voyages as
a total package.”
“Since we have long term, 10-15 year
contracts with our customers, we must be
able to analyse the financial result of placing a ship into a series of trades. The
Chartering Module gives us the data we
need to make the best decisions we can.”
The software module provides access
to millions of routes instantly through
the user’s own preferred interface,
with the distance retrieval capability
now embedded into CSL’s own custom
programs.
CSL staff can use the ‘Distances’ portion of the module as an itinerary planner,
with ETA and ETD calculations included.
Users may also include bunker cost and
consumption into calculations for additional detail.
Two new deals for Fortune software
www.frtntech.com
Fortune Technologies has agreed two new
contracts for its maritime software systems, with Franco Compania Naviera and
Synergy Marine Ltd.
Franco Compania Naviera will install
Fortune's Microsoft Dynamics Nav –
Fortune Maritime Add On Solution on its
entire fleet of vessels, with the contract
Colombo Dockyard of Sri Lanka has
implemented the 'AutoSHIP WORKS'
software package by Autoship
Systems Corporation of Vancouver,
Canada, which is to be used throughout its
ship design processes. The system consists
of hull design, resistance and power prediction, hydrostatics and stability, shell
expansion, internal structural design, and
nesting and parts management modules.
Strategic DataWorks has completed a one year partnership agreement with
RAK Training Ship Sindbad to sell
and promote its ship-broking software
products throughout the UAE. Two staff
from RAK Training Ship's 20-strong workforce will be dedicated to the Strategic
DataWorks portfolio. It is thought that the
contract will be worth at least £120,000 in
the first year.
also including database conversion, customisation, installation and training.
This project has already begun and the
new system is expected to be implemented
within 10-12 months.
Synergy Marine, of Nicosia in Cyprus,
is to install the Microsoft Dynamics Nav –
Fortune Maritime Financial Solution, with
delivery again including customisation,
installation and training.
Applied Weather Technology
(AWT) has updated its Route
Optimisation Service, used by approximately 1500 ships each day, to include
improved technology that can help to
warn ships of the potential for resonance,
a phenomenon that can cause ships
to roll.
OSI Geospatial’s International
Systems Operations has signed a contract
valued at approximately $400,000 to provide software and hardware that will be
installed on the UK Royal Navy P2000
class patrol vessels.
www.autoship.com
www.strategicdataworks.co.uk
www.awtworldwide.com
www.osigeospatial.com
(FUUIF#JH1JDUVSF
CSL will use the IMOS system to aid in chartering decisions
GL acquires software
and consulting
company
Odebrecht opts
for SIS
www.gl-group.com
www.sismarine.com
Germanischer Lloyd Group has acquired
the maritime consulting and software
companies Friendship Consulting GmbH
and Friendship Systems GmbH.
Friendship Systems GmbH works in
'computer aided engineering' (CAE)
for ship hulls, propellers, turbines,
pumps and other units. The company's
software development activities are used
in parametric design procedures and
include testing and assessment of design
variations.
The engineering and consulting firm
Friendship Consulting applies functional
shape development and optimisation to
ships, in order to reduce the degree of
wave formation, and the propulsion
power required as a result.
The company relies on 'Engineered
Fluid Dynamics' to help reduce the consumption levels of newbuildings, at no
extra cost in their design, construction and
operation. An optimised hull can help fuel
savings and reductions in the emission of
CO2, SO2 and NOx to be achieved.
Friendship Consulting has its headquarters in Potsdam in Germany.
Star Information Systems (SIS) has won
a contract to supply its full package
of integrated systems for offshore
operators to Brazilian contractor
Odebrecht Oleo e Gas LTDA, which
will implement the systems on two drill
ships in 2011.
The system will also be implemented
on a drilling rig due for delivery in 2009.
The contract covers the standard SIS
package for the offshore industry,
including Star Planned Maintenance,
Star Event, Star Document, Star
Guarantee
Claims,
Star
Asset
Management, Star Project, Star CBT, Star
Counter Reader and Star Barcode
Reader.
"We have run a rigorous selection
process with major vendors, and the SIS
systems were best for several reasons,"
said Odebrecht's IT manager, Alessandro
Alves.
Odebrecht will use the system to
replicate data automatically from a
central server, and will integrate the
software with its ERP business system
from Oracle.
#0045&''*$*&/$:3"*4&3&7&/6&43&%6$&3*4,
The latest Integrated Maritime Operations System (IMOS)
streamlines critical processes:
Veson Nautical gives you a clear view of your shipping operations
U
Chartering
U
Operations
U
Financials
U
IMOS Onboard
communicate with vessels
U
Forward Freight Agreements —
manage and monitor positions
U
Demurrage Overview —
improve control
IMOS is comprehensive, flexible, and intuitive — generating
great results for charterers, ship owners, and operators
throughout the world.
Powerful, proven software solutions for the maritime shipping industry
Find out more at www.veson.com Boston +1.617.723.2727 Athens +30.22210.89146 Rotterdam +31.6.112.88.99.1 Singapore +65.6725.6328
p10-24:p15-25.qxd
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Page 3
SOFTWARE NEWS
Videotel launches DP training software
www.videotel.co.uk
Training software company Videotel has
launched a new Designated Person
ISM Basic Training Course, produced in
association with the World Maritime
University (WMU).
The system is used to help in the training of 'designated persons' as provided
for by the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code, which states
that "every Company, as appropriate,
should designate a person or persons
ashore having direct access to the highest
level of management.”
“The responsibility and authority of the
designated person or persons should
include monitoring the safety and pollution prevention aspects of the operation of
each ship and ensuring that adequate
resources and shore-based support are
applied, as required."
Presented as a multimedia package on
CD-ROM, the course, which consists of six
modules, sets out the main building
blocks which define the role of the designated person.
This includes: an explanation of the
legal framework and statutory obligations which establish the responsibilities
of the DP; how the DP fits into a Safety
Management System; addressing risk
assessment and risk management; exploration of the interaction of legal,
commercial and insurance issues on
the design and operation of safety
management systems; document management and the audit process; and
effective communications.
The course requires approximately 25
hours of study and, on completion of the
final test, Videotel issues a Standard
Course Certificate recognised by the
World Maritime University.
Videotel training services vice president, Captain Milind J Karkhanis, himself
a Designated Person for 8 years, said: “The
designated person (DP) plays a major part
in delivering a shipping company’s safety
management system (SMS). It is the DP’s
responsibility to create the proper mindset, attitudes and behaviour of a company’s employees working ashore in support
of vessel operations."
"It is also the DP’s responsibility to support and promote a positive attitude to
safety and environmental protection by
those working on ships. The DP is a key
link in the safety chain.”
Roger Jones, WMU acting president,
added: “Some shipping industry experts
think that safety management systems
could be flawed because many DPs have
not received relevant training in
management systems and safety management in particular. The DP simply
may not be aware that he or she lacks the
correct knowledge until deficiencies
come to light, such as after an incident,
when the company’s SMS is then properly examined."
"It is the senior and top manage-
ment’s responsibility to ensure that a DP
is equipped with the necessary competences laid down in the operational
guidelines which IMO promulgated in
October 2007.”
"This course provides the DP, and
indeed anyone aspiring to the role of DP,
with a firm grounding in the skills needed for this demanding role.”
The DP training package contains of six different multimedia modules
Three new deals for SpecTec
www.spectec.net
SpecTec has agreed three new deals to
supply its maritime software packages to
ship operators in the United States, Russia
and Scandinavia.
The Admanthos Shipping Agency, a
ship management company based in
Stamford, Connecticut, is to install
AMOS2 Maintenance & Purchase,
AMOS2 Personnel and AMOS2 Quality in
its offices and aboard its 4 vessel doublehull tanker fleet.
FSUE Rosmorport of Russia has also had
its recently delivered newbuild icebreaker
Moskva equipped with the AMOS software
system, with five AMOS workstations
onboard connected to a central server.
Moskva, constructed by the Baltiyskiy
Zavod shipyard, is the first electro-diesel
powered icebreaker built in Russia for 34
years. A second icebreaker currently under
construction at the shipyard, the Saint
Petersburg, is to be installed with AMOS
before it is delivered.
The third deal is with G.A.P
Adventures, for installation of AMOS
Maintenance & Purchase aboard the M/S
Expedition, a vessel purchased in June
2008 and about to be re-launched on a
polar expedition programme.
The vessel was built in Denmark in
1972, and has been operating in coastal
waters around Scandinavia for 15 years.
She is planned to be re-launched by the
end of January 2009.
In other news, Massachusetts Maritime
University (MMA) has entered into a
Cooperation Agreement with SpecTec for
the donation of up to 100 AMOS licenses
for MMA's teaching and training courses.
This is the first license donation partnership with a Maritime Academy in the
US for SpecTec, with the company having
previously signed partnerships with academies such as Dalian Maritime University,
National Taiwan Ocean University and
the Italian Maritime Academy.
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Digital Ship
New US data submission rules
The US Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) is now requiring new
information
for
maritime
cargo
destined for the United States, having
published its Importer Security Filing
and Additional Carrier
Requirements interim final
rule in the Federal Register.
The new requirement
means that maritime cargo
carriers and importers will
have to submit additional
data to US Customs and
Border Protection (CBP)
before vessels are permitted
entry into the country.
The interim final rule
will take effect on January
26, 2009, with a compliance
date of January 26, 2010.
During the 12-month period, CBP will take into
account difficulties that
importers may face in complying with the new rule "so
long as they are making a
good-faith effort and satisfactory progress toward
compliance," it said.
The CBP also intends to
conduct a review to determine any specific compliance
difficulties
that
importers and shippers may
experience in submitting the
required 10 data elements 24
hours before lading.
Carriers will have to
submit a vessel stow plan
and container status messages under certain scenarios where cargo containers
are destined for the United
States. The rule also
requires importers or their
agents
to
submit
an
Importer Security Filing
(ISF) no later than 24 hours
before the cargo is on a
vessel destined for the
United States.
The eight data elements
of the ISF require details
about the: seller, buyer,
importer of record number,
foreign-trade zone applicant, identification number, consignee number(s),
manufacturer (or supplier),
ship to party, country of
origin, and commodity
Harmonised Tariff Schedule
of the United States
(HTSUS) number.
There is flexibility for
importers with respect to
the submission of four of
these data elements, which
allows a range of responses
for: manufacturer (or supplier), ship to party, country
of origin, and commodity
HTSUS number.
The ISF must be updated
as soon as more accurate or
precise data becomes avail-
able, and no later than 24 hours prior to
the ship's arrival at a US port. The ISF
will also need to include two data elements, container stuffing location, and
consolidator, for submission early and
no later than 24 hours prior to departure.
In addition, the interim final rule
requires five data elements in the ISF
for shipments consisting entirely of
foreign cargo remaining on board
(FROB), shipments consisting entirely of
goods intended to be transported inbond as an immediate exportation (IE),
or shipments for transportation and
exportation (T&E).
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Page 5
SOFTWARE
Virtual computing – the answer to vessel IT support
Frustrated by continuing calls from vessel masters in need of IT support after system failures,
Andreas Charalabopoulos, Maryville Maritime, decided that he needed a radical overhaul of
the vessel IT infrastructure – the answer was centralised computing, and the virtual machine
ny organisation that depends on
technology systems for its operations (and in the 21st century it is
fair to say that there cannot be many who
don’t) will recognise the necessity of a
quick resolution when IT problems arise.
Crippled computers or lost internet
connections lead to panicked calls to IT
experts as workers demand restoration of
their e-mail and office software systems,
without which they are as productive as a
fish riding a bicycle.
Andreas Charalabopoulos, IT manager
with Maryville Maritime (ship management company for Excel Maritime) has
dealt with these kinds of problems for
many years – however, as he is working in
the maritime environment he has the
added inconvenience (and expense) of the
problem systems often being thousands of
miles away.
“It is common knowledge that every
computer system needs support, and so
do vessel systems,” he told us. “Due to the
fact that vessels bring the money to the
company, we don't have the luxury of not
considering their support and leaving
them off-line for long periods of time.”
“The fact that vessels are travelling
world wide means the IT people must
chase them from port to port, wasting precious time and resources. Not to mention
that every visit onboard costs thousands
of dollars, and, especially at this time of
economic crisis, the management is
always asking to reduce costs.”
With this in mind, Mr Charalabopoulos
and his team decided to recreate the
company’s IT infrastructure in a way
that would make it more robust, and reduce
the likelihood of these problems occurring.
A
“What we need is very simple – instead
of chasing vessels, we should design reliable systems which will be running on stable multi-user operating systems, that are
independent of virus attacks,” he said.
“Also, due to the fact that the probability of system failure always exists, in
case of loss we need to be able to recover
the system as fast as possible – in other
words, to rollback the transaction of failure. This is our goal.”
IT problems
To
begin
this
process,
Mr
Charalabopoulos looked at the basic IT
infrastructure required on the ships, and
the types of problems commonly seen in
the past.
“There are typical components of an
onboard IT infrastructure, on every vessel
today there is a need for an e-mail system
to handle its correspondence, and an office
suite to read and write files and spreadsheets, and sometimes an image processing software to capture and send some
photos,” he said.
“On some vessels we also can find the
onboard part of the office ERP to work with
the planned maintenance system (PMS),
supply cycle, crew payroll and appraisals.
There will also be some proprietary software (such as for maps, weather prediction), and communications software (for the
Fleet77, broadband, VSAT, Iridium, etc).”
As an example of how these things go
wrong, Mr Charalabopoulos recalls an email sent from the master of one of his vessels in need of IT support, which read:
‘Since departure Newcastle, we have
experienced problem with the computer
in my office, in the C/E office and in the
The Maryville set-up works with Sun Ray terminals on the vessels, in place of PCs
‘Instead of chasing vessels we should design reliable systems which will be running on
stable multi-user operating systems’ – Andreas Charalabopoulos, Maryville Maritime
Ship's office, it hangs up, stock or block it
won't open, but sometimes will open but
you will have to wait for 30 minutes to 1hr
before it will open, and during typing
sometimes the words will jump, looks like
there is a virus.’
‘We tried to scan with onboard anti
virus, however, the computer will tell us
that the anti virus we have onboard is
already 3 month old, so maybe the anti
virus could not identify the enemy. It’s
very frustrating and agonizing waiting
for the computer to open, we need your
help, would it be possible to arrange a
computer technician in Singapore to fix
this issue?’
Unfortunately, as Mr Charalabopoulos
explains, this is not an isolated incident.
“During the trip he started experiencing malfunctions on almost every workstation,” he said. “Try to imagine his difficult situation, being onboard in the middle
of the ocean, without any possibility of
getting help. At that moment, the captain
needs to have reliable computer systems.”
“While in port, seamen get and install
any kind of software on their PCs. Also,
some incoming emails include attachments with a malicious code. In both
cases, systems can be infected, if the
antivirus system is out-of-date.”
“We have about three similar incidents
every month, and usually we send a new
updated antivirus CD or arrange a technician's visit for heavy situations, such as
the previously mentioned one. If we
arrange for a technician to visit the vessel,
at least two employees are required, to
travel worldwide and kill viruses. Is this
acceptable to you? I think the answer is
definitely ‘No’.”
Mr Charalabopoulos decided that
Maryville Maritime needed to implement an ad-hoc support system that
would be cost effective when compared
with the existing infrastructure, and
began to look at the parameters within
which this system would operate.
“First of all, we must define what a stable computer system is,” he said. “Before
delivering the system onboard, we need to
standardise the whole framework by creating a prototype, which will be used as a
pattern for the rest of the fleet.”
“Is it possible to have zero support?
Zero would be nice, however, what would
you say if a workstation crashed? Could
you throw it away and replace it in a few
seconds? We should take into consideration that minimisation of data exchange
between ship and shore reduces costs,
which is an issue of great importance.
Consequently, there is no need for updating unless it's absolutely necessary.”
“We also looked at having remote
access in the command line, as it is fast
and efficient. We had to forget about
graphical user interfaces – these are heavy,
expensive and slow.”
Centralised computing
These
requirements
brought
Mr
Charalabopoulos to the conclusion that
the company should pursue a Centralised
Computing model, based on controlling
client workstations through a central terminal server or application server, which
centrally provides the processing, programs and storage.
“Here we are talking about thin, rich
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Digital Ship
and plug 'n' play clients, with no moving
parts and with zero maintenance,” he
said. “The management of users,
processes, applications, backups and
security is centralised.”
“Client machines have lower costs, and
a lifespan of more than 3 years, better than
a personal computer has.”
Mr Charalabopoulos became convinced that PCs would not
be able to perform as a reliable part of his low-support
infrastructure.
“Generally,
PCs
are
designed to be used for personal purposes, PC stands
for personal computer,”
he said.
“In a corporation we need
corporate computers and stable and reliable workstations, working only with
common shared data, having
zero support, and not being
affected
by
viruses.
Protection against external
threats (viruses, worms etc)
is a huge concern here.”
“To maintain one system,
and not several workstations, brings back memories
from the good old days of
working on mainframes with
dump green terminals, or on
Unix machines with X-terminals. I believe that this is a
realistic solution for the
onboard systems, and thus
we were led to the
Centralised
Computing
System we have adopted.”
The
Centralised
Computing set-up that
Maryville decided upon featured the usage of virtualisation technology, creating
‘virtual’ machines through
the workstations that would
allow for the deployment of
multiple operating systems
on a single hardware platform.
Mr Charalabopoulos also
notes that this infrastructure
allows for improved duplication and recovery in case of
emergency, server consolidation and the reduction of
physical servers, a reduction
in downtime and improved
security and reliability.
“We have chosen to use
the virtualisation technology, both for servers and
desktops, because it provides two great advantages –
abstraction between the
hardware and software, and
the ability to restore to a previous state using snapshots,”
he explained.
“It is easy, fast and reliable, and the downtime is
minimum. What is more
important for a vessel,
which has a 30-day trip
ahead? We can open a SSH
(secure shell) session, to
connect remotely to the
server and restore the whole
virtual machine. At the same time, we are
also able to deploy several platforms
under the same umbrella.”
“We can usually achieve 10:1 virtual to
physical machine consolidation, saving
power and support. Virtualisation also
improves the security and reliability of
the systems, as it helps prevent crashes
due to memory corruption caused by
software like device drivers.”
Hardware and software
With the decision having been taken to
pursue a centralised architecture with virtual outlying machines, the final pieces in
the jigsaw involved the selection of hardware and software with which to run the
new infrastructure.
“As a Base Operating System we chose
Linux, serving all the virtual machines,”
Mr Charalabopoulos explained.
“Then we used Sun Rays from Sun
Microsystems as the virtual display
clients. They deliver extremely secure and
stable computing without the maintenance, upgrading and operational cost of
desktop computers.”
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p10-24:p15-25.qxd
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SOFTWARE
“This is a 3-tier model consisting of terminals, the Sun Rays middle server and
the target working platform. They provide
connections to X-servers running a Unixbased operating system, or to Windows
via RDP (remote desktop protocol).”
Mr Charalabopoulos continued: “As a
hardware platform we have used a HP
Proliant Server with one XEON Processor
the base operating system serving the virtual machines, and an Oracle Express 10
database as a relational database management system (RDBMS), integrated with
one virtual machine for the Windows
Terminal server and two virtual machines
for the Sun Ray servers.
“There are five Sun Rays clients, four in
production and one spare,” he said.
“These Sun Ray servers work
both in fail-over and loadbalanced groups.”
“Three virtual machines
Main sponsor:
run on the basic machine,
and users work on the four
MANAGING RISK
Sun Ray terminals, which are
connected through the Sun
Ray servers, to the Windows
terminal server.”
Crew members use the
Windows terminal server to
access the vessel ERP system
to perform tasks like entering new requisitions for purchasing, planning and mainPROPULSION, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
tenance, and daily vessel
MARIT
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operations.
, PORT
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“The only software that
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requires
Windows to run is
SAFETY
our ERP client,” said Mr
Charalabopoulos.
