Nokia News

Viasat agreed to buy British rival Inmarsat on Monday in a $7.3 billion deal to broaden the U.S. based company’s satellite and land-based communications services.The takeover of London-based Inmarsat comes just two years after it was taken private in a $3.4 billion deal by a consortium of British-based Apax partners, U.S.-based Warburg Pincus and two Canadian pension funds.While Viasat offers connectivity and communications services to residential, aviation and defense customers in North America…

Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, will have its own private 5G network this year, disclosed the container, bulk cargo, new vehicles and passenger ferry terminal port in the municipality of Bruges.The port’s management will collaborate with Citymesh, which is the only operator to have a license for 5G networks in Flanders and Brussels."The private 5G network in the Port of Zeebrugge will be the accelerator for innovation in and around the port," the port said.The network’s brain is located in the port’s datacenter. This keeps all data safe within the port authority’s own network and makes it independent from external influences.In the first phase, the data network will be used for connectivity with tugboats, air pollution detectors, camera’s and quay sensors.

ONE SEA, an industry alliance bringing together leading exponents of autonomous ship technology, has made a significant addition to its growing membership, after signing up Awake.AI - a company led by an experienced team of maritime digital innovators.Awake.AI is aiming to create a new platform and ML models (Machine learning) based on transparent data sharing to break down the barriers between ships, ports and other actors in the maritime logistics chain. The ‘virtual infrastructure’ will be vital if ports are to handle autonomous ships successfully from pre-arrival…

The terminal automation and energy-efficient cargo handling services provider Kalmar and Finnish operator Ukkoverkot have signed a two-year co-operation agreement with Nokia for the design, construction and operation of a private LTE network for Kalmar.Nokia brings the digital automation platform that is well suited for mobile machinery and industrial Internet of Things.A test network reflecting an actual terminal environment will be built for research and development purposes. Machine-to-machine communication will be tested in the new private 4G/LTE (Long Term Evolution) environment and compared against previous wireless technologies with the focus on developing innovative business applications.

EllaLink, a planned submarine cable linking Brazil and Portugal, announced that Alcatel Submarine Networks has finalized the Cable Route Study and mobilized the marine survey vessel for the EllaLink submarine cable system.The survey will be performed over the coming months and permit acquisition continues in line with EllaLink’s plans to be Ready for Service by the end of 2020.EllaLink is a 4 fiber pair submarine cable system designed to satisfy the growing demand for traffic between Europe and Latin America. The low latency EllaLink route avoids the congestion of the North Atlantic by offering the first ever direct fiber pair between…

Nokia, ABB and Kalmar, part of Cargotec,  have successfully conducted industrial trials that leverage the low latency capabilities of 5G to support time-critical applications and enhance protection and efficiency in a smart electricity grid and in harbor automation.In a joint press release the companies said that the trials, conducted as part of the Wireless for Verticals (WIVE) research project, represent one of the first real-world applications of time-critical 5G applications on electricity grid and harbor automation.URLLC (ultra-reliable low latency communications) has been identified as one of the three main usage scenarios for 5G due to its ability to transmit data, within a few milliseconds or less, with high reliability.

Hamburg Port Authority has joined forces with Deutsche Telekom and Nokia to test 5G applications at the Port of Hamburg. "Testing of 5G is to commence in an industrial environment in the Port of Hamburg, with the Hamburg Port Authority, Deutsche Telekom and Nokia commissioning an 8000-hectare area with which to carry out key tests of various aspects of 5G functionality, including network slicing," said a press release. 5G will be tested with use cases like traffic lights management, data processing from mobile sensors and virtual reality. To provide connectivity, an antenna has already been installed on the Hamburg television tower at a height of more than 150 meters. The primary focus of the project is on testing 5G applications in an industrial setting in the Port of Hamburg.

Marine navigation technology company C-MAP announced that Sean Fernback has been engaged as Chief Executive Officer of Digital Marine Solutions Holding AS and the C-MAP Group. Most recently, Fernback was CEO of the open platform locations company HERE, which he led for two years including managing its divestiture from parent company Nokia. Prior to that, Fernback led engineering and product development for the consumer division at TomTom. Fernback has a background in new technology innovation and has held several leadership positions in the field…

A true leader in terms of Arctic shipping, Finland produces two-thirds of the world’s icebreaking ships. Now the country is honoring its Arctic shipbuilding prowess in emoji form. In addition to the icebreaker, other Finnish emojis in the set include a Nokia phone, the Aurora Borealis, a rocking “headbanger”, a sauna scene and “woolly socks”. Check them out here.

ABB has appointed Guido Jouret as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to ABB’s CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, effective October 1, 2016. Jouret, a pioneer of the Internet of Things, will lead the next level of development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Jouret is a citizen of both the United States and Belgium, with long experience in Silicon Valley. He served for 20 years at Cisco after obtaining a PhD in Computer Science. His most recent role at Cisco was as General Manager of the Internet of Things division, which aims to connect billions of devices to the internet across a wide range of industries.

Leena Lie, M.Sc. (Econ.), (b. 1968) has been appointed Senior Vice President, Communications at Cargotec Corporation as of August 1, 2015. She will be a member of Cargotec's Extended Executive Board and report to President and CEO Mika Vehviläinen. Leena Lie joins Cargotec from Kemira, where she has been responsible for communications, marketing communications and corporate responsibility. Prior to this she has held various communications roles at KONE Corporation and Nokia. "In order to support Cargotec on its journey towards high performance, the role of Corporate Communications will be extended to cover investor relations and corporate responsibility. Leena has wide experience from global stock-listed companies regarding all these areas.

