Orbcomm News

In January 2019, the Korean-flagged fishing vessel Oyang 77 sailed south toward international waters off Argentina. The vessel had a known history of nefarious activities, including underreporting its catch and illegally dumping low-value fish to make room in its hold for more lucrative catch.At 2 a.m. on Jan. 10, the Oyang 77 turned off its location transponder at the edge of Argentina’s exclusive economic zone – a political boundary that divides Argentina’s national waters from international waters, or the high seas. At 9 p.m. on Jan.

Orbcomm Inc., a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, has been awarded a multi-year contract by a U.S. government agency for a competitive renewal of its global Automatic Identification System (AIS) data services used for ship tracking and other maritime navigational and safety efforts. In addition, Orbcomm was awarded a separate competitive contract to deliver AIS services to multiple other U.S. government users.Orbcomm's AIS data will continue to be used in a maritime domain awareness software platform that supports key U.S.

Ship tracking and maritime information service MarineTraffic has extended its contract through the end of 2023 for ORBCOMM’s satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS) data.MarineTraffic, which has been an ORBCOMM partner since 2013, uses ORBCOMM’s satellite AIS data to track real-time and historical movements of ships as well as their arrivals and departures in harbors and ports around the world. MarineTraffic combines ORBCOMM’s AIS data with positional data from its network of land-based receiving stations to provide actionable maritime intelligence solutions and improve the maritime ecosystem. In addition, MarineTraffic will explore ORBCOMM’s other monitoring solutions as part of efforts to expand its offering.Greg Flessate…

New digitization solutions, such as big data, blockchain, automation, drones, and robotics, are enabling the maritime freight industry to introduce game-changing approaches that will significantly reduce or eliminate non-value-added activities. Over the next five years, maritime suppliers across the value chain will increasingly adopt solutions to address security, overcapacity and accurate cost models, according to new research from ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies. "Along with consolidation and pressures on profits, long-standing players must adapt and work with partners within and outside the industry…

TOTE Maritime Alaska has announced that the installation of ORBCOMM’s telematics devices across a broad equipment platform will be complete in the coming months. ORBCOMM was selected to provide a broad portfolio of telematics solutions to monitor and control its refrigerated, dry and flatbed equipment. TOTE Maritime Alaska is a leading Jones Act carrier serving the Alaska market, connecting greater Alaska to the Continental United States and beyond. This is the second deployment for TOTE Maritime…

Pole Star, a U.K.-headquartered technology company delivering maritime application solutions, has launched its new cloud application platform, designed to facilitate the company’s vision to enable a universal maritime ecosystem. According to its developer, the new Pole Star platform is a highly configurable, extensible and easy-to-use cloud application platform, built upon a powerful, robust and open API, and using enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure. With a wide (and expanding)…

So what’s keeping ship operators awake at night these days? Plenty, it seems. Sluggish recovery from a lingering worldwide recession, unsustainable debt loads, endemic overcapacity in most shipping trades, punishing freight rates, rising costs of fuel and regulatory compliance and a lingering sense that ships are not running as efficiently as they could. The last two topics – reducing fuel costs while complying with emission regulations and improving ship operating efficiency – will take center stage at SHIPPINGInsight 2014, scheduled for Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 in Stamford, Conn.

Maritime tracking AIS facility MarineTraffic has opened up its satellite-AIS service in the search area relevant to the missing MH370 airliner. Following requests from numerous agencies and individuals, this usually paid-for service has now been made available to any user free of charge. MarineTraffic Managing Director, Demitris Memos said, “Like most people around the world, we have taken an active interest in the search for this aircraft. With the battery life of the black box apparently nearing exhaustion, it is clearly necessary for everyone to do what they can to assist. The Australian operations center will also have access to the facility to help them build a more comprehensive picture of non-search vessels transiting the area.

The many years of concern about the commercial Mexican-U.S. cross-border practices which slow down the movement of cross-border cargo and security implications, especially because of the drug cartel involvement in these movements, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) concern for accuracy in cargo identification and their own need to know how efficiently cargo moves through Customs facilities, there is now taking place a cross-border project developed, directed and funded by the private sector to address these concerns. Because of the importance of security, visibility, control and efficiency in international shipments and its importance to the United States, six major U.S.

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of active remote container tracking units deployed on intermodal shipping containers was 137,000 in Q4-2012, up from 89,000 a year earlier. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49.1%, this number is expected to reach 1 million by 2017. The penetration rate of remote tracking systems in the total population of containers is estimated to increase from 0.7% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2017. Berg Insight’s definition of a real-time container tracking solution is a system that incorporates data logging, satellite positioning and data communication to a back-office application. The market for container tracking solutions is still in its early stage.

