Crew Management Systems News

Sometimes being an industry supplier offers interesting insights – your business is touched by the ups and downs of the charter market, but you are never so involved in it that you lose sight of the big picture. Some of our clients have been hit hard by the market’s general downturn; one client I visited last month began 2008 with 41 maritime software licenses for their vessels – just seven remain today. “We just sold another ship yesterday,” he said, and then after a pause: “Please spare me the update costs for this one, it won’t receive any.” Of course, I nodded.

Videotel, a global provider of e-Learning maritime training solutions and a company of KVH Industries, Inc.,  has released the Videotel Partner API, an application programming interface that facilitates the exchange of data between Videotel and any of its clients’ crew management software systems. Videotel developed the API in collaboration with software and solutions developer Netvision, whose products include Compas, one of the leading crew management systems for the maritime industry. The Videotel Partner API is designed to be used with any crew management software; there is no additional fee for the service. The Videotel Partner API is designed to allow Videotel and crew management systems, including Compas, to communicate with each other and automatically update and share information.

HMC supports objective of the ISM to ensure safe operations. When the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) of 2006 comes into force it will replace and update more than 68 International labor standards related to the maritime sector adopted over the last 80 years. The MLC will provide seafarers with fair terms of employment and certifies the working and living conditions of all ships over 500 GT in the International trade. Ship-owners will benefit from having a clear, consistent set of standards which must comply. On the 20th of August 2013 all ships which trade internationally must meet the new requirements of the MLC. HMC’s CrewPlan helps complying to these MLC regulations by managing crew certificates, physical checks, on and off times and managing documents.