Maersk buys 160 Transas ECDIS http://www.transas.com It's party time at Transas once again, as shipping line Maersk places an order for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) running onboard 160 vessels. The contract was signed between Transas Scandinavia and INFOCOM Systems, a technology subsidiary of A P Moller, Maersk's parent company. The vessels will be supplied with a Navi-Sailoer 2400 ECDIS with radar overlay over the electronic charts. They will also have a full world folio of Transas own electronic charts and a subscription to the Transas chart correction service. Transas will supply its weather forecast information service, Weather Wizard, onto each ship. Transas is also supplying an office ECDIS system for the A P Moller head office in Copenhagen and 6 simulator training systems for installation at Maersk training centres. Installations of the systems will be carried out by Maersk engineers. Transas Scandinavia will arrange a dedicated installation training course for Maersk Engineers in Gothenburg. Maersk has been evaluating the system since February this year, when it installed a Transas ECDIS, including a Weather Wizard application onboard its container vessel M/S Chastine Maersk. The trial lasted three months, with the vessel running between Europe and Asia. According to reports received from Chastine Maersk, this weather forecast service has had a highly beneficial input on the optimisation of the container ship's route planning process. Conference on Maritime Development and Security Deep Singh of the Bluewater Consultancy has sent in early word of this Conference due to take place in London at the IMO on March 13-14, 2002 under the acronym of MARSENS 2002. It is aimed at the needs of emerging nations. So far the speaker list has gathered in the following. His Excellency, Mr. Ma, Chinese Ambassador to UK (Guest of Honour) Mr. William O'Neil, Secretary-General, IMO Mr. Jim Davis CBE, Chairman, IMIF Mr. Peter Faust, Head Trade Logistics, UNCTAD Mr. Ove Tvedt, deputy Sec-Gen, BIMCO Capt. P Mukundan, Director, ICC / IMB Capt. Wei Jiafu, Group President & CEO, COSCO (Beijing) Mr. Darryl West, UK Customs & Excise Mr. Derek Smith, Strategic Accounts Director, Securicor-ADI Ltd. World Bank (to be confirmed) If you want to know more, contact the organisers at: carl.wilks@bluewaterorg.co.uk ====== Hitachi boost for Orbcomm http://www.orbcomm.com Japanese electronics organisation Hitachi has announced plans to work together with satellite communications company Orbcomm. The two companeis will work together to manufacturer and market subscriber communicators and provide Orbcomm systems in Asia-Oceania region. Hitachi will enter a co-operative agreement with Stellar Division, a US company which designs and manufacturers Orbcomm communicators; it also plans to participate in third party capital expansion planned by Orbcomm Japan, making Hitachi the second largest shareholder in Orbcomm Japan. Products being planned include ship navigation control systems, equipment information service for industrial and construction machinery; weather observation services in remote islans and GPS locating services. ---------------------------------------------- Agreement Provides Heavy Equipment Tracking and Monitoring Solution Dulles, VA, October 2, 2001 - ORBCOMM LLC (ORBCOMM), the new owner of the world's first fully operational low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based data communication system, announced today that Caterpillar Inc. (Caterpillar) has renewed its licensing agreement to continue to use the ORBCOMM network to transmit data for Caterpillar's Product Link System. Product Link is a wireless equipment tracking and monitoring solution that enables two-way data communications between Caterpillar on-board machine systems and Caterpillar dealers and customers around the globe. Using the ORBCOMM system, Caterpillar dealers and customers will have access to timely and accurate machine data, such as engine hours, location, event/diagnostic information, as well as status reports on other important machine conditions. Product Link helps Caterpillar dealers more efficiently manage their service contracts, provide more timely preventive maintenance on their equipment and enhance fleet utilization. Today, Caterpillar dealers worldwide, including those in Europe, Asia, South America and North America, are using the Product Link System. "The ORBCOMM network simplifies the management of Caterpillar's Product Link System by offering a 'one-stop shop' for its international business. Moreover, only ORBCOMM's ubiquitous network can communicate with any machine equipped with Product Link anywhere in the world," said James Eagan, ORBCOMM's Senior Vice President of Marketing. "We are extremely pleased that Caterpillar has committed to working with ORBCOMM." Caterpillar's Product Link is available through its dealer network and can be installed on any Caterpillar machine or engine. When fully integrated into Web-based applications, such as Cat Dealer Storefronts, Product Link allows customers and dealers to collaboratively manage a wide variety of product information online, enabling unparalleled levels of service and productivity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caterpillar Inc. (www.caterpillar.com) is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining machinery, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company posted 2000 sales and revenues of $20.2 