“Unfortunately, our supplier
cannot provide us a platform
YAR
independent client, running
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Engines
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Medical
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and redirect the users on the
rin
su
x
ea
m
x
Tank level
New
basic system.”
b
s
uild
rvice
ings
Salvage se
Clas
To minimise any potential
sific
atio
n so
x
ciet
Inte
loss
of data if it is necessary
ie
s
rior
ion
classificat
Yards and
x
Digital charts
D
Con
to
perform
a recovery of the
x
t
vers
uipmen
ioxns
ry and eq
n, machine
Ship
terminal
server,
all user data
x
Propulsio
Global positionin
G
x
des
g systems
ign
x
created
outside
the Oracle
x
ty
fe
x
Sa
Instrumentation
In
vigation
tion and na
x
mmunica
co
database
are
stored
on a
,
cs
ni
x
ro
x
Elect
Anti collision syst
An
ems
d logistics
s, ports an
x
Samba
server,
a
free
software
ice
rv
se
e
x
Maritim
Telecommunica
tion
re-implementation of SMB/
x
CIFS networking protocol.
“This Samba server offers
to Windows users shared
drives, just like a typical
Windows file server,” said
Mr Charalabopoulos.
“The
Oracle
system
always runs on the basic
Linux system, and is synchronised through a logical
Oslo prepares once again to play host to the world’s maritime industry. Nor-Shipping 2009
replication based on files
expands with new halls, and will feature an environmental focus with the theme “Clean
exchange, with the database
running in the office.”
Shipping”. Leading voices will join a broad selection of conferences and seminars,
“A third part of the Linux
and social activities like the Nor-Shipping BBQ party add to the event’s atmosphere.
file system is used to store
Join the Leaders in Oslo June 2009!
the original snapshots of the
three virtual machines,
which are ‘read only’ as they
are delivered. With regular
time intervals, the captain or
THE LEADING MARITIME EVENT WEEK
someone from the office
opens the communication
LEADING
channel between the vessel
SPONSORS:
and office, and we exchange
files and e-mails.”
OSLO
JUNE
09-12
and 4 gigabytes of memory, using RAID
(Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
1+0 (striping and mirroring), in order to
achieve a greater level of performance and
reliability.”
“The primary benefit of this level
of RAID is that it combines the faulttolerance of mirroring and the performance of striping.”
Communications are managed via a
Virtek Commbox, which handles communications between the server and the
office, providing a Firewall, an
SMTP/POP3 local e-mail server, and data
compression of the data exchanged
between vessel and office.
For software, Mr Charalabopoulos has
chosen to install a free version of Centos as
20
09
The world of shipping...
...meets at Nor-Shipping
Linux
(former Aker Yards)
Mr Charalabopoulos accepts
that the arguments over
whether to choose Windows
p10-24:p15-25.qxd
11/02/2009
17:31
Page 8
Digital Ship
or Linux could lead to a very long discusning of November, with another one now
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) client,
the card from one terminal and inserts it
sion, however there are a number of beneunder installation,” he told us.
thus if the user has a Sun Ray at home he
into the other,” Mr Charalabopoulos.
fits that he has seen at his own company
“We have replaced 10 old PCs with Sun
can continue his work while there.”
With the system in place, the IT team at
through the use of Linux.
Rays in our headquarter offices in Athens,
Users are provided with Smart Cards
Maryville Maritime can now look forward
“Windows is the most used operating
which have been running without any
which allows each user to have a personto relaxing days at the office free from the
system, with the biggest record of virusproblem since the beginning of
alised log-in to the system.
frantic pleas for help of IT-stricken vessels
es,” he told us. “Linux provides a shell,
September, and have installed 15 Sun Rays
“Smart cards provide the possibility to
– or, more likely, they will now have to get
which we can use to connect remotely in a
in our office in Manila.”
transfer the running session from one terbusy learning the nuances of supporting a
secure manner.”
“The Sun Rays also provide a VPN
minal to another, when the user removes
virtual infrastructure.
DS
“What can we do with the
shell? Everything! This is one
major and important difference between Linux and
Windows. In Linux the need
for a GUI (graphical user
interface) does not exist, and
a GUI requires more communication channel bandwidth
which is very expensive.”
“We have to pay nothing
for Linux. It's very stable,
and can be running for years
without the need for rebooting or updating.”
Mr Charalabopoulos is
also pleased with the ease
with which the system can
recover after a malfunction
or infection, reducing the
support burden that precipitated this infrastructure
project.
“With only a few bytes of
a shell script, we are able to
recover an infected virtual
machine, running it in the
background,“
he
said.
“Running the script, in a few
minutes we simply save
thousands of dollars and
working days.”
“The steps in the script
include: shutdown the infected machine; mount the
recovery image; overwrite
the infection with the healthy
mounted image; unmount
the healthy image; restart
the machine.”
“It is very important
to have the referenced
healthy image unmounted,
to prevent modifications
which can take place by
mistake.”
Mr Charalabopoulos continued: “The disadvantage
using this procedure is that
we may lose some previous
e-mails or files stored on the
Voice, messaging and email using a mobile dual mode
Crew welfare is one of the most talked about issues in
virtual machine.”
handset will change onboard communication and take
the maritime industry though it is not the only argument
“However, what is the
crew calling into a new phase!
for installing a mobile communication system onboard.
most important? Losing
some emails and documents
Please check our website www.7ccell.com or/and write
There are far more convincing points that ship
or making the system work
an email to [email protected]
owners
will
appreciate.
com4crew
will
make
him
again? Statistically the old
benefit
from:
emails are not needed; most
of us keep them mainly for
• a secure network
emotional reasons.”
• a reliable bandwidth management
With
the
project
• a cable-free radio coverage extension
now
completed,
Mr
• an access to the unlimited world of modern IP
Charalabopoulos is looking
next
communication
Meet us mi.
forward to rolling the system
• crew welfare
in Mia
out to further vessels in the
63
•
free
inter
company
calls
booth 24 h 2009
fleet, and enjoying the reducrc
a
M
9th
tion in support calls that he
17th to 1
hopes will result.
“This system has been
is brought to you by 7CCELL.
installed in one vessel and
operating since the begin-
be connected
to the 7seas
Be connected to the 7 seas!
With the first mobile VoIP crew and onboard
communication service!
» wireless - flexible – cost-effective – secure «
p10-24:p15-25.qxd
11/02/2009
17:31
Page 9
SOFTWARE
Keeping the oil companies happy
Giving the customers what they want is one of the fundamental rules of business – and when these customers
are oil majors what they want is transparent and accurate data about company processes. Dr Michael Kennedy,
Hellespont Steamship Company, told Digital Ship about how his company keeps the customers happy
n the shipping market, as in almost
any line of business, the ultimate
goal is to provide a product or service that will meet or exceed the expectations of those that are willing to pay for
their provision.
Success in the pursuit of this aim often
comes down to a company’s ability to
provide value in return for payment,
value over and above what the customer
would be able to achieve themselves for
the same cost.
In the maritime world this means offering specialised transport services to companies whose own expertise may be in
building cars, stitching t-shirts or fabricating small plastic toys to disappoint millions of children at Christmas time.
For Dr Michael Kennedy, managing
director of Hellespont Steamship
Company, the particular people he has to
please are international oil companies, as
he seeks to find employment for
Hellespont’s 16 crude, product and chemical tankers, and the 8 chemical tankers
and 6 platform supply vessels it currently
has in production.
“Hellespont has the same problems as
other shipping companies, and like any
business the top problem is how to keep
the customer satisfied,” he told us. “For a
tanker shipping company the most
demanding customers are the oil majors.”
Shipping is an outsourced activity for
many of these oil majors, who expect that
they can benefit by passing the responsibility for transport to a third party.
“Oil companies have been outsourcing
shipping because they believed it would
be cheaper, as it’s not a core business, and
they believed it would shift liability to the
ship owner or ship manager,” said Dr
Kennedy.
“But the Oil companies discovered that
shipping can not be ignored. A spilled
Exxon Mobil cargo still ‘tars’ Exxon Mobil
with liability, at least in the public’s
mind.”
“Obviously if everything were to run
perfectly, i.e. no ‘incidents’, no cargo
remaining on board, fast voyage travel
and pumping time, and ‘be cheap’, the Oil
companies would be happy chappies.
Unfortunately there will always be incidents including spills, accidents, and
deaths - oil will be trapped onboard and
there will be critical delays.”
I
course they happen,” said Dr Kennedy.
“Before one has an incident, and some
day there will be an incident, communicate what your company is doing to minimise the occurrence of an incident and to
reduce the damage of an incident when
one happens. Emphasise that your company is always training and it is ready to do
the best that anyone can do.”
“If you initiate the communication and
do so promptly with a good follow up,
that is the next best thing to ‘no surprise’.”
yes, our paper Safety Management System
mirrors
our
in-practice
Safety
Management System because this is THE
Safety Management System and this can
be seen by anyone - Port State Control, US
Coast Guard, terminals, other Oil companies, the public, etc,” he explained.
“But how does our ‘customer’ find out
if this is true? Of course the Oil companies can use your company on faith and
then whenever there is an incident the Oil
companies can see how well the incident
‘Trying to measure good ship operations is like nailing jello to the wall’
– Mike Kennedy, Hellespont Steamship Company
In tandem with communication of company activities, Dr Kennedy also stresses
the importance of transparency in these
interactions when it comes to dealing with
the oil majors.
“When I hear ‘transparency’ I am always
trying to understand what the speaker
means specifically by it,” he said. “What is
he trying to ‘see’? Our company budgets,
our crews’ certificates, our shareholders, the
secret Swiss bank accounts, ... what?”
“If the speaker works for an Oil company, then I know what he means. He wants
to ‘see’ my real Safety Management System
- i.e. the Safety Management System as
actually practised at my company.”
“Of course we have the ‘papers’ from
the electronic Safety Management System
(SMS) too – it’s a legal requirement - but
do the IT ‘papers’ mirror the reality?”
Transparency
KPIs
So, with all of these given imperfections in
the service, what can a shipping company
do to keep the customer satisfied? At
Hellespont the key to solving this question
is communication and transparency – and
it is in the pursuance of these objectives
that technology has a major role to play.
“Oil companies hate surprises, but of
Proving the validity of the information in
the SMS is a key point in satisfying the
demands of Hellespont’s oil company customers, said Dr Kennedy. To do this the
company needs to create and collate data on
its organisational processes – often in the
form of KPIs (key performance indicators).
