Digital Ship newsletter subscriber version July 11, 2002 __________ MARITIME SUPPLY CHAINS * Rotterdam port establishes Portinfolink for information and communications services * North of England P+I Club trials online insurance broker service * APL allows customers to pay for shipping charges with online credit card COMMUNICATIONS, SOFTWARE AND E-BUSINESS * ShipyardXchange counts 1000 rfqs * ShipServ launches onboard catalogue * Easylink offers maritime voice service * IMPA to host maritime e-commerce conferences * ABS NS installs fleet management software at Maine Maritime Academy * Nautical Institute to test out crew calling equipment on Peruvian trek MARITIME OPERATIONS * Kongsberg to supply $1.2m equipment to Hyundai South Korea dockyard * Transas sells training simulator to Estonian Maritime Academy * Furuno expects BSH type approval for its AIS shortly * Solar Solve sells anti glare screens in South Korea and gets DNV approval __________ **** MARITIME SUPPLY CHAINS **** Baltic Exchange plans electronic future http://www.balticexchange.com The Baltic Exchange has stated that its electronic platform, Baltic Exchange.com, is an "integral part of its strategy to consolidate its central position internationally." "We will be taking this initiative forward so that we provide further services which our members want at competitive prices; this will be the major thrust in the coming period," said Peter Kitching, chairman. "We see exciting opportunities with our electronic platform which we will be pursuing vigorously in the coming months." The company sees its the online platform for users to advertise and find potential matches for their orders as an electronic "floor". The platform is also being useful as a distribution channel for the Baltic's freight market data. The Baltic Exchange shareholders have elected a director from outside the UK for the first time, Michael McClure, VP of Navios International in the US. Mr McClure is a leader in the Baltic's Freight Market Information Users Group. Rotterdam port establishes Portinfolink for information and communications services http://www.portmanagement.com Rotterdam Municipal Port Management (RMPM) has founded a new company, Portinfolink, to supply information and communications services to the port community. The ultimate objective is to build a port communications network, focussing initially on the chemicals and container sector. It will develop a communications platform, with a link to the Customs Service, a berth planning system for chemicals and a database of harmful substances. The service is directed by Bart Roozekrans, previously with the Rotterdam office of Mitsui OSK Lines. __________ North of England P+I Club trials online insurance broker service http://www.nepia.com The North of England P+I Association is trialling an online insurance broking service from Aon, one of the world's largest insurance brokers. The system, called Compass, enables shipbrokers to purchase and manage their hull, P+I and other insurance online. "We see Compass as an important opportunity to improve our understanding of how we can continue to improve services to our 440 members world-wide through the benefits of information technology," comments the club. The club plans to launch an extranet later this year through which members can access all underwriting, claims and accounting records; it also recently launched an online version of its distance-learning course in P&I insurance. The club points out that the system is not intended to eliminate face to face contact between owners, brokers and insurers, but to enable them to price, negotiate and place insurance more quickly than using paper based systems. Brokers can meet owners face to face and then send data about the risk to Aon's marine division, which then prepares electronic documentation and markets the risk to a panel of underwriters. __________ APL allows customers to pay for shipping charges with online credit card http://www.apl.com Shipping line APL is allowing customers to pay certain container shipping charges with a credit card over its website, the first shipping line to do so. It is initially offering this option for fees related to usage of the box container beyond the actual shipment, including for storage purposes at the customer's premises, known as demurrage. Demurrage fees are often the last fees to be paid before the customer's container is released from the terminal, and the shipment can be held up if they are not paid in a timely manner. With this system, as soon as the payment is made over the website, the container can be released. The payment capability is available for shipments arriving at APL facilities in the US, Canada and Mexico, soon to be extended to other regions. __________ **** Communications, software and e-business **** ShipyardXchange counts 1000 rfqs http://www.shipyardxchange.com ShipyardXchange, a Norwegian e-procurement portal for shipyards, has now carried 1000 requests for quotes, as well as awarding orders for almost Euro 20m to suppliers. It serves 160 suppliers in total. __________ ShipServ launches onboard catalogue http://www.shipserv.com Ship supply management company ShipServ has launched ShipCat, a catalogue tool which runs onboard the