An industry-wide lack of technical knowledge is limiting the uptake of new technology in shipping, says Dr. Martin Stopford, author of standard subject textbook 'Maritime Economics'. Now is the time to change this, he believes, in this article from ABB's 'Generations 2014' publication. “I don’t know who in the maritime business has the capability, the budget and the resources to put that sort of thing together. What shipping needs is a Steve Jobs. ”

The late Apple CEO was a good example of how understanding the market, adapting technology and “sticking with an idea” can transform a company, says Stopford. Only with a new generation of tech-savvy decision makers will technology’s potential begin to be explored. “Shipping is an old-fashioned business,” he continues.

Northport Systems Inc., creators of Fugawi X-Traverse, and Muskoka Tech Inc., developers of PathAway GPS navigational, mapping and tracking software for mobile smartphones and tablets, announced today greatly expanded chart support for Android mobile devices. With the latest version of PathAway for Android, users with a Fugawi X-Traverse Cloud Passport now have access to 82 different product offerings including the latest in marine charts, weather information, and topographic maps. In order to ensure the very best mobile navigation experience for adventures anywhere in the world, X-Traverse offers charts and maps from a wide variety of vendors, such as NV Charts, WaveyLine, Solteknik, the Canadian Hydrographic Service, and Fugawi.

Mr. Sjobring will join the company upon completion of the notice period with his current employer and will be based in Geneva, Switzerland. In the interim, Mr. Allen Katz will continue to serve as the company's Interim Senior Vice President and General Counsel. His qualifications include over 15 years of law practice in international settings, and he received his education in both Europe and the United States. Mr. Sjobring has been serving as the Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Autoliv, Inc., an automotive safety supplier, since 2007.

Onshore and offshore global accommodation specialist, HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company, has named John Trahan as Director of Quality and Supply Chain, announced Deidre Toups, HB Rentals President. Based at the corporate office in Broussard, Louisiana, Trahan will lead the development, implementation and ongoing management of global quality programs in establishing policies and strategy as related to customer quality needs, expectations and industry standards. He will work collaboratively with the various business units…

Cargotec has appointed Mikko Pelkonen as Senior Vice President, Human Resources and member of the Executive Board and reporting to President and CEO Mika Vehviläinen. He will be responsible for corporate human resources strategy and implementation. The appointment takes effect in August 2013. Mikko Pelkonen is currently Vice President of Human Resources at Nokia Siemens Networks, Mobile Broadband Business Unit.

Cargotec's Board of Directors has in its meeting on 27 January, 2013 appointed Mr. Mika Vehviläinen (M.Sc. (Econ.), b. 1961, as Cargotec's new President and CEO. Vehviläinen will start at Cargotec on 1 March 2013. Tapio Hakakari, Cargotec's Vice Chairman of the Board, will continue as the interim President and CEO until 28 February 2013. Mika Vehviläinen is currently the President and CEO of Finnair Plc. Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Nokia Siemens Networks and Nokia, and has worked in logistics and service development duties in the United States and in Asia.

Intelsat S.A., a  provider of satellite services, has announced  that Mr. Grant Marais has been appointed Regional Vice President of Africa Sales, effective Jan. 3, 2013. Marais will be responsible for supporting the growth of Intelsat's customers in the region, which includes leading telecommunications and wireless operators, network services providers, and DTH platform operators and broadcasters. Intelsat provides these customers with critical communications infrastructure, including 23 satellites serving the region, and the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellite platform, which is expected to launch in 2015. "With his many years of experience in Africa…

Latvia based maritime crewing software provider, CrewInspector.com has released an online application specifically tailored for mobile phone and tablets enabling its customers to access its crew management database. Busy crew managers enjoy being absolutely independent in terms of accessing the crew database from anywhere they go. Since 2003 CrewInspector ship crew management system operates over the internet giving crew manning agents and ship crew management departments freedom for operational tasks while people are travelling, being on vacation or during the night at home.

Three-quarters of Finnish export traffic was halted on Monday by a stevedores strike after the failure of weekend talks between between employer and employee representatives. Around 3,500 stevedores are taking part, affecting foreign trade worth around $187.7 million per day, said the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (TT). Nokia Oyj Abp, Finland's single largest exporter and the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, said its operations would not, for the time being, be affected as most of its export products were delivered by air. But the timber industry, which is also a significant exporter and is heavily dependent on ports, voiced concern.

KCI Konecranes' Board of Directors appointed Pekka Lundmark as President and CEO of KCI Konecranes. Stig Gustavson has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and Björn Saven, KCI Konecranes' Chairman since 1994, has been appointed vice Chairman of the Board. "KCI Konecranes' strategic direction will not change," Lundmark says. Lundmark was born in 1963 and has a Master of Engineering degree from Helsinki University of Technology. Having held various management positions within Nokia he was CEO of Hackman Group between 2002-2004. Mr. Lundmark joined KCI Konecranes in August 2004 as Group Executive Vice President. As Chairman of the Board, Stig Gustavson will continue to play an important part in KCI Konecranes. He also remains a substantial long-term shareholder.

Finland posted a record monthly trade surplus for October, boosted by a major deal by one of its shipyards and accelerating economic recovery. The customs board's preliminary data for October showed a trade surplus of a record $1.4 billion, with exports up 14 percent year-on-year at $4.1 billion and imports up six percent at $2.7 billion. October saw the departure from Finland of Voyager of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, built by Kvaerner's Masa-Yards for Royal Caribbean. Economists said that despite this one-off item, the data added to evidence from figures in the past few months indicating that the economy was back on track after being hit by the Russian crisis and a global economic slowdown last autumn.