“If we truly have transparency, then
was handled.”
“Most Oil companies are more risk
adverse though, and they would like
something besides faith and so they have
gone with SIRE reports, review of Class
records and recently the TMSA - Tanker
Management and Self Assessment.”
These checks, which compare a company’s day-to-day papers, reports and database
records
against
its
Safety
Management System, can prove to be
more difficult to properly achieve than
they may first appear, requiring the use of
systems and software that can accurately
monitor the day-to-day workings of the
shipping company.
Once this data is collected and reported, analysis and interpretation add additional layers of complexity to the process,
making it difficult to create clear-cut ‘yes’
and ‘no’ results.
“Ideally the company’s performance
would be measured as 10 kilos and this
would be exactly twice as good as 5 kilos,”
said Dr Kennedy.
“Unfortunately I don’t think there is
any such direct measure and thus we
have relative proxy measures such as ‘we
are better today than yesterday because
yesterday our undone PMS tasks were 10
per cent and today they are only 5 per
cent’. The logical connection between this
and ‘good, incident free, ship operation’
is not direct.”
“Trying to measure good ship operation is like ‘nailing jello to the wall’. Good
KPIs can help as long as one does not
over-emphasise the measurement itself to
the detriment of the goal. Making many
thousands of trivial PMS tasks, so that percentage undone shrinks simply because
you doubled all the easy tasks, does not
really help in achieving good operation.”
Dr Kennedy has a few suggestions of
some of the more useful KPIs he has come
across in his company’s operations.
“The TMSA itself has some good ones crew and office staff retention rates,
undone PMS tasks,” he said. “Others
might be officers’ time with company,
days onboard by office staff, number of
SIRE and CDI observations, speed and
fuel consumption, offhire days, shore days
at the company by Masters and Chief
Engineers.”
“Various software systems can record
and report on these and others. There
are many good ideas, and some may
work well in practice, but I believe it
will depend upon each company’s circumstances and details as to how well a
KPI works.”
A good performance indicator, in Dr
Kennedy’s view, will have cause and
effect as clear as possible; will be easy to
measure by anyone as the measured value
is objective; will have agreement on
whether an increase or decrease in value is
good; will allow current and past measurements to be usefully compared; will
not show ratios or percentages alone (i.e.
show the numerator and denominators;
and will have a usual wide range i.e. truly
1 to 10 and not having 99 per cent of the
data as 7 to 9.
“Everyone can come up with a similar
list but the proof of the pudding is in its
eating,” he said. “I recommend, with the
help of your IT department, to track and
‘test’ KPIs to see how they ‘feel’.”
“Backtrack them using several years of
past data. One should count how many
‘buts’ or ‘excepts’ one generally needs
when reviewing the KPIs. That is, ‘KPI’
the KPIs, by counting the number of ‘buts’
needed to interpret the results.”
“You need KPIs but you also need to
document and explain them so that anyone can understand them. You need to
‘sell’ the KPIs within your own company
by explaining their purpose and how
they are useful. The Oil company should
know that you have KPIs that you think
are useful to good operation, and they
should know that you are tracking them
and that their description and history
is available.”
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Digital Ship
Adaptation
Hellespont has recently, after a 12 year
absence, decided to re-enter the offshore
business and is currently building six
Platform Supply Vessels. Dr Kennedy
notes that creating Safety Management
Systems for this differing sector has
helped to emphasise the importance of fitting and adapting technology and systems
to the actual processes of the
company.
“It has been fascinating
editing our ‘tanker-centric’
Safety Management System
to incorporate the offshore
business,” he told us.
“Hazardous operations
are an every-day occurrence,
and there is a much bigger
emphasis on the Risk
Analysis approach. Some Oil
companies even use computer software to walk through
complex operations in their
risk analysis.”
“This analysis goes by
various names: ‘Job Safety
Analysis’,
‘Job
Hazard
Analysis’,
‘Job
Risk
Analysis’, ‘Toolbox Talks’,
etc. These are the primary
means to ensure that ALL
the people involved in a hazardous task talk-through the
task before doing it. This
allows better understanding
of each person’s role, timing
and expected task progress.”
Dr Kennedy believes that
this type of in-depth, collaborative approach is likely to
be applied to an increasing
extent in other maritime
sectors.
“This type of approach is
being seen more and more in
normal shipping,” he said.
“There is more emphasis on
a required reading of procedures, checklists, pre-work
meeting and signing by all
team members - not just the
Officer in Charge. The purpose is to force a mental
walk-through of the job by
everyone.”
“To me, this is the onboard
‘wave of the future’ with or
without computer aids. The
Oil companies, who are for
many of us our main customers, are trying to upgrade
the industry to meet their
highest operating standard.”
“They follow these practices in their own organisations and they want their
marine transportation subcontractors, i.e. us, to follow
these practices also.”
However, Dr Kennedy
also warns against the dangers of relying too heavily
on systems and practices as
the basis for running a company, and notes that it is
through the work of good
people that you will create a
good company.
“No Safety Management
System can substitute for good people,” he
said. “A Safety Management System can
help or hinder people in their job but it
cannot replace them.”
“Any shipping company that has been
operating for several years must have an
at least mediocre Safety Management
System, and if the company fails in the
future it will not be because of its paper or
computer Safety Management System.
However, it might be because of a ship’s
performance that could have been fixed
with better and more crew or better office
support.”
“To give good instruction and example
requires both good people and enough
people. Too few people ashore means
fewer visits and less time onboard and
therefore less knowledge of the ship and
of her crew.”
Without hard work on behalf of all of
the company’s employees, the goal of satisfied customers is likely to be unfulfilled,
despite the presence of complex systems
and immaculately presented KPIs.
Perhaps that is the fundamental requirement in keeping the customer happy. DS
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p10-24:p15-25.qxd
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SOFTWARE
HR and Knowledge Management at BSM
Since the Schulte Group restructured its operations in 2008 to form Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM),
the company has sought to get the most out of the newly integrated organisation through the use
of integrated HR and knowledge management technology. Adonis Violaris of BSM
told Digital Ship about how BSM uses technology to maximise human resources
t’s a bit of a cliché to say that ‘a company is only as good as its people’,
but nonetheless, it’s an idea that’s
hard to argue with. The role of technology, as it’s applied in a business capacity,
is to make these good (or not so good)
people better.
Shipping group Bernhard Schulte
Shipmanagement (BSM) recognises this
need to get the best possible results from
the people it employs, and utilises a variety of IT tools and systems to improve
operations and increase efficiency (witness its recent investment in onboard GSM
technology – see page 1).
In pursuance of this goal the company
has implemented a sophisticated human
resources (HR) and knowledge management system that aims to use IT to ‘reach
out’ to all of the members of the organisation, explains Adonis Violaris, group
marketing and communications director
with BSM.
“Change is the only constant in the
business world, “ he told us. “If your business does not learn to adapt to new technologies and competitor challenges, you
will likely find yourself out of business
sooner rather than later.”
“You definitely do not want to be a HR
person with old practices. You might be
able to survive without technology today,
but tomorrow you will feel left behind.
Considering the pace at which technology
is taking over business functions, no compromise can be made if you want to be in
the forefront.”
“There is a long line of companies that
failed because they could not effectively
manage change (think of Atari and Pan
Am, just to name a few). On the other
hand, companies such as Nokia, Sony and
Hewlett-Packard veered from their original business plans to not only stay in business, but become leaders in their respective industries. Our companies would be
wise to emulate such companies.”
In Bernhard Schulte’s case, embracing
change included the introduction of a revitalised HR strategy that would leverage
technology systems to maximise the
return on its human capital.
“Companies are realising that they
must reduce costs and increase the contribution HR makes,” said Mr Violaris. “As
HR searches for business practices that
benefit them most, it is likely to reach far
beyond back-office automation systems
towards the cutting-edge technology in
Human Capital Management.”
“HR needs IT’s help, not only to
automate recurring processes but also
to speed recruitment, to improve
employee development, performance
management and succession planning. IT
also helps in improving employee access
to HR information.”
I
“It also delivers value in areas such as
applicant tracking, recruiting, competency
management, training administration and
performance development management.”
‘HR professionals are failing to make the
most of the new technologies available
to them’ – Adonis Violaris, Bernhard
Schulte Shipmanagement
Mr Violaris was surprised to learn,
from a recent research study conducted by
the UK Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development (CIPD), that technology
systems are still very much under-utilised
in the HR function.
“HR professionals are failing to make
the most of the new technologies available
to them, with four-fifths running systems
that are not integrated with the rest of
their business,” he said.
“More than a quarter said their systems
were difficult for the HR department to
use, and fewer than half of employers use
their intranet to get feedback from
employees.”
ed approach to HR activities.
“One peculiarity in the group of companies was that we were all competing
with each other in the open market, but we
respected the company’s clients,” said
Mr Violaris.
“Having, as a Group, 11 shipmanagement units, 22 own recruiting agencies, 8
ancillary services units and 2 fully operating maritime training centres in Cyprus
and India, with about 1,100 shore-based
personnel and 17,000 to 18,000 seafarers
and nearly 700 vessels, you need to have
the means and all systems in place for collective control.”
Collective control meant a change in
structure with regard to the IT systems
used for managing the HR operations of
the different entities, but with the added
difficulty of trying to achieve this without
creating downtime or service problems.
“What we wanted to do is to make
changes which would bring no disturbance to the vessels, in their contact
with the owners and our people,” said
Mr Violaris.
“We started with the overall standardisation of systems, procedures, reporting
requirements and the Enterprise Resource
Planning system, which will be identical
for all locations. That standardisation and
utilisation of unified software systems has
started, but will take some time to be fully
implemented.”
One of the challenges involved in this
project was to capture the ‘knowledge’
deposited across the organisation, and
develop it as an asset that could benefit the
wider group.
“Managing knowledge is not reserved
for mega corporations anymore,” said Mr
Violaris. “All the employees in any company need to access information instantaneously in order to enhance their functionality and efficiency.”
