Entertainment Services News

Bahamas-based ship-management group Campbell Shipping has extended its relationship with mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat with an agreement that adds Fleet Care and Fleet Secure Endpoint to its existing 12-vessel Fleet Xpress solution. Campbell Shipping will now be able to carry out remote maintenance, support and repairs, and comprehensive network protection, on top of fast, reliable and extensive global coverage already provided by Fleet Xpress.These performance…

Offshore passenger transportation provider Bourbon Mobility has partnered with Moment to provide an entertainment offer on board its vessels.In an effort to enhance its transport service of staff to oil platforms in West Africa, Bourbon Mobility has opted to have its fleet of Surfers outfitted with portable streaming servers, which enables passengers to access movies, documentaries and games on their mobile devices throughout their journey. So far 15 vessels have been equipped with the Moment digital entertainment solution.Aboard Bourbon Mobility’s ships…

Offshore personnel transport provider Bourbon Mobility said it is proposing services inspired by the aviation industry for its customers.The company has called on the expertise of the PEUGEOT Design Lab for the design of new cabins developed in a range of three comfort levels: Business Class, Premium and Eco. Designers created a cabin layout that guarantees optimal safety, VIP comfort seats and ergonomic storage. “We want to establish new standards of comfort for offshore personnel transport inspired by the aviation industry,” said François Lesle, CEO of Bourbon Mobility.

Oakley Capital Investments Ltd has acquired majority stakes in two maritime e-learning providers from Norwegian private equity firm Herkules Private Equity Fund IV and US satellite company KVH Industries.Oakley, the private equity investment company contributed GBP25 million, through its Oakley Capital IV fund to buy the stakes in SG MidCo AS, also known as Seagull, and Videotel Marine Asia Ltd and Super Dragon Ltd, collectively known as Videotel.Over the past 40 years, Videotel and Seagull have established themselves as the best-in-class providers of e-learning to the maritime sector globally. Every year they each provide over 10,000 ships and installations with comprehensive and up-to-date compliance…

The global satcom provider NSSLGlobal has announced a four year, multi-million enhanced contract for communication and entertainment services with Teekay Shipping Corporation, the marine energy transportation, storage and production company.According to a release, the latest contract will provide an upgraded bandwidth capability across the Teekay fleet alongside the installation of NSSLGlobal’s new virtualised Cruise Control+ appliance and the rollout of CrewVision, its crew entertainment service.The new contract cements the longstanding relationship between NSSLGlobal and Teekay dating back to 2004. The winning formula stems from NSSLGlobal’s…

The shipping line Baleària, a pioneer in the application of liquefied natural gas in sea transportation, has marked another milestone with the construction of the world's first passenger and cargo fast ferry powered by dual LNG engines. The fast ferry is being built at the Armon shipyard in Gijón, as announced yesterday by Baleària President Adolfo Utor at the inaugural conference of the 57th Naval Engineering and Maritime Industry Congress currently being held in Valencia.Capacity and investmentWith a length of 125 meters and a beam of 28 meters…

KVH Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: KVHI), announced today that Mark Woodhead has been named to the newly created position of KVH senior vice president for training and content, effective on the first of January 2017. In this position, Mr. Woodhead will direct KVH’s market-leading maritime crew welfare, safety, and productivity services, which include Videotel maritime training packages – currently in use on more than 12,000 vessels worldwide – and numerous news and entertainment brands, such as NEWSlink – currently used by more than 9,000 vessels globally. Mr. Woodhead has been managing director of KVH’s news and entertainment brands since 2013 and will succeed Nigel Cleave, following the planned decision by Videotel’s CEO to retire at the end of the year. Mr.

KVH Industries, Inc. introduced the TracVision TV8 maritime satellite TV antenna system. TracVision TV8 is designed to provide the tracking, reception and extended coverage area needed for yachts and merchant vessels calling on ports around the world. It is compatible with nearly all Ku-band services around the globe, and it also supports such services as DIRECTV, DISH Network and DISH HD, and Bell TV in North America, and TrueVisions, Astro, and Sky TV in the Asia-Pacific region.