vessel, which seafarers can use to manage their purchasing. The information in the catalogue can be updated by the suppliers directly. ShipCat links to ShipLink, the company's shipboard requisition generator. __________ Easylink offers maritime voice service http://www.easylink.com Easylink Services Corporation, the electronic messaging company which acquired ship-shore communications company GN Comtext last year, has launched a maritime voice service, OCEAN-Connect Voice. The service has no installation costs, monthly fees, contracts or minimums; Easylink claims that it "offers a significant reduction in airtime charges". The ambition is to make OCEAN-Connect Voice a "one stop shop" for communications related requirements. __________ IMPA to host maritime e-commerce conferences http://www.impa.net The International Maritime Purchasing Association (IMPA) will be holding a number of workshops about e-commerce at its conference this year in London on Sept 11-12. The theme of the conference is "Rising to challenges in marine purchasing strategy." There is a workshop presented by Philip van Bergen, secretariat of the Maritime E-commerce Association, about "analysing and overcoming obstacles to e-commerce", and a workshop sponsored by ShipS3erv about using influencing tools in e-commerce, presented by John Shearn of PFA Research. __________ ABS NS installs fleet management software at Maine Maritime Academy http://www.abs-ns.com ABS Nautical Systems has installed its fleet management software at the Maine Maritime Academy, US, onboard its training ship "T/V State of Maine." Modules include maintenance and repair, purchasing and inventory control, financial reporting, crew management, payroll, document management, ISM compliance, vessel drawings and hull maintenance. __________ Nautical Institute to test out crew calling equipment on Peruvian trek www.nautinst.org Julie Lithgow and Brian Bailey of the Nautical Institute are participating in a sponsored trek in Peru in aid of the Mission to Seafarers. The trek aims to raise enough money to pay for a full time port chaplain for a whole year. As part of the trek, Julie and Brian will be carrying communications equipment which they will use to relay their daily diary and live pictures back so their trek can be followed on the Internet. They have also been approached to use this trek to carry out a test of seafarer calling equipment, to evaluate how effective it is for making phone calls from remote areas, in terms of call quality, call cost, equipment cost, call reliability and equipment portability. Julie and Brian would very much like to hear from suppliers of equipment and airtime which they can test, and offer to carry portable crew calling equipment with them, such as an Iridium handset and a portable Inmarsat mini-M phone, if they receive a sponsorship of just GBP 2,500 per piece of equipment. The results will be written up in full in Digital Ship and made available to other publications. They also hope to use Inmarsat GAN technology to send back video footage and photographs from the trek for live and interactive updates. Julie can be contacted on Lithgow@nauticalcampus.org __________ **** MARITIME OPERATIONS **** Kongsberg to supply $1.2m equipment to Hyundai South Korea dockyard http://www.kmss.no Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has received an order worth $1.2m from the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, to supply its integrated bridge system, BridgeLine, to fit on four 2826 TEU vessels. The system includes radar, steering control, track pilot, speedlog, echosounder, ECDIS, DGPS and GMDSS. __________ Transas sells training simulator to Estonian Maritime Academy http://www.transas.com Transas has launched a ship handling simulator at the Estonian Maritime Academy (EMA) in Talinn. The facility has one instructor station, a bridge, ARPA radar and ECDIS. As part of the contract Transas will produce two new sailing areas for the simulator, covering the Estonian ports of Talinn and Muuga. __________ Furuno expects BSH type approval for its AIS shortly http://www.furuno.com Maritime electronics company Furuno has announced that development and testing of its automatic identification system (AIS) for ships is completed and the unit is now under type approval with BSH in Germany, with a type approval "foreseen" very soon. The company has also completed development and testing of its new voyage data recorder, VR-5000, also currently under type approval testing with BSH in Germany. __________ Solar Solve sells anti glare screens in South Korea and gets DNV approval http://www.solasolv.com UK ship bridge screen manufacturer Solar Solve reports "one of its biggest orders" received for an undisclosed client in South Korea, providing nine sets of screens for four different shipyards, with a total order value of GBP 15,000. "This will maintain our position as the Number One supplier of Sunglasses for Ships," comments John Lightfoot, chairman. The company has also achieved accreditation by classification society DNV. The blinds reduce glare, heat and UV light. __________ published by Digital Ship Ltd, 213 Marsh Wall, London, UK, E14 9FJ Tel (+44 207) 510 0015 Fax (+44 207) 510 2315 http://www.thedigitalship.com