“But what is this knowledge that we
are talking about? Intellectual capital resident in the brains of people, organisational processes, services, facilities, systems
and documents is what we call ‘knowledge’. In its most available form, knowledge in any organisation includes the
ideas processed by entities and used to
achieve the goals in the organisation.”
“The Fleet Personnel department may
require information that may have been
the sole domain of the technical department before. Is it easy to collaborate and
gather the right information at the right
time? Is all the knowledge within a company documented? Is it easily available to
all employees? And what happens when
an employee leaves the company?”
He continued: “Any entity's existing
knowledge base is the only sustainable
competitive advantage that a company
has today and this unique resource must
be protected, cultivated and shared within
the company.”
“This is where knowledge management
comes in. It is a systematic process of capturing this knowledge, organising it, filtering it and presenting it in a way that
improves understanding among employees within the Bernhard Schulte
Shipmanagement Group.”
Common portal
BSM came to the conclusion that an ITbased knowledge management system
was required to best handle this pooling of
company intellectual resources, in the
Merger
The company’s interest in HR enabling
technologies was further fuelled by the
fact that its organisational structure
included the legacy of four separate companies already owned by the Schulte
Group, but run as independent entities.
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
was created in 2008 by combining the ship
management organisations Hanseatic
Shipping, Dorchester Atlantic Marine,
Eurasia
Group
and
Vorsetzen
Bereederungs und Schiffahrtskontor.
Bringing these companies together under
the same umbrella necessitated an updat-
A Windows Active Directory system creates a common computer desktop background
for all employees, while also delivering company information
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5LGLQJWKH0DULWLPH7RUQDGRRI&KDQJH
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SOFTWARE
form of an intranet where common information, such as documents or files that
needed to be shared across the group,
could be stored.
“Until recently, employees used off-line
sources to track information within the
company,” said Mr Violaris. “Contacting a
colleague in another office at one of the 30
different locations of the Group globally,
who had to search for the required information manually, was, to say the least,
cumbersome and time-consuming.”
“Also, project management, although
followed and executed by various individuals, did not get the recognition that was
required. Clearly, what the organisation
needed was to use a common platform to
communicate, to enhance project visibility, to make management and human
resource strategies and policies transparent throughout the entire organisation.”
“In addition, if this platform also
allowed individuals to create their schedules, track and monitor them and also
access a detailed description of the work
that each one was doing, it would eliminate
the need to use multiple applications.”
With the HR function being integrally
involved in the movement, distribution
and application of the company’s people
(and thus, its knowledge), it was agreed
that this side of the business would have
to be properly plugged in to the network
to make it effective.
This led to the creation of the BSM
HR Self Service network, integrating HR
content into the company-wide intranet,
and providing a wide-ranging base for the
capture and sharing of knowledge and
information.
“The HR SS (Self Service system), that
was purchased locally in Cyprus and customised to our needs and requirements,
was the most suitable solution,” explained
Mr Violaris. “In terms of scalability it
allowed us to add on more features as and
when we felt the need.”
“Every employee begins their work
day by accessing the portal to check on the
latest happenings in the organisation,
and then scrolls down to their individual
task or database program that this portal
facilitates.”
“It has also enabled the dissemination
of information organisation-wide, and
provides a forum which supports communication and discussions and collaborative activities directly amongst teams
and individuals.”
Having an integrated system that
reaches every employee within the group
has also allowed the company to use the
technology to support other tasks related
to the HR function, such as training
and recruitment.
“The portal has moved training from
the classroom and the learning centre to
the workstation, empowering learners to
take control of their personal development
and navigate their own paths through
information and learning,” said Mr
Violaris.
“All the PowerPoint presentations of
the induction briefings carried out by the
departmental heads when new employees
join the company are to be found on the
HR SS.”
“In BSM, one of the ways of measuring
effectiveness of training is through an
online survey. Staff can access course
creating seaworthy software
www.autoship.com
Autoload ® Cargo Operations
Onboard Stability for all Vessel Types
Customized Cargo and Voyage Planning
World-Wide Service & Support
Catch information
as it happens.
Contacting colleagues across the Group’s 30 locations
has been made much easier with the integrated system
materials, monthly and annual training
calendars, calendars of external training
institutions through the portal.”
He continued: “The recruitment team
posts new job openings on the portal letting
staff know what opportunities are available. This site details information including
job title and the various skill sets required.”
“Staff members can access this site and
offer their candidature if the vacancies are
of their interests, or post resumes of
friends online. This is an easy way to
advertise vacant positions and all associates have an equal opportunity to apply
for job opportunities. There is also a common e-mail address where external candidates can post their resumes.”
The BSM HR department has also been
able to update employee performance
monitoring through the use of the system,
making it easier for both staff and management to communicate and access forms
and documents.
“The
performance
development
(appraisal) process was automated last
year and the forms are now completed
online,” said Mr Violaris. “The data now
can be processed and transferred from
wherever in the world to HR at the headquarters electronically.”
“The meeting is carried out in a friendly environment for the appraisee and at a
place where the appraiser has all the necessary IT setup in order to complete the
form electronically. The form is then submitted to the appraisee, so that he or she
can enter their own comments, and it goes
back again to the appraiser for revision.”
“The form goes through HR to the
managing director for his comments, then
to the CEO, and finally, after the whole
workflow is completed, it lands in the HR
Self Service documents of the employee
themselves.”
Mr Violaris notes that, as part of the
continuing restructuring process, BSM’s
other document management systems are
soon to be integrated with the HR Self
Service system, allowing even greater flexibility and cooperation.
“Knowledge management being the
original purpose of thinking of such a system, we managed to link all important
company documents, resource libraries
and even our websites to the portal,” said
Mr Violaris.
“Using content management features
we also made sure that the content on the
HR portal always stayed fresh at any point
of time.”
“Being completely scalable and secure,
we are in the process of integrating a client
extranet with the existing intranet. This
would afford clients a step-by-step view of
their projects at any point of time during
the execution of the project.”
System features
Having begun the implementation of this
integrated system to manage these varied HR and knowledge management
functions, the company also began to
look at other potential features that
might be incorporated into the network
to make life easier for employees, but
also create a more cohesive working
environment.
“A new feature that arose as being
strongly requested after the recent merger
was the completion of timesheets, as quite
a number of staff are wearing different
hats for different jobs and tasks in the
group, as well as spending time on specific vessels for specific owners,” Mr Violaris
explained.
“Through
the
new
Electronic
Timesheet, which is found now under the
HR Self Service system, we all assign the
different tasks we carry out during the day
to a vessel, to one of our offices worldwide, or to the mail group account.”
The system is also used for more social
aspects of the organisation, to transmit
personal news and information and help
to create a sense of belonging for employees working in many different offices but
for the same company.
“User-friendly applications like our
‘Noticeboard’ on the HR Self Service
helps colleagues in locating people,
houses for rent, events, things like that,”
said Mr Violaris.
“Our discount scheme, which includes
offers and discounts from various organisations, shops and institutions which have
agreements with the management of BSM,
are also available online. Our employees,
by showing their company identity card at
the cash desk of the shop are entitled to
receive the agreed discount and it is widely used by our employees with many
organisations locally.”
“Staff telephone and speed dial lists,
useful internet links, country codes and so
on are only a few examples of useful information that can be available, not only
within the organisation but with access to
the internet from wherever you are in
the world.”
A very visible illustration of this goal to
provide integration and common experiences for company employees has been
the introduction of a Windows Active
Directory system that creates a common
p10-24:p15-25.qxd
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Digital Ship
Desktop background on all employees’
edge use.”
knowledge, while most HR people will
using IT is a recent phenomenon and a
computers.
Mr Violaris expects that these improvprefer terms like performance support,
learning experience.”
“We have requested from all our
ing tools will continue to offer new
human performance and organisational
“In future the Human Resource funcemployees to provide us with photos they
options and capabilities to HR departlearning,” he said.
tion will draw from the best features of
have taken during their holidays around
ments, improving the lives of employees
“While all the technologies act as facilorganisational learning, IT infrastructures,
the world in the form of a competition,
while also increasing the productivity of
itators to make HR’s work and responsiperformance support and knowledge
and a jury of our PR experts select the best
their companies.
bilities simple and easy to carry out,
management, and this hybrid dynamism
photos,” said Mr Violaris.
“IT people will talk about web sites,
there are loose ends that need to be tied
will dramatically improve organisational
“The winning ones become the desktop
intranets, and access to information and
up. The Human Resources function
and individual performance.”
DS
background of the day, showing the name of the winner
and the place where the
photo is taken. On the same
photo we include in a shaded
box the names of the people
celebrating their birthday
during the current week, with
their telephone extension
next to their name so that colleagues can call and convey
their wishes.”
BSM also produces an
electronic in-house magazine, called ‘Highlights’,
which is run by the PR and
HR departments and aims
to keep staff members
in touch with events right
across the organisation.
“BSM Highlights features
news, articles and images of
events that take place within the shipping industry,
and more specifically within
the
Bernhard
Schulte
Shipmanagement Group,”
said Mr Violaris.
“The newsletter is dedicated to all of our shore and
sea based staff, business
partners, and of course, our
clients and owners. Many of
the articles are provided by
the staff members themselves, bringing us even closer together as a group. With
BSM Highlights, we can stay
up to date on all the latest
BSM news as it happens
worldwide.”
With a newly merged
company, and newly created
and integrated systems connecting new staff members to
one another, Mr Violaris is
hopeful that BSM will continue to benefit from the
technology it has introduced
to manage its human
resources and organisational
knowledge.
The new SeaSTAR G2 Service provides orbit and clock corrections for both the
“At BSM the HR departGPS and GLONASS satellite constellations to enable dual frequency operation with
ment has come to rely on IT
decimetre level accuracy world wide.
to hire and retain good
knowledgeable staff, to automate the administrative
function, to share knowledge
and experiences, and to
bring in a feeling of ‘togetherness’,” he said.
