Marubeni becomes Partner in iShipExchange
Hong Kong-based iShipExchange has announced that Marubeni Corporation of Japan has become a Strategic Partner in the internet-based procurement business for the shipping industry. iShipExchange (www.ishipexchange.com ) said that the service, which went live in September 2000, has been operating successfully with its founding members and is now inviting the shipping community at large to use its service. iShipExchange is a joint undertaking of three founders: Hong Kong and Vancouver-based Fairmont Shipping, the established dry bulk shipowner and operator; Pioneer iConcepts of Hong Kong-listed Pioneer Global Group, the internet incubator; and US-based procurement software developer, Command Line Corp.
EU’s Borg Headlines ISSA Convention
EU Commissioner Dr Joe Borg is set for a public interface with global shipping luminaries when he addresses the International Ship Suppliers Association (ISSA) Convention to be held in Malta from October 18-21, 2007. Dr Borg served as Malta’s Foreign Minister before taking up his present post as EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. In a joint statement ISSA President Wim van Noortwijk and Alfred Borg, MSSA President, said: “Having Dr Borg in attendance should attract a number of extra people from the global shipowning community as well as from the ship supply sector. Commissioner Borg will be joined at the Convention by a host of other headline names.
E-Business: Growing in Maritime Industry
E-business means doing business on the Internet. This can include any business process - to include buying and selling, which is known as E-commerce. The arranging for transport by sea or the buying and selling of things needed for ships that sail from port to port are among the world's oldest professions. Many ship owners, operators or managers still conduct business the old-fashioned way, building and maintaining close and longstanding relationships with suppliers or customers. While the dot-com craze of a few years ago has passed, E-business is revolutionizing several important business processes in the maritime industry. Computers can aid in the design and construction of vessels, and the Internet can be used to transmit design information and changes instantaneously.
