Visma As News

Brynjar Gevelt, who brings with him 14 years in the maritime software and service arena, has been appointed CEO of Marine Transaction Services (MTS). Gevelt's experience includes Corporate Software Development Manager in Marinor Shipping and Offshore Services AS, Technology Director Visma Marine AS (Spectec), and the last three years as Director of products and projects in MTS. The company has added to its product development department with Roger Werner Laug who comes from IT consulting company Tieto Enator where he specialized in the maritime industry.

Effective January 1, 2002, Xantic MPC (former SpecTec MPC) was sold to the management backed by a group of investors. The new owners are: Øystein Moan, CEO Visma ASA, former owner of the SpecTec Group, former CEO of the Cinet Group and chairman of the SpecTec Group; Tore Bjerkan, CFO Visma ASA; Thomas Falck; Partner Four Seasons Venture AS, former CEO of the SpecTec Group and former chairman of Xantic MPC; Allen Amos, Sales Director CCT; Tore Kirkedam, Managing Director CCT . Xantic BV decided to sell the hardware division as part of a strategy to focus more on its core business, airtime and software. The new owners will continue operations, focusing on development, production and sale of specialized, class approved computer equipment.

e4marine is a web/EDI B2B solution that relies on the strengths of not only its technical merit but the key strengths of the founding partners Unitor ASA, Visma AS and Umoe ASA. The service is designed to ensure shipowners, managers and operators with a completely free means of procuring the essential goods and services required for use onboard. Unitor's experience in the world-wide provision of marine products and services, coupled with Visma's expertise in onboard maintenance and planning systems and Umoe's strengths in the marine and offshore business have combined to enable shipowners and operators to leverage cost savings throughout the marine supply chain.

The shipping industry has long been criticized for being slow to adapt to new technologies and taking a reactive approach to market trends. But after several years of stagnant growth, the shipping industry is waking up to the potential of the Internet, according to Thomas Falck, managing director, Visma Marine. Today, the scene is crowded with competing e-commerce initiatives and, some argue, more cash than sense. With the rapid development of new information technologies, the shipping industry has been scrambling to adjust to the new economy. For Visma Marine, the holding company for SpecTec Group, a supplier of fleet management software, the transition is a natural extension of their core business.

Much as has transpired in mainstream consumer markets, the dot com craze has recently enveloped the maritime world with promises of cost savings and operational efficiencies. While an attrition and natural process of consolidation can eventually be expected, the world of e-commerce solutions for the maritime market is definitely in its infancy. While it is impossible to judge the full working models in this report, the following text contains synopsis reports on some of the more noteworthy market entrants. Recently launched by Boston-based WebPark Corp., Boat-Park.com is an on-line virtual trade show, which seeks to bring together worldwide participants into its virtual trade show, which is open 24/7.

Last month marked the debut of one of the marine industry’s more exciting new e-commerce offerings — www.MaritimeJobs.com — which, as its name suggests, is positioned to provide all marine industry companies with a venue to find and hire the best talent available. As the world, and particularly the U.S., economy continues to surge, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to hire and retain talented individuals, both onboard and shoreside. Couple with that the continued movement of younger workers from traditional industrial positions to the technology sector, and the result is a projected worker shortage, which is already starting to take hold.

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.

Station 12, the Netherlands-based mobile satellite communications company, has signed an agreement with Visma ASA for the acquisition of its marine division, SpecTec. The price for SpecTec is $75.4 million in cash plus the assumption of net inter-company debt of $893,000. SpecTec is a leading supplier of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, which has been designed to improve efficiency on board vessels. The company has 230 employees and is represented in 30 countries through its own subsidiaries and agents. In 1999, SpecTec increased net sales by 19 percent to $19.8 million, while operating profits increased by 83 percent to $2.6 million. SpecTec is the market leader with a 40 percent share of the market with systems installed on some 6,000 vessels worldwide.

Norwegian software supplier Visma ASA signed an agreement of intent with Hong Kong-based Arena to deliver e-commerce solutions to the shipping industry. Arena, which has Hutchison Whampoa and Electronic Data Systems Corp. as main shareholders, has established an electronic handling system to be used by shipping firms and shipping equipment suppliers. Visma officials said the agreement with Arena included a close integration between Visma's AMOS purchase software and Arena's handling system. More than 500 shipping firms already use AMOS software to manage purchases, officials said.