“Technology has changed
Fugro Seastar AS: World Leaders in High Performance Positioning for DP Systems.
the way HR conducts its
business just as it has
changed the way businesses
conduct theirs. Information
Technology helps by bringFugro Seastar AS, Oslo, Norway
ing new tools, while HR
Tel: +47 21 50 14 00 Fax: +47 21 50 14 01 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fugroseastar.no
brings a strong orientation
to improving job performance and a focus on knowl-
More is Better
p10-24:p15-25.qxd
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Page 15
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Page 1
Digital Ship
electronics company Beier
Radio has named Buddy Morgan as the
Marine
company’s new sales manager. Mr
Morgan was previously national sales
manager for Japan Radio Company
(JRC) in Seattle, Washington
Kongsberg
Maritime
Simulation & Training’s newly
opened Mumbai office has reported the
signing of its first Ship Handling
Simulator agreement, to supply a Full
Mission Polaris Bridge Simulator and a
Full Mission Engine Room Simulator to
AMET University in Chennai, India.
Chemring Marine has announced
two staff changes, with Justine Heeley
promoted to sales director, having previously been international sales manager,
while Claire Lidstone will move from the
position of management accountant to
become financial controller.
Zenitel has released a new range of
Radioteknik TETRA repeaters, which feature integrated, linear DL/UL amplifiers
and an additional monitoring and control
solution via GSM, TETRA, TCP/IP and
HTTP. The repeaters are offered in fibrefed, inline or off-air versions, which can be
high- or low-power and can be delivered
with battery backup.
www.zenitel.com
www.kongsberg.com
www.beierradio.com
www.chemringmarine.com
Zenitel’s new range of repeaters features additional monitoring and control capabilities
USCG to review NOAD and AIS requirements
www.regulations.gov
The US Coast Guard is proposing to
expand the applicability of notice of
arrival and departure (NOAD) and automatic identification system (AIS) requirements to more commercial vessels.
It has been proposed to establish a
separate requirement for certain vessels
to submit notices of departure (NOD),
set forth a mandatory method for electronic submission of NOA and NOD,
and modify related reporting content,
time frames, and procedures.
This proposed rule would also expand
the applicability of AIS requirements
beyond Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) areas
to all US navigable waters, and require AIS
carriage for additional commercial vessels.
The Coast Guard is encouraging industry participation in this rulemaking by
requesting the submission of comments,
with all comments received to be posted,
without change, to www.regulations.gov.
The comment period is open until April
15, 2009.
Space based AIS to be added to Lloyd’s Register - Fairplay
www.orbcomm.com
ORBCOMM reports that it has completed a
global AIS distribution commercial agreement with Lloyd's Register - Fairplay (LRF)
for its space-based AIS tracking network.
LRF already operates a global network of
terrestrial based AIS receivers, which is used
to track the position of the world's merchant
fleet. These capabilities will now be supplemented by the addition of ORBCOMM's
satellite sourced AIS information.
The agreement includes a minimum
Digital Ship Ship January/February 2009 page 23
annual license fee and grants LRF access
to ORBCOMM's global satellite AIS offerings, commencing from January 2009.
"ORBCOMM is excited to have LRF
as the first global distributor of AIS data
provided by our quick-launch satellite
network," said Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM CEO.
Richard Silk, joint managing director of
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay, added: "The
fusion of both terrestrial and satellite
derived AIS data provides an unrivalled
view of the global maritime domain.”
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Page 2
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS
Satellite technology to aid vessel queues in Australia
Australian Ports and Waterways Minister
Joe Tripodi has announced a two-stage
trial to co-ordinate coal ship arrivals at the
Australian Port of Newcastle through the
use of satellite technology, in a bid to
reduce the number of vessels anchored off
the Newcastle coastline.
Mr Tripodi said it was hoped that the
trial of the vessel arrival system would lead
to reduced shipping costs and improved
vessel safety, helping to avoid accidents.
Phase one of the trial will see Newcastle
Port Corporation (NPC) track the movement of vessels by satellite for 14 days
prior to their arrival.
In stage two, NPC will use this infor-
mation to program the vessel's arrival at
the port based on its location, speed and
performance during the trial. The vessel
will be given a recommended arrival time
based on the loading date advised by the
coal terminal, Port Waratah Coal Services.
The Port of Newcastle currently operates on a ‘first in, first served’ basis,
known as a 'Turn of Arrival' (TOA) system, which encourages vessels to travel as
quickly as possible to be admitted to the
queue.
“It’s hoped this new system will allow
coal ships to better time their arrival at the
port to avoid spending time at anchor off
the coast,” said Mr Tripodi.
“With a typical vessel able to reduce its
fuel consumption by 40 per cent through a
20 per cent reduction in speed, this makes
sense from both an economic and environmental view.”
Newcastle Port Corporation says it has
opened consultation with the industry
ahead of the three month trial of stage one
early in 2009. If successful, NPC will proceed to stage two and the voluntary slowing of vessel movements.
The vessel arrival system is one part of
the Australian government’s response to
recommendations from the New South
Wales Maritime and Australian Transport
Safety Bureau reports into the grounding
of the Pasha Bulker, which ran aground
during a storm in June 2007 on Nobbys
Beach in Newcastle.
Mr Tripodi has also approved changes
to the Port Safety Operating Licenses of
each of the state’s major ports, detailing
their communications requirements.
“Each port will now be required to
keep recording equipment, including
backups, for port radio channels and to
conduct regular reviews of port communications procedures,” he said.
Newcastle Port Corporation chief executive Gary Webb said new software and
hardware would be received by the end of
December, ahead of next year’s trial.
Nationwide US AIS contract for Northrop Grumman
www.northropgrumman.com
The US Coast Guard's Acquisition
Directorate has announced the award of a
contract for the delivery of the core
Nationwide Automatic Identification System
data exchange capability to Northrop
Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp.
Under the contract, valued at about $12
million, Northrop Grumman will provide
the necessary shore-side communications,
network and processing capability to
ensure the effective exchange of
Automatic Identification System (AIS)
information between AIS-equipped vessels, aircraft, aids to navigation and shore
stations within all major US ports, waterways and coastal zones, as well as from
AIS-equipped vessels bound for the US.
The core data exchange capability consists of all the system components and
functionality, including AIS receive and
transmit messaging, data processing, data
storage and retrieval and system monitoring, on a limited geographic scale.
"The Nationwide AIS project is already
making critical contributions to maritime
safety and security at our nation's highest
priority ports and coastal zones," said Rear
Adm Gary T Blore, assistant commandant
for acquisitions.
"This contract will allow the Coast
Guard to fully leverage the inherent features of AIS by adding transmit capabilities to our nationwide system, which will
provide a considerable enhancement to
safety of navigation and the marine transportation system."
The contract provides for a two-year
base period and six one-year option periods. In addition to the core data exchange
capabilities, Northrop Grumman will
deliver transmit and expanded receive
coverage for Coast Guard Sectors
Delaware Bay, Philadelphia; Hampton
Roads, Virginia; and Mobile, Alabama,
during the base period.
Northrop Grumman's Command and
Control Systems Division, headquartered
at Herndon, Virginia, will perform the
work at Newport News, Virginia, and
Carson, California, as well as at each of the
three initial Coast Guard sectors and their
surrounding areas.
The contract option periods include
optional tasks to provide surveys and equipment in support of the US Government's
implementation of transmit and expandedreceive coverage for the remaining Coast
Guard sectors. The approximate total value
of this contract, if all options are exercised, is
approximately $68 million.
"I am looking forward to working with
Northrop Grumman to successfully deliver this important new capability," said
Cmdr James K Ingalsbe, NAIS deputy
project manager.
"The first increment of NAIS provided
the Coast Guard valuable capability to
build maritime domain awareness. The
award of this contract will allow the Coast
Guard to begin using all the capabilities of
AIS in support of all Coast Guard missions, and in providing services to
mariners to enhance their safety, security,
and efficiency."
The Coast Guard's Acquisition
Directorate is responsible for a $27 billion
investment portfolio that includes more
than 20 major projects.
Northrop Grumman will deliver some of the core network infrastructure required
for the Coast Guard’s AIS monitoring system under the $12m contract
Pilot training simulator for Kiel Canal Kongsberg and CARIS in agreement
www.bmt.org
BMT SeaTech has installed its PC
Rembrandt ship simulation system at the
headquarters of the Kiel Canal Pilots
Association in Brunsbuttel, Northern
Germany, to be used for pilot training.
Current training of Kiel Canal’s 123
pilots takes place at the full bridge simulator of the Maritime Academy of Bremen.
However, with up to 140 vessel movements per day in the port, removing pilots
from duty for training has become increasingly difficult.
Captain
Michael
Hartmann,
chairman of the Kiel-Canal-Pilots
Lotsenbrüderschaft NOK I, said: “It is a
reliable tool to train basic and enhanced
shiphandling, giving us more time for
final high level and multiple emergency
training sessions using cost intensive full
bridge simulators.”
The PC-based Rembrandt system is
a ship-handling and manoeuvring
simulator,
incorporating
standard
control
and
instructor
consoles.
Included within the Kiel Canal Pilots
Association’s system are ten ship models
of various designs and sizes, including
container ships, tankers, bulk carriers
and cruise ships.
There are also plans to integrate a
radar simulation system and AIS to the
mini bridge package in the future, giving
pilots the opportunity to conduct blind
pilotage and provide real time shipping
scenarios from data collected in the River
Elbe and the canal.
James Norwood, manager for the
manoeuvring simulations division at
BMT SeaTech said: “We are delighted
that Kiel Canal Pilots Association
has chosen PC Rembrandt to help support the training of its pilots and is
a clear endorsement of the quality of
the product.”
www.kongsberg.com
Kongsberg Maritime and CARIS have
renewed
a
Memorandum
of
Understanding (MOU) the companies had
agreed upon to collaborate in delivering
ping-to-chart solutions.
Kongsberg Maritime supplies the
acoustic instrumentation used for seabed
mapping and inspection, while CARIS
provides software to cover the workflow
from the processing of the acoustic 'ping'
through to the production and distribution of the chart.
The first MOU between Kongsberg and
CARIS was set forth in 2006. In the time
since, the two parties have worked cooperatively on an ongoing basis to offer
migration from Kongsberg Neptune users
to CARIS bathymetric processing software, HIPS and SIPS.
The scope of the renewed MOU has
also been broadened, with Kongsberg
Maritime now promoting additional
CARIS solutions for subsequent bathymetric data management and electronic
chart production.