billion. ===== Shipping industry needs communication and collaboration - IACS http://www.iacs.org.uk At the 5 December meeting between the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), BIMCO, ICS, Intercargo, Intertanko, International Group of P&I CLubs, IUMI and OCIMF, everybody agreed that the making the maritime industry safer and more transparent can only be achieved through active communication and collaboration, IACS says. The meeting agreed to continue discussions at technical working group level, looking at auditing and certification for the ISm code. ===== Philip van Bergen takes the reins at MeCA http://www.meca.org.uk Philip van Bergen, previousy manager of maritime marketing and business development with Inmarsat, VP strategy and business development with GN Comtext, business development manager with BIMCOM and chief officer, cargo superintendent and IT project manager with P&O Nedlloyd, is now appointed secretariat of the Maritime E-Commerce Association (MeCA). Mr van Bergen takes over from Mark Stokes, who has left to join shipmanagement company V Ships. His initial objective at MeCA is to increase membership and generate revenue. He will be working with MeCA initially for 2 days a week, and is available for consultancy work to other parties the remainder of the time. ====== Press Release For Immediate Release December 10, 2001 Hyundai Motor America Selects BridgePoint's Supply Chain Tracking and Visibility Solution to Streamline Global Parts Delivery Solution will integrate data from multiple sources and use it to track, measure and report on the activities of Hyundai's international parts supply chain. Cary, NC, Dec. 10, 2001 - BridgePoint, Inc. (www.bridge-point.com) the leading provider of logistics networking solutions for carriers and shippers today announced that Hyundai Motor America has selected its supply chain tracking and visibility solution to collect and aggregate data from multiple sources. The solution will be used by Hyundai to gain a single view of their supply chain and the detailed information needed to track, measure and report on part availability, order status and carrier performance. With the highest sales percentage increase of any car manufacturer in 2001, Hyundai continues to add new part numbers to the 40,000 already in use. Their successful sales record has a lot to do with the quality of the cars, Hyundai's commitment to customer satisfaction and their ability to keep the customers on the road. "Having accurate knowledge of part availability is often the difference between having a car in the shop and having a happy customer on the road", says George S. Kurth, director, supply chain and logistics at Hyundai Motor America. "BridgePoint's solution provides inbound parts visibility and other tools that will greatly increase our ability to service customers, thereby validating their decision to buy a Hyundai. And that goes a long way to influencing their next car purchase, which is critical to maintaining Hyundai's exceptional sales growth in the future." In addition to parts visibility, BridgePoint's solution will enable Hyundai to achieve several other competitive advantages. These include the ability to reduce on-hand inventory by enabling the allocation of orders to inbound and in-transit parts; the reduction of service calls from dealers by providing accurate ETA's of inbound orders; and the decrease of freight costs by avoiding the need for express shipments and eliminating bottlenecks. All provide significant value, improve the efficiency of Hyundai's parts supply chain and further fosters their customer focus. "Hyundai is an ideal client for BridgePoint," says Richard Lower, director of marketing and corporate strategy at BridgePoint. "They epitomize a growing company with a clear understanding of the rewards available by better managing their supply chain operations. Working together we will be able to further establish Hyundai's logistics network as a strong competitive advantage." About BridgePoint BridgePoint, a division of CSX Corporation, is headquartered in the Research Triangle Community of North Carolina's Raleigh/Durham area. Their logistics networking solutions enable clients to reduce inventory and improve cycle times. The solution suite includes their proven logistics network with data integration and applications for product and order visibility, alerts and exception management, carrier contracting and others that offer immediate value measured in operational improvements and tangible financial results. About Hyundai Motor America Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed in the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 500 dealerships nationwide. For more information, contact Ken Pikulik BridgePoint Inc. 11000 Regency Parkway Cary, NC 27511 919.468.3432 ken_pikulik@bridge-point.com ====== UK, Spain and Singapore back Equasis http://www.equasis.org Equasis, the online database of quality and safety information for the world merchant fleet, has now received additional funding from the UK, Spanish and Singapore governments. Equasis was originally established following a memorandum of understanding signed in May 2000 by the European Commission, US Coast Guard, and the maritime administrations of the UK, France, Spain, Singapore and Japan. However until now the venture has been solely funded by the European Commission and French government. Now funding will also be shared by UK, Spain and Singapore, with the two remaining