Communications Costs News

The commercial shipping world can benefit from greater range of communications and reduced satellite costs. Domestic brown water operators know all too well that’s easier said; than done. Until now.In the fast moving world of blue water, deep draft shipping, the availability of reliable ship-to-shore communications has been a non-issue for at least two decades. More than ever, they need it. These longtime users of so-called ship management software and now, sophisticated remote monitoring systems that watch over even the most obscure minutia on board far flung 1,000 foot ocean liners, need (and get) robust and reliable communications.On the domestic, brown water side of the equation? Not so much.

FUELTRAX optimizes uptime and reduce costs with a real-time marine fuel management solution. Solving your emissions and fuel monitoring reporting and compliance headache is what they are all about.In today’s operating environment, it would be an understatement to say that detailed insight into fuel consumption and efficiency is one key to managing marine operations. But, beyond the operational headache of determining where and why you are consuming so much fuel and so quickly, regulatory compliance is also emerging as a fundamental requirement of modern marine operators. The two cannot be separated any longer. And, that’s where FUELTRAX…

KVH Industries is a manufacturer of solutions that provide global high-speed Internet, television, and voice services via satellite to mobile users at sea and on land. These solutions include the mini-VSAT Broadband network, TracPhone satellite communications antenna systems, and TracVision satellite television antenna systems. KVH is based in Middletown, RI, with research, development, and manufacturing operations in Middletown, RI, and Tinley Park, IL. KVH’s mission is to connect in-motion customers…

KVH Industries, Inc., and Transas announced today a strategic relationship designed to ensure vessels at sea receive affordable, timely updates of mandatory electronic chart data. The CHARTlink channel of KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service will support delivery of chart and other data updates from Transas, a producer of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) and a leading provider of electronic navigation charts (ENC) and data services. This is the first of many steps envisioned by Transas for delivery of value-added data for shipboard use with the IP-MobileCast service. International maritime regulations mandate the use of ECDIS for commercial and passenger vessels.

Applied Weather Technology, Inc. (AWT), a StormGeo company, today announced a partnership with KVH Industries, Inc. to deliver AWT’s BVS high-resolution weather data via the KVH IP-MobileCast WEATHERlink service. AWT’s BVS 7 weather forecasts and ocean data will be delivered to vessels at sea via KVH IP-MobileCast, a service utilizing multicasting technology for a low fixed monthly fee. The data will be updated up to four times per day to help ships optimize voyage planning and safety. The BVS 7 voyage optimization system provides on-board and around-the-clock weather-routing information. KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service will provide captains access to BVS 7’s global…

KVH says it plans to offer affordable delivery of AWT’s global weather data to subscribing vessels over the mini-VSAT Broadband network. KVH Industries explains that it has become the WEATHERlink launch partner for KVH’s IP-MobileCast content delivery service. KVH will use IP-MobileCast multicasting technology, to deliver AWT’s high-resolution weather and ocean data to ships at sea for a low fixed monthly fee. AWT is a marine industry leader in weather forecasting and ship routing. The AWT data, which includes forecasts with wind, wave, visibility, and currents with tidal stream data, will be updated up to four times per day to help ships optimize voyage planning and safety.

The IP-MobileCast content delivery service developed by KVH Industries, Inc., for its mini-VSAT Broadband satellite network is now live, constituting a maritime industry first that will enable seafarers in the middle of the ocean to have affordable access to daily digital newspapers, television news, sports updates, music, new-release blockbuster movies and TV programs via a multicasting service. KVH  recently completed successful beta testing of IP-MobileCast, and is making the…

Intellian has won the contract to supply Hanjin Shipping of South Korea, with FleetBroadband FB500 terminals for a fleet of 38 container ships. The installation process has already commenced and will be completed by Intellian over the coming months as the ships arrive into port. The FB500 is the largest of Intellian's FleetBroadband product range and provides the fastest and most cost-effective FleetBroadband service available. It is designed specifically for intensive use onboard merchant and offshore vessels using Inmarsat’s I4 satellite, global broadband coverage.

Users of the Voyager Planning Station, developed by Global Navigation Solutions, the maritime services group, can now plot their route directly onto the official ENCs on board their vessel. Visitors to this year’s Marintec China exhibition will have the opportunity to see a demonstration of this new feature. Providing a single all inclusive back of bridge solution, Voyager Planning Station enables the navigator to passage plan using live data. A route can be plotted directly onto Voyager’s enhanced ENC display…

As maritime markets continue to recover and interest and investment in advanced communication systems picks up steam, Tore Morten Olsen, Head of Maritime Services at Astrium Services, says the focus now shifts now from simple connectivity to providing specific business solutions at sea. While the evolution of communications at sea has had its fair share of starts and stops, largely driven by overriding economic conditions of the day as well as the stale notion that communications costs are an expense versus an investment…

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) announces that German shipping company Reederei Werner Bockstiegel has selected Iridium Pilot(TM) to upgrade its shipping fleet with broadband communications. Globecomm Maritime, a long-standing Iridium partner, is offering Iridium Pilot as part of an upgraded "Telaurus se@COMM" communications package, and will manage the installation fleet-wide. "We're seeing a rapidly growing appetite among maritime customers to migrate from out-dated narrowband services to satellite broadband communications solutions," said Greg Ewert, executive vice president of global distribution channels at Iridium. "We are proud to expand our service to Reederei Werner Bockstiegel through our innovative partner Globecomm Maritime.

Sandigan reports improved applications performance and crew productivity. Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has been selected by Sandigan Ship Services, Inc. to deploy the Inmarsat FleetBroadband satellite communications service on Sandigan’s fleet of commercial vessels. Based in The Philippines, Sandigan manages a global fleet that includes bulk carriers and car carriers. FleetBroadband from Stratos already has been successfully deployed on 12 Sandigan vessels.