"From the start, when we signed the
first MoU, we received very good feedback from customers clearly stating that
they immediately saw the benefits from
Kongsberg Maritime working closely with
one of the leading suppliers of multibeam
and singlebeam processing tools," said
Helge Uhlen, product sales manager,
Kongsberg Maritime, Subsea.
Andrew Hoggarth, CARIS marketing
and sales manager, added: "The hydrographic community can find real production efficiencies by utilising a workflow
that does not require the user to learn the
intricacies of various different systems."
"Through this MOU, we are able to take
this one step further by strengthening the
link between Kongsberg acquisition and
CARIS processing and product creation."
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Digital Ship
EU project puts Euro 23m into electric shipping
A consortium of 30 companies is to invesEuropean commercial shipping fleet.”
tigate the potential for the commercially
Paola Lancellotti, secretary general,
effective application of electric ship techEuropean Marine Equipment Council
nology in a Euro 23 million European
(EMEC), added: “We are very pleased with
Union funded project.
this project, which is one of the first projects
The ultimate aim of this study, which
in which marine equipment suppliers are
began in January 2009, is to provide a
leading a similar large initiative."
working guide on how to improve effi"The consortium consists of very valuciency and reduce the environmental
able companies in the marine equipment
impact of the combined European comsector and can deliver high tech results.
mercial shipping fleet.
EMEC’S role in the consortium is to supThe Power Optimised Ship for
port the marine equipment companies and
Environment with Electric Innovative
to promote, at European level, the results
Designs ON board (Pose2idon) project
of the project.”
will see BMT Defence Services, part of the
In a separate development, Japanese
BMT Group, co-ordinate the activity of the
shipping line Nippon Yusen Kabushiki
30 company consortium which includes
Kaisha (NYK) and Nippon Oil Corporation
Converteam Technology Limited, DCNS,
have recently launched a solar-powerDNV, SAM, Sirehna, GICAN, EMEC and
assisted car carrier, which sailed from
BALance.
Japan’s Kobe port for the first time at the
The project will aim to enhance the
end of December, bound for the Middle East
electric ship concept so that it can be
and carrying a load of cars built by Toyota.
applied to a wider range of vessels than is
The system aboard the 60,213 gt vessel
currently the case.
Auriga Leader uses 28 sheets of solar panThe principal barrier to adoption of the
els to generate electricity to supplement
electric ship concept in smaller merchant
ship-generated power. However, the panships is the size of the generating equipels, thought to cost in excess of $1.5 milment and propulsion motor. Additionally,
lion, will reportedly provide less than one
electric auxiliaries, wireless technology
quarter of one per cent of the power needand fail safe power distribution will
ed for propulsion.
be studied.
NYK and Nippon Oil say they will
The Pose2idon consortium is focusing
conduct field experiments to verify that
on achieving size reduction through the
the electric power supply can maintain
development of new technologies across
stable propelling in the hard conditions of
all aspects of marine electrical engineeractual navigation.
ing. A key element of this will be the
The system will be monitored for the
application of High Temperature
next two years to assess its endurance
Superconductivity (HTS) technology,
against saltwater damage, wind pressure,
provided by Converteam Technology,
and constant vibrations, and the potential
that will allow for smaller principal
benefits of its mix of solar power and shipelectrical components and an increase
generated power.
in efficiency.
Another area being studied is the application of
shore side electrical supplies.
Currently the common practice is for merchant ships to
run lightly loaded mechanical generators in harbour,
where the lack of any
propulsion load prevents
loading the generators more
effectively.
The consortium believes
that the answer to this problem is to supply the ship
with electricity from shore
connections. This does not
require any technological
innovation but will rely on
the widespread adoption of
shore supplies and standardisation of connectors.
Professor Chris Hodge,
chief electrical engineer with
BMT Defence Services, said:
“We are very proud to be
leading this consortium of
such distinguished companies. Through our combined
knowledge and expertise we
are confident that we will
provide the European Union
with the most up to date and
appropriate recommendajeppesen.com
tions to reduce the environmental impact of the
NYK and Nippon Oil have recently launched a test ship that will generate a small
amount of electricity from solar panels installed on the ship, which will supplement
the power delivered from the onboard generators
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t in Weather Services from Jeppesen Marine
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p25-32:p26-32.qxd
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Page 4
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION NEWS
UKHO reaches agreement on China ENCs Otesat and AMTS appointed LRIT ASPs
www.ukho.gov.uk
The United Kingdom Hydrographic
Office (UKHO) has signed a new bilateral
agreement on ENCs (electronic navigational charts) with the Maritime Safety
Administration (MSA) of The People’s
Republic of China.
This agreement includes an arrangement between the UKHO and MSA China
for the distribution of their 257 ENC cells
of Chinese Home Waters through the
UKHO’s Admiralty Vector Chart Service
(AVCS).
The inclusion of Chinese official data
represents a significant addition to the
electronic charts available for the region,
which had been a problem area for the
UKHO in recent yeas in its attempts to
increase global ENC coverage.
Signing the agreement on behalf of
MSA China, deputy director general Wang
Jin Fu, said: “China has a long maritime
history and has always been keen to promote safe navigation within its waters,
and we are delighted and honoured to
enter into this agreement with the UKHO,
whom we consider longstanding and wellrespected friends and colleagues.”
UK National Hydrographer, Rear
Admiral Ian Moncrieff, added: “Having
had the pleasure of visiting China on several occasions recently, I too am delighted
to see the furtherance of our relationship
to include ENC data for the benefit of the
mariner, particularly having seen firsthand the very high quality of Chinese
ENC production.”
www.otesat-maritel.com
www.panama-psa.com
Otesat-Maritel has been appointed as an
Authorised Testing Application Service
Provider
(ASP)
for
Long-Range
Identification & Tracking (LRIT) systems by
the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine,
while Absolute Maritime Tracking Services
(AMTS) will be the sole LRIT ASP and
National Data Centre (NDC) provider for
all Panama flagged vessels.
Otesat-Maritel will perform LRIT testing
services in cooperation with Thrane &
Thrane, including conformance tests on vessels’ LRIT transmitting equipment, in order
to certify that the vessels’ equipment has
been adjusted to meet LRIT requirements.
Otesat-Maritel will also be required to
verify that every tested vessel has been
registered with the European LRIT database under the terms of the agreement.
“Otesat-Maritel is delighted to actively
participate in the European Union’s effort
to improve security conditions at sea by
being an Authorised Testing Application
Service Provider (AP)," said Giorgos
Polychronopoulos, CEO of Otesat-Maritel.
"Our contribution in this effort is part of
Otesat-Maritel’s strategy to provide total,
qualitative and reliable satellite telecommunications solutions to the global maritime industry."
In Panama, AMTS will provide testing
services for the world’s largest registry, of
over 8,000 vessels. AMTS is a joint venture
company between PSC Holdings and
Absolute Software.
“With the extensive experience of this
company’s partners, we expect to be able
to make available a state of the art LRIT
system to our maritime stakeholders,”
said Alfonso Castillero, director of
Panama’s vessel registry.
On May 19, 2006, IMO adopted resolutions of the Marine Safety Committee
MSC 202 (81) and MSC 211 (81), which
stated amendments to the International
Convention of Safety of Life At Sea, 1974
(SOLAS) and introduced the establishment of the LRIT system.
Under these regulations, each Flag
State should collect at least one position
report every six hours of the ships flying
its flag. Information will be used for maritime safety, maritime security, environmental protection and Search and Rescue
purposes.
The costs associated with the messages
will not be charged to the ship owners.
Radar study completed
Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff, UK National Hydrographer, and Wang Jin Fu, deputy
director general of MSA China, at the signing of the bilateral agreement
Digital Ship Scandinavia
March 10-11, 2009, Telenor Expo Centre, Oslo
SPEAKERS ICLUDE:
Peter Faurhøj
head of navigation &
communication systems
Maersk Supply Service
Jon Helge Ulstein
electrical superintendent
Bourbon Offshore
Frank Coles
president and CEO
Globe Wireless
Lars Brödje
managing director
Telemar Scandinavia
Willy Zeiler
marketing &
communications manager
Jeppesen Marine
Gerry Larson-Fredde
Director General
orwegian Hydrographic
Service
For exhibition or advertising enquiries contact
Ria Kontogeorgou
Direct line: +44(0)20 75104931, Mob: +44 (0)7815 481036
To register: E-mail Diana Leahy Engelbrecht on [email protected]
Admission is free for shipping company employees and
OK 4186 / GBP 450 / Eur 450 for others.
For details of more future Digital Ship events see page 31
Digital Ship Limited, 213 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 0015 Fax: +44 (0)20 7510 2344 www.thedigitalship.com
An independent contractor hired by the US
Coast Guard to determine the effects that
wind turbines in Nantucket Sound may
have on the operation of marine radars has
presented its findings to the Southeastern
Massachusetts Harbour Safety and Security
Forum.
The Coast Guard hired Technoogy
Service Corporation to conduct the radar
study after two separate reports reached
differing conclusions. The two reports were
completed on behalf of Cape Wind
Associates and the Alliance to Protect
Nantucket Sound.
Coast Guard Headquarters were expected to submit the Coast Guard's recommendation to the Minerals Management Service
(MMS), the approval agency for the Cape
Wind project, by January 15, 2009.
"The Coast Guard's responsibility is to
determine whether or not the area can
remain safely navigable if MMS approves
the wind farm," said Capt Liam Slein, of the
First Coast Guard District.
"It is a responsibility the Coast Guard
does not take lightly and the Commandant
requested more time to fully consider the
report and the wind farm's potential
impact on navigation safety."
The public comment period for the
project closed in April, but a new opportunity for public comment will exist when
MMS publishes its Final Environmental
Impact Statement.
Revised ECS standard published
www.rtcm.org
Special Committee 109 of the Radio
Technical Commission for Maritime
Services (RTCM) has published the latest
edition of its standard for Electronic Chart
Systems (ECS).
Different to the Electronic Chart
Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)
that can be used for compliant navigation
of SOLAS vessels, this new RTCM standard for Electronic Chart Systems incorporates a number of advances developed
since 2002 when the previous edition of
the ECS standard was published.