partners, Japan and the US Coast Guard, investigating hwo ow We have changed our philosophy just a little bit we have seen that the e-commerce is not running as it should we have made our system to fit more into the ship supplier's system we have a link between the ship supplier and also the shipowner and shipmanagement company behind it we are testing a system where we put up a ship supplier, supplier this is the way supply chains should go if you look at the e-commerce companies they have made all the suppliers in one big mess that means that the shipowner or ship supplier they can actually get he goods directly from the ship supplier supplier (manufacturer) he is now running around 3am on board the vessel we need the ship supplier to do this that is the big conflict we only want to show the ship suppliers the chandlers and some special suppliers we want to make a direct link between the ship suppliers and their suppliers that's one thing I don't understand why an organisation like ISSA they are shooting themselves in the foot to put ShipServ up as a preferred e-comemrce company because what they do, they invite all the suppliers around the world to supply the vessel which in the past only ship suppliers are doing we are t we want the manufacturers to be hooked up with the ship suppliers well first of all we want the shipowners and manufacturers to go into the site and use it. ships handlers you can't trespass the ship chandlers in the supply chain because they are the guys who are doing all the hard work, because they are the guys who meet the vessel at 2am you can't just put all the ship suppliers and all the manufacturers including all the ship handlers in the same bunch and say hey, now you can buy it with everybody because the manufacturer is not running around in 2am and visiting the vessel our role is actually to streamline the supply chain and employ the internet as a lets say a role in this this is what real life is about actually what's going on today in the ports this is not something they put the whole thing in one bunch they will never get any support from ship suppliers, never only the big shipowners the big shipowners, representing maybe 15 per cent of the world market of ships the remaining 85 per cent of shipmanagement companies, they are running a different way they are not managed the same way even if you look at the main 15 per cent of big shipowners they already have their own system when they buy to a vessel it has to go to one place they send out the vessel from there those who have to deliver this to them, its already streamlined on contract that is the target actually the remaining 85 per cent of the whole fleet in the world they can't first of all afford to buy it they don't have the technical staff, they don't have the organisation to implement e-commerce into the system what they can do, they can employ the internet to make their purchase a little bit better they can use the internet as anotehr employee to find their supplier and to teach new people that is the tool they can sue not as e-comerc on the other hand, the integration between their supplier very couuld coudl be benefitted in the supply chain, and on the internet he can use e-commerce to streamline business between the two even if you have the internet one guy has to go and pick out the goods on his shelf with the internet the ship supplier can do his businsess a little bit better he can use his stock, or his supplier's stock, then he is able to bring down his stuff to a certain level he says, he can also use his stock that will also give possibilities for the ship suppliers to be stronger, to find more more suppliers who deal with the same product, or to do better, or save some money in the purchase they can't get a higher payment in the purchase they can maybe save a few percent. ====== Lauritzen Cool launches Seaware Onboard The ambition is to provide warning when the cargo and hull is at risk. The system can be used onboard and also for pre-voyage route planning. The system was developed by Swedish company Seaware AB, which is a group of postgraduate researchers from the Institute of Naval Architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, working together with shipping company LauritzenCool since 1998. The system was tested onboard reefer vessel M/V Ivory Dawn during 2001. The system provides information about sea state, wave induced effects, advice on heavy weather manoeuvering, route planning, with continuous recording of the ship's dynamic behaviour and performance. The system evaluates sea condition based on measurements of the motion of the vessel. The system includes a motion sensor and a PC running the software, linking into some of the bridge instruments. The software has advanced mathematical formulas for working out probabilities and linar motion. It can analyse any wave induced effect, to work out things like evaluating the sea state (ie, it is a stormy day), predicting ship motions, predicting ship and cargo comort. Kelvin Hughes new radar contracts http://www.kelvinhughes.com Maritime electronics company Kelvin Hughes has won a deal to supply a high speed radar to SeaCat Scotland, a high speed catamaran ferry running between Belfast and Scotland at up to 40 knots. "With such a fast ferry, it is absolutely crucial that we are able to track objects at high speed, particularly when navigating only by radar," comments SeaCat's operators Sea Containers. "For example, picking out buoys in heavy rain."