Digital Ship - maritime software, satcoms, security, electronics and internet news
Digital Ship Athens – over 100 registered
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Over 100 people, delegates and speakers, have registered so far to attend Digital
Ship Athens conference and exhibition on May 21-22, including 40 IT managers
of shipping companies. The conference is about gaining value from satcoms, software
and electronics.
Star Information
Systems signs software contract with Color Line
Crystal Pool
opts for ShipNet software
447 vessels
trading through Marine Transaction Services
Transmarine
Navigation celebrates 2 years of using Navarik software
Kronodoc
to present knowledge management tool for shipping at Norshipping
HydroComp
launches software to manage and analyse marine equipment perfomance
Consultas
appoints ex Wallenius customer service head as MD
Port of London
has interactive rivermap
Rydex launches
disaster recovery system
Rydex system
for Lotus Notes users over satcom
MTN signs
3 year VSAT contract with Louis Cruise Lines
Dirkzwager
has IT products at Norshipping
Singapore
masters must record all radio comms incidents
US Coastguard
detains cruise vessel following security breaches
Hong Kong
to join US container security initiative pilot
Kuwait Coast
Guard orders Atlas VTS
Dublin Port
Company uses Klein Systems VTS
Manilla terminal
sets up online payment facility
FT Everard
to use UKHO ECDIS service
McMurdo offers
AIS training
Norcontrol
IT to handle AIS network testing for MCA
Lillie and
Gilley online chart management service
C-MAP appoints
UK sales manager
Norwegian maritime software company Star Information Systems has signed a retrofit and newbuild software contract with Color Line, to install shipboard fleet management software onboard 9 vessels.
Application and database server software are installed at Color Line`s computer centre in Oslo with on line direct access from the vessels through a terminal server and VSAT satellite communication.
The contract includes the world's largest cruise ferry, which will replace "Prinsesse Ragnhild" on the Oslo-Kiel service as of December 2004.
Color Line's vessels sail from Norway to Denmark, Germany and Sweden. The vessels must coordinate many tasks, including planned maintenance, documents, budgeting and cost control, purchasing /requisition, and, as well as, insurance and claim handling.
The Star IPS system gives each ship and shore-based control an accurate picture of where time and money is being lost or saved and helps target areas where efforts should be focused.
Accurate information on equipment to be maintained, its components and ongoing production or workload requirements are vital to a successful shipboard maintenance program. Parts and supplies must be procured in advance, in a well-planned fashion to complete maintenance tasks and operational responsibilities on schedule.
Chemical tanker company Crystal Pool has decided to install an integrated ShipNet system covering chartering, operations, invoicing and accounting.
Crystal Pool runs a "semi-liner" service between Baltic and North Sea ports. The company comments that it installed the system to improve integration between different aspects of the business and enable faster access to information.
The trade is described as hectic and being dominated by frequent port calls, rapid response to alterations in sailing schedule as well as cargo alterations.
The staff will use the system to avoid repetitive data entry and tedious work moving information around the company.
Meanwhile Italian shipowner Fratelli D'Amato has chosen an integrated ShipNet system covering Time Charter management and operation, for its fleet of bulkers and tankers, both owned and on time charter.
Marine Transaction Services, the e-procurement portal backed by Alfa Laval, BP Marine and Unitor, says that 447 vessels are currently using the system, enabling customers to obtain price and product information immediately and placing orders.
Bulk cargo shipping agency Transmarine, with offices in the US, Canada, Mexico and Singapore, is “celebrating” having used Navarik web based ship agency software for two years.
Transmarine uses the software in all 12 of its offices to track vessel activity from nomination through to vessel departure and account closure.
Recent additions to the system include online customs and bill
of lading document preparation (as PDF's) and improved port log tracking.
Finnish software company Kronodoc plans to present a knowledge management tool intended for information management of projects and tasks for shipowners and shipyards, at Norshipping.
Maritime software company HydroComp has launched SwiftTrial, a tool for management and analysis of sea trials of vessels, analysing such factors as propeller efficiency, and thrust.
Sample report -
http://www.hydrocompinc.com/SwiftTrial/02d-ReportManagerMP.htm
Sample graphs -
http://www.hydrocompinc.com/SwiftTrial/02d-GraphReportMulti.htm
Norwegian maritime software company Consultas has appointed Morten Kjoerem as managing director. Mr Kjoerem was previously head of customer service, Europe, Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The company has appointed mew area representatives in France and Greece.
www.portoflondon.co.uk/rivermap
The Port of London has set up an interactive rivermap, with information about terminals in the river Thames.
The map is part of a drive by the Port to increase its appeal as a gateway to the UK and Europe.
Users are able to zoom from a thumbnail of the entire tidal Thames to pinpoint the specific location of any terminal, as well as panning and navigating along the length of the river.
Ship shore communications technology company Rydex has launched RecoveryHub, a Disaster Recovery solution for Rydex private e-mail hub customers.
The tool ensures that if anything goes wrong with the hub, a fleet's e-mail and data communications systems can be restored in minutes.
Ship shore data communications technology company Rydex has a solution for shipping companies sending ship – shore e-mail over Lotus Notes, developed together with ID Scandinavia.
Rather than use the Lotus Notes software system, which is expensive in satcom charges, the files are transferred over Rydex. But the system is seamless to the user.
"With Rydex rmx2 Lotus Notes Replicator we can guarantee existing Notes/Domino & ID Scandinavia customers substantial cost savings on their air-time bills, but still maintain highly efficient message and document replication,” says Rydex MD Roger Adamson.