The standard specifies the minimum
operational and performance requirements and methods of testing for ECS.
Three classes of ECS are defined. Class
'A' ECS are designed or adapted for use as
a primary means of navigation on non-
SOLAS vessels where ECDIS is not specified for that purpose. They may also be
designed to meet the SOLAS requirements
for adequate independent back-up
arrangements for ECDIS.
Class 'B' ECS are designed or adapted for
use as a primary means of navigation on
non-SOLAS vessels where ECDIS or Class
'A' ECS are not specified for that purpose.
Class 'C' ECS are designed or adapted
for use as a navigational aid intended to
plot and monitor a vessel’s position.
This standard supersedes RTCM
10900.3 (RTCM Paper 100-2002/SC109STD). RTCM may replace requirements of
this standard with references to IEC 62376
when that standard is published.
Designated as RTCM 10900.4, the new
standard is available from RTCM at its
secure online publication store at
www.rtcm.org.
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17:34
Page 5
Digital Ship
Fugro launches combined GPS/GLONASS system
www.fugroseastar.no
Norwegian navigation specialist Fugro
Seastar has launched its new SeaSTAR
G2 high performance navigation
service, combining the navigation satellites of both American GPS
and Russia’s GLONASS
to produce a composite
GPS/ GLONASS position
solution.
The
service
utilises
Fugro’s own network of dual
system reference stations to
calculate ‘orbit and clock’
errors on a satellite by satellite basis for all 50 satellites
of the two global navigation
satellite systems, which it
says allows for consistent
decimetre level accuracy
positioning on a world wide
basis.
As well as broadcasting
the
correction
signals,
Fugro also provides its ‘G2
Engine’ end user position
processing software, which
is embedded in compatible
receivers.
At the present time
the Russian GLONASS
positioning system does not
offer full global coverage on
a 24 hour basis, so in the
Fugro system these satellites are used to supplement
GPS, but when the Russian
system does become fully
available (expected by early
2011) it will be possible
to select single system
GPS or GLONASS modes
for
increased
system
independence.
Tor Melgard, research
and development manager
for
Fugro
Seastar,
stated that: “As far as we
know this is the first realtime, precise, orbit and
clock solution developed
by a commercial company
for GLONASS, and it is
also the first combined orbit
and clock GPS/ GLONASS
solution from any real time
source."
"This achievement has
been possible because of
Fugro’s long experience
in the field of precise
satellite based positioning
systems. The development
of G2 has benefited from
the
close
cooperation
between Fugro Seastar and
ESOC (European Space
Operation Centre), a division of ESA (European
Space Agency)”
Managing director Arne
Norum added: Although
there
may
be
some
improvements in accuracy
in comparison to single
system services, this is not
really the goal of G2. Our customers utilising differential satellite navigation
services are quite happy with existing
accuracy. What they are seeking is
improved service reliability and availability, and this is what G2 offers."
"By using the full range of satellites
from both the American and Russian systems we can ensure best possible service
reception – even when satellite visibility is
partially obstructed by large structures or
ionospheric disturbances. Use of more
satellites also improves reliability by confirming data validity.”
Fugro says that the G2 service has
undergone extensive laboratory and field
tests and is expected to be available from
1st February 2009.
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17:34
Page 6
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION
Developing an ECDIS mindset
With mandatory ECDIS carriage coming up in 2012, a number of mariners may need to update their training and develop
new navigational skills. Dr Andy Norris explores the difference between using paper charts and the ECDIS mindset
MO’s action to make the carriage of
ECDIS compulsory on a broad range
of ships during the next decade is to
be welcomed.
It has the real possibility of improving
safety as it creates more opportunities to
increase the situational awareness of the
bridge team.
In particular, because of the time savings that ECDIS gives, more effort can be
directed to observing the situation from
the bridge windows and assessing data
from other navigational aids and sources
of information.
However, transitioning to electronic
chart practices is no easy matter for
mariners who have used paper charts
throughout their careers.
It requires a surprisingly different way
of thinking that is certainly not immediately picked up by attending an ECDIS course
lasting a few days – it is not just a matter of
learning the functionality of ECDIS.
True familiarity can only come with
extended use.
Much of the discussion on the training
issues for ECDIS has concentrated on the
differences in detailed operation between
equipment from different manufacturers.
This is not a minor issue and it has
emphasised the need for suitable familiarisation training based on the particular
ECDIS fitted to the ship.
However, it has tended to obscure
some of the more fundamental issues that
arise when transitioning to ECDIS and the
need to develop a surprisingly different
approach and mindset.
Among various issues there are two
major ones – the need to zoom and scroll
on an electronic chart and the differences
in chart presentation on ECDIS and paper,
including symbology differences.
I
Zooming and scrolling
Perhaps the greatest difference compared
to the use of paper charts is that ECDIS
only gives a small window onto a chart at
any one time. The IMO minimum area for
the actual chart display is a 270 mm
square, which is ten times smaller in area
than a typical unfolded paper chart.
This means that good use has to be
made of scrolling and zooming facilities in
order to get a reasonable impression of the
present and predicted situation. When
using paper charts the equivalent impression can normally be adequately given by
simply glancing at a single chart.
The brain appears to need to learn how
to assimilate the full situation when using
ECDIS zooming and scrolling functions.
Users who have not got to grips with this
aspect invariably have an appropriate
paper chart ready at the chart table for
immediate inspection.
While this is understandable, it takes
away the incentive to learn to assimilate
the full picture just using ECDIS.
Having a reference paper chart also
gives many users confidence that should
the ECDIS fail there is a familiar ‘fail safe’
back up, even if the ship is fitted with a second ECDIS as the official backup system.
However, this reliance on paper is perhaps misguided and users should really
be concentrating on building up a full skill
base in the confident use of ECDIS.
It is not really a viable option to dual
use ECDIS with paper charts as it gives
ECDIS offers new information, such as
safety contours and depths, which change
the appearance of the ENC on the display,
depending on how these parameters have
been set. This can be disconcerting to
many new users.
Also, there is a lot of fear by transitioning users about the ‘layering ‘of data on
ENCs, perhaps because the dangers of
misuse are emphasised on ECDIS courses,
with little discussion on its benefits in spe-
It takes time for people familiar with using paper charts to adapt to operating with ECDIS
extra work for the OOW, diluting its main
benefit of providing opportunities for
increased situational awareness.
It also requires the ship management
company to continue to purchase paper
charts, significantly adding to the cost burden of ECDIS. Also, these charts need to
be kept up-to-date, even if a second ECDIS
was to be used for backup, further adding
to the time burden on bridge staff.
These points are particularly important
to assess when ship owners are considering what official backup system should be
provided. If paper charts are used then the
OOW will be increasing rather than reducing the time spent on charting activities,
significantly reducing the safety benefits
of ECDIS use.
This is because the backup system must
be available for immediate use and therefore the route must be marked, past positions plotted and the charts needed for the
voyage fully corrected.
Chart presentation
Another significant difference of ECDIS,
compared to the use of paper charts, that
requires the brain to adapt is the different
‘look’ of the chart area and its features.
Paper charts have become very familiar to users since their college days. This
familiarity means that it is very easy to get
immediate assimilation of a situation. It
takes time to develop a similar familiarity
with ECDIS.
cial circumstances and the ease of switching to the Standard Display.
In fact the Standard Display has been
well thought out by IMO and offers all
information needed for normal navigation, but because it lacks certain features
that are evident on a paper chart, particularly textual information, it looks inadequate to the inexperienced ECDIS user.
Novice users tend to forget that they
can interrogate displayed objects for more
information, including chart symbols they
do not recognise. This negates the need for
a reference book on ENC symbology,
which is often asked for.
The official IHO publication on this (S-57
Appendix B.1 Annex D) is an electronic document with 99 pages of dense tabulation,
which automatically calls up other lengthy
documents. Its use is not an effective way of
getting to grips with ENC symbology.
Because the displayed image is more
immediately recognisable many mariners
prefer to use ARCS raster charts rather
than ENCs. However, ENCs provide a
superior chart database for many reasons
and it is imperative that users get fully
familiar with their use, rather than concentrate their electronic chart working into
using raster data.
In fact, IMO only permits official raster
charts (such as ARCS) to be used if suitable ENCs for the area are not available.
This precludes their use as the primary
charting data in most European waters,
which already have good ENC coverage.
Transition
Unfortunately, the transition from paper to
electronic chart technology will create safety problems unless handled very carefully.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the long
transition period. At various dates from
2012 to 2015 the legislation will apply to all
new builds over 10,000 gt and also smaller
new passenger ships and tankers.
Within the same timescale existing passenger ships above 500 gt and tankers
above 3,000 gt will also have to be fitted.
By the end of 2018 the legislation will
cover all existing ships above 10,000 gt.
At present there are no plans to mandate other ships to carry ECDIS and this
means that there will be an extended period lasting well into the 2020s when many
ships will not have to have it fitted.
During this time a lot of OOWs will
have to change from paper to electronic
chart practices and back again, when they
transfer to different ships.
Unfortunately, it has become clear that
as bridge staff become familiar with ECDIS
they start losing their familiarity with
paper charts. After about a year the transition back can require some retraining.
Because of the relative ease of route
planning on ECDIS it will be frustrating
for staff to have to go back to the tedium of
using paper charts, including the need for
the many corrections to be applied by
hand. This may encourage short cuts to be
taken, which could compromise safety.
It is now also clear that the principles
learnt during ECDIS training are quickly
forgotten if the trainee does not immediately start using ECDIS as the primary
chart system.
Such aspects create real training and
placement difficulties for companies, and
very careful management of these aspects
will be necessary if safety is not to be
compromised.
However, this is yet another reason why
market forces are likely to encourage ECDIS
use in advance of the legislation. It is certainly difficult to believe that any commercially and safety aware company will still be
using paper charts in 10 years time.
DS
Dr Andy orris has been well-known in the maritime navigation industry
for a number of years. He has spent much of his time managing high-tech
navigation companies but now he is working on broader issues within the
navigational world, providing both technical and business consultancy to
the industry, governmental bodies and maritime organizations.
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Page 7
p25-32:p26-32.qxd
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Page 8
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