MIDDLETOWN, RI – Maersk Tankers, a division of A.P. Moller Maersk AS, has chosen the CommBox™ Ship/Shore Network Manager from KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) to increase efficiency and lower communications costs aboard 70 vessels. This is in addition to 50 CommBox-equipped vessels that Maersk brought onboard with its acquisition of Broström tankers in 2010. Copenhagen, Denmark-based Maersk will utilize the CommBox network management solution onboard these 120 vessels for least cost routing and to coordinate file transfers, e-mail, and Internet access for both business and crew use.

Marlink has introduced a range of new FleetBroadband Bundles which can be purchased with its two and three year price plans. The new bundles will enable customers to lease equipment from a choice of three different vendors, as well as purchase broadband time for data and voice, all at a fixed monthly cost. Customers of the new bundles take advantage of predictable communications costs. Providing both MSS on-demand services and its own VSAT solutions Sealink and WaveCall to a broad range of customers globally, Marlink is a one-stop-shop for maritime satellite communications. Customers of the new FleetBroadband Bundles will be able to choose from a range of packages as well as hardware from Thrane & Thrane, Addvalue or JRC, to meet their own satellite communications requirements.

Faced with a growing need for reliable connections to shore and increased control over variable and increasingly expensive communications costs, M. H. Simonsen ApS, of Denmark, recently adopted the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service from KVH Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KVHI) as its primary communications solution on six ice class oil/chemical tankers. Communications capabilities are also important factors in strengthening the competitive position for commercial shipping companies through the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE), which tracks safety and quality in the shipping industry and helps fleets with high scores to secure the most lucrative contracts. Simonsen is performing very well in several important SIRE ranking categories, thanks to mini-VSAT Broadband.

Inmarsat's FleetBroadband service was officially launched. It now forms a part of Vizada's broadband offering. platforms, fishing boats and many more. FleetBroadband is the latest addition to Inmarsat's Fleet family of services providing simultaneous broadband voice and data. It offers IP services via a standard IP connection at speeds up to 432 kbps over a shared channel allowing email, Internet and intranet access. such as videoconferencing. SMS service. vessel to the corporate network. to traffic levels. A single, dedicated link ensures high security and optimized transmission speeds. Satellite Direct is a Vizada fixed-to-mobile solution enabling shipping company employees, and agents on shore to inexpensively and rapidly contact vessels through a toll-free number.

Marlink has completed a new five-year agreement with Delphin Cruises of Hamburg, Germany, to provide complete onboard satellite communications for its luxury liner, the Delphin Renaissance. The agreement calls for Marlink, a company within Telenor Satellite Services formed to serve as the preferred interface between maritime customers and the satellite communications industry, to provide Sealink high-speed data service. Operating at speeds up to 128 kbps, the Sealink solution allows guests and crew to enjoy greater access to e-mail, fax services, and telephone service.

OSLO, Norway and ROCKVILLE, Maryland (October 27, 2003) - Marlink today announced that it has signed a five-year agreement with the owners of the MV Mona Lisa, represented by Kyma Ship Management, Inc. of Miami, Florida, to provide complete satellite communications onboard the vessel. The agreement calls for Marlink, a company within Telenor Satellite Services formed to serve as the preferred interface between maritime customers and the satellite communications industry, to provide Sealink high-speed communications service. Operating at speeds up to 2 Megabits per second, the Sealink solution allows guests and crew to enjoy greater access to the Internet, e-mail, fax services, and telephone service.

Iridium Satellite LLC, the company born from the ashes of what was one of the most spectacular and initial telecom failures, has fortified its market position in the past year, aggressively pursuing relationships with companies that will help expand use of its satellite network across all industires. The Alexandria, Va.-based Iridium — which bought the assets of Iridium LLC out of bankruptcy in December 2000, launched global voice services in March 2001 and added ubiquitous Internet connectivity in June — has announced a number of deals with leading satellite communication companies — Xantic, Telenor and France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications — and has launched a new crew calling service for the marine business.

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.

As technologically advanced as communications have become, the bottom line, particularly for business applications, remains basically the same: the need for clear, reliable and cost-effective means to communicate. Trends in the transmission of data, voice and e-mail from ship-to-shore are much like that of land-based operations. The need for more speed and increased reliability are never ending, and the companies that excel are the ones that not only continually innovate, but those that consistently stay on the front of the curve to deliver real-world technologies that deliver benefits in the unique maritime operational environment. In parallel, price pressures are ubiquitous, as shipowners are keen to exploit every outlet to cut costs and generate revenue.

Marlink unveiled new cost-saving enhancements to its industry-leading account management tool, MarlinkOnline, available exclusively to Marlink customers. MarlinkOnline is a secure Web-based tool allowing both maritime and land-based customers to more directly manage their Marlink communication accounts by permitting authorized users to review and analyze their monthly invoices and daily account usage, as well as print call records and invoice details. With the launch of MarlinkOnline's new, easy-to-use interface tools, maritime customers can select and view invoices or call data for individual vessels or for their entire fleet with information that is updated every 24 hours.

Simrad has launched two sophisticated new satellite communication systems based on the Inmarsat Fleet satellite platform. The MS33 and MS55 are designed to offer voice and data services for leisure and professional vessels with internet, email, fax and telephone functionality providing a total communications solution. The MS33 features an Integrated Data Service that can connect at speeds up to 9.6kbps for voice, fax and batched transmissions. It utilizes advanced data compression technology that makes data transmission up to seven times faster than other comparable systems on the Fleet 33 service. Communications costs can be kept down as the MS33 is also capable of using the Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS)…