“What's more, these customers will also have free access to the extensive feature list provided by rmx2.
“These maritime-related features range from crew mail to file transfer and task
management.”
Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN) has signed a three year agreement with Louis Cruise Lines to install VSAT communications onboard its vessel Thomson Spirit.
The communications system will be used for shore to ship phone calls, shipboard internet access and faxing. Passengers will have a shipboard internet café.
Rotterdam port services agency Royal Dirkzwager will have a number of IT products on display at Norshipping.
This includes:
Communication alert, a tool for emergency response planning
Communication messaging, a tool for communications with vessels
ShipInfo, a tool providing ship movement information for vessels from Le Havre to Hamburg
Position Information, worldwide reporting of vessel positions
Tracker information, enabling people to monitor a specific fleet of vessels, which is not necessarily their own fleet
Information Watch, receiving arrival reports of vessels in the Port of Rotterdam
Port Management System, a software tool for port authorities to assist with administrative services
http://www.mpa.gov.sg/homepage/mcp/mc03-06.htm
The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority has issued a circular requiring ships registered in Singapore to keep records of incidents connected with the radiocommunication service which appear to be of importance to safety of life at sea.
Incidents which must be recorded include breakdowns of satellites / coast earth stations, adverse radio propagation conditions, breaches of radio procedures by other stations and false alerts.
http://www.uscg.mil/d8/dpa/043-03.htm
The US Coastguard detained cruise ship Holiday in New Orleans following what it describes as “breaches of security” during the “passenger embarkation process”.
The incident began at 4pm when Coastguard were advised that a passenger had inadvertently brought a handgun onboard the vessel in his luggage.
An hour later four bullets were found on a passageway; an inspection showed that the bullets had not come from this specific gun.
Coastguard also learned that one of the persons operating the baggage screening equipment in the port had “not received necessary training”.
Later that evening, another passenger reported that his father had “ammunition” in his luggage. This “ammunition” was inspected, but did not match either the four bullets or the weapon fun.
At 1 am, following an announcement on the vessel’s public address system, a passenger came forward and identified the four bullets found on the passageway floor, saying they matched more ammunition and a weapon in his vehicle.
The Port of Hong Kong has announced that it will start on a pilot scheme for the US Government's Container Security Initiative, meaning that a number of US Customs officers will be stationed in Hong Kong.
The officers will They will undertake anti-terrorist risk analysis of containers destined for the US from Hong Kong with their own sources of cargo information. They will not have any inspection or enforcement power in Hong Kong.
All inspections of identified containers will be carried out by the Hong Kong Customs.
The US is Hong Kong's second largest trading partner, and Hong Kong accounts for the largest share of sea containers entering the US, with 6,000 TEU shipped from Hong Kong on a daily basis.
STN Atlas has won a contract to supply the Kuwaiti National Coast Guard with a radar-based coastal surveillance system due to enter service in 2005.
It comprises 9 Atlas high resolution VTS radar stations. Some stations will have radio direction finders and meterological sensors. The stations are connected by microwave links to VTS sub-centres. The main surveillance centre is in Fintas.
Dublin Port Company has announced that it will buy a vessel traffic management information system from Klein Systems of Vancouver.
The system will go live in August 2003, managing vessel activity, services tracking, reporting, analysis and billing.
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. recently expanded e-commerce at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT)
with the inclusion of an online payment facility.
The new facility is Equitable PCI Bank's (EPCIB) FastNet. Customers can make payments online in the terminal's offices, without needing any cash.
UK shipping company FT Everard has signed up to be the first company to use the UK Hydrographic Office's ECDIS service, which combines supply of electronic navigation charts (ENCs) with Admiralty Raster Charts (ARCs) in a single service.
FT Everard has been using ARCS since its launch in 1996. It has ECDIS systems on its latest newbuild tankers.
Under the scheme, UKHO will replace the ARCS charts with ENCS as soon as they become available at no additional cost to the shipping company.
AIS manufacturer McMurdo is offering technical training courses for installation and commissioning of Class A Universal Identification Systems (UAIS). The first course is in April, following the MT-1 McMurdo system.
Norcontrol IT has been chosen by the UK maritime and coastguard agency to do a trial of its network of base stations, network control functions and AIS database.
The work is a continuation of the Channel Navigation Information Service System, recently installed in Dover, UK, by Norcontrol.
"We will be delivering web-based applications that provide a seamless connection to the AIS Database so that data on all AIS tracks shall be automatically captured, collected and sorted," says Norcontrol.
Eventually up to 80% of the UK's AIS traffic will be tracked and ten Maritime Rescue Centres will have access to positional and static data related to the shipping in their region."
http://www.lilleyandgillie.co.uk
UK chart agents Lillie and Gilley have launched and online charts management service, enabling customers to obtain information about the charts onboard their vessels over the internet.
The service also provides information about items supplied, address.
There is a "superintendent check list" function, which enables superintendents to generate a random list of 20 charts onboard one of their vessels. They can then go onboard and check those charts are actually there, as an audit that the procedures are being followed.
Electronic chart company C-MAP has appointed John Muldowney as UK sales manager. Mr Muldowney was recently with Nera and Marconi Marine and will lead expansion of C-MAP’s electronic chart sales in the UK.
He will also provide an optimised direct service to the existing customer base, as well as the manufacturers, distributors and dealers.