Provider of floating production services to the oil and gas industry, BW Offshore, says it has signed a 5-year, $12 million contract with Orange Business Services for an end-to-end satellite communication solution for its fleet of oil and gas production vessels. Orange Business Services is providing Maritime VSAT – a fully managed end-to-end satellite-based communication solution – which fully integrates BW Offshore’s 14 vessels and two land-based locations into the Orange MPLS network. This solution offers BW Offshore personnel access to the exact same business applications, communication and entertainment services at sea as on land, no matter where the vessel is located.

KVH Industries, Inc., acquired Videotel, a producer of high-quality training films and e-Learning services for the commercial maritime industry. Servicing over 11,000 vessels, Videotel is a market leader in the provision of maritime training services, offering video, animation, e-Learning computer-based training (CBT), and interactive distance learning courses. “The acquisition of Videotel is an important addition to our portfolio of services targeting the needs of commercial seafarers and supports our strategic vision of extending our maritime broadband service to include delivering premium content to vessels,” said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s chief executive officer.

KVH Industries, Inc., (KVHI) today announced that it has acquired Videotel, a producer of training films and e-Learning services for the commercial maritime industry. Videotel services more than 11,000 vessels in the provision of maritime training services, offering video, animation, e-Learning computer-based training (CBT) and interactive distance learning courses. “The acquisition of Videotel is an important addition to our portfolio of services targeting the needs of commercial…

Corsica Ferries is first to tap into MCPs new entertainment and information platform for the ferry and cruise industry. Following a successful pilot, five vessels in the Mediterranean Ocean will be equipped with Value Adding Voyage Experience platform (VAVE) this summer. MCP said passengers will enjoy rich digital leisure opportunities from an innovative onboard digital entertainment and information solution. Access to Internet and entertainment services from personal devices is not something crew and passengers on cruise ships and ferries have been spoiled with.

Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has published new guidelines for data networks which are implemented onboard ships or offshore platforms. As the maritime industry makes greater use of automated systems data networks have become more and more complex, while also integrating safety-critical and non-safety-critical application systems. The guidelines are available for download now on the GL website and will enter into force on August 1, 2013. One of the main reasons for the increasing number of application systems which are connected through data networks is to minimize the total length of cabling installed throughout the vessel. Minimizing cable length not only reduces the material and installation costs for the cabling…

KVH Industries, Inc. announced that it has acquired Headland Media Ltd., a media and entertainment services company. Headland Media is a provider of commercially licensed news, sports, movies and music content that they sell in the maritime, hotel and retail markets. "The acquisition of Headland Media supports our strategic vision of extending our maritime broadband service to also include delivering premium content to vessels," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer. "We've captured a leading market share in the maritime VSAT market for one-to-one connectivity, and are now rolling out a new, highly efficient,…

Last year, United States deep-draft seaports and seaport-related businesses generated approximately 8.4 million American jobs and added nearly $2 trillion to the economy, according to a just-completed study by a Lancaster, Pa.-based business consulting service that specializes in port-sector economic impact studies. Based upon 2006 U.S. port cargo statistics and thousands of recent port-sector interviews, Martin Associates late this month completed an in-depth study into the economic impacts of coastal and Great Lakes ports, examining aspects ranging from jobs and wages to business and tax revenues. Of the 8,397,301 Americans working for ports and port-related industries in 2006…

Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the U.S. Cruise Ship Tourism Development Act of 1999. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Frank Murkowski (R-AK) are original co-sponsors. "Allowing cruise ships to travel between U.S. ports will be a huge victory for port cities, the cruise ship industry, and create great traveling options for the public," McCain said. "The status quo is not serving anyone's interest. The bill, which also permits, under specific and limited circumstances, non-U.S. flag cruise vessels to temporarily operate in the U.S., would allow the Secretary of Transportation to issue permits to cruise ships already operating in other markets, to operate in the U.