Pole Star Space Applications' Marine Asset Tracker (MAT) 2.0 monitors mixed fleets of tugs, barges, rigs & other assets; helps owners manage fleet-wide operations. MAT 2.0 offers a brand new software platform with a sleek user-interface, support for Globalstar, Thuraya and IsatData Pro satellite networks, a range of new satellite tracking devices, flexible service plans and intelligent realtime reporting options. Built on Pole Star’s brand new software platform, Purplefinder Pro, MAT 2.0 delivers an enhanced user experience. The software features intuitive fullscreen Google maps and marine charts, dynamic vessel history trails, graphical weather and zone and overlays, interactive ship tiles and S-AIS data in partnership with ORBCOMM.

Pole Star Space Applications, a provider of realtime asset tracking and monitoring systems, has announced the launch of Marine Asset Tracker (MAT) 2.0, the first product released on its next generation Purplefinder Pro software platform. MAT 2.0 is targeted at owners and operators of coastal and inland workboats, tugs and barges and the offshore oil and gas market. It allows users to monitor mixed fleets of tugs, barges, rigs and other assets to manage fleet-wide operations and regulatory requirements.

TerraMar Networks Limited has entered into an agreement with Orbcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC), a  global satellite data communications company, to create one of the broadest and most complete maritime asset tracking offerings on the market. Orbcomm’s satellite AIS service receives a ship’s identification, position and other critical data. This data can be used to assist in vessel tracking, maritime navigation and safety. Its integration with TerraMar Networks’ proprietary fleet management portal…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an Orbcomm satellite in an initiative to increase maritime situational awareness and security.  The launch of the Orbcomm satellite is part of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security Department's Nationwide Automatic Identification System project. The satellite, launched from , , was equipped with automatic identification system technology capable of tracking and identifying ships as far as 2,000 nautical miles from coastlines, the Coast Guard reported. Officials expect the Orbcomm satellite will begin transmitting operational data within the next three months and will then improve maritime domain awareness and provide increased security to coastal waters from potential threats. Source:  UPI

Lowrance Electronics Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., will be merged into California-based Magellan Corp., a leading satellite access products company, as a result of a merger agreement among those companies and Magellan's parent company Orbital Sciences Corp. The transaction will create a nearly $150 million, satellite-based, consumer and recreational electronics business under the Magellan banner, according to David W. Thompson, Magellan chairman and Orbital president and CEO. "Lowrance is a leading-edge technology company whose technical know-how in GPS and sonar can be applied to emerging commercial and industrial applications and integrated with other Magellan technologies such as GPS satellite navigation and ORBCOMM satellite data communications," said John Huyett, Magellan president and CEO.

ORBCOMM, a global satellite telecommunications company, entered into an agreement with Fleet Management Solutions LLC to provide wireless data access through its low-earth-orbit satellite network for tracking and managing fixed and mobile assets around the world. FMS is launching their ORBCOMM enabled MLT 300 Series tracking solution nationwide with roughly twenty selected fleets this month. The MLT 300 provides GPS and other critical sensor information to end-users, with an emphasis on reliability and cost effectiveness. For the initial soft launch, the MLT 300 series is targeting the North American market, leveraging more than 130 dealers for sales and support. FMS also offers customers subscription options through its FMAC arm (Fleet Management Acceptance Corporation).

The market for commercial communications satellites is expected to be worth $25.4 billion over the next 10 years, according to Forecast International’s recently completed study "Commercial Communications Satellites: 2005-2014." Also anticipated within the next few years, is the long awaited rebound in the commercial communications market. Fueling this recovery will not only be the growing market for the application of key technologies and services to the commercial consumer but also government reliance on commercial capacity. Forecast International predicts that 224 commercial communications satellites destined for geostationary or medium Earth orbit will be constructed over the next 10 years, at an estimated total value of about $25.4 billion.

Pacific Corporate Group LLC, a private equity investment, fund management and advisory firm, has led an equity financing round totaling more than $110 million for ORBCOMM, a Dulles, Va.-based provider of global satellite telecommunications services. Pacific Corporate Group has committed to purchase $60 million in preferred equity of ORBCOMM for a minority stake in the company. Other investors participating in the financing round include MH Equity Investors, Northwood Ventures, OHB Technology AG, Ridgewood Capital, Torch Hill Capital, and members of ORBCOMM senior management. “Our investment in ORBCOMM reflects our strategy of investing in well-managed, established companies that have significant growth potential,” said Tim Kelleher, a Managing Director of Pacific Corporate Group.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an ORBCOMM concept demonstration satellite, equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) capability, from . The satellite attained a proper orbit and is expected to start transmitting operational data within the next three months. The U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) Project sponsored equipment on the satellite to test the feasibility and effectiveness of AIS message reception and reporting from space for ship tracking and other navigational activities. The launch marks an important milestone in the development of the NAIS project. The NAIS project will improve maritime domain awareness for the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced its intention to explore increased use of space as a tool to enhance awareness of activities in ports, coastal waters and their approaches. The Coast Guard has been studying the feasibility of receiving maritime automatic identification system (AIS) signals from space since 2001. In May 2004 the Coast Guard contracted with ORBCOMM, a satellite data communications company, to develop and build the capability to receive process and forward AIS signals from space via an AