Rydex develops ship shore document replicator
http://www.rydex.com 

Ship shore data communications experts Rydex has made a tie up with iORA, which produces software to update remote computers, to create a package to enable shipping companies to cost effectively keep the shipboard procedures documentation up to date.

The two companies working together have developed a tool called Data Replicator, which enables shipboard documentation to be automatically updated when the documentation is updated on shore. 

The system is used by a number of high profile shipping clients, including Alaska Tankers, Wallenius Lines, US Navy and Shell. 

The system can be used for keeping the ISM and ISO 9002 documentation onboard ship up to date, including safety management procedures.

The system works with any kind of document, including images, text files, pdf, word documents and web pages. 

The replication also works the other way of course, from ship back to shore. So shipboard staff can update documents and complete forms, which are automatically sent back to the company. This should all result in reduced administration onboard.

"People get fined if the shipboard documentation is not up to date," says Paul Jolley, sales director Rydex. "The ship can get detained and one detention can really hamper the charter rate." 

The iORA publisher software was originally designed for land applications - companies with mobile employees could make sure that they could instantly access the latest company information, without needing their mobile computers to have a live data communications link. The company information can be stored on the mobile computer and automatically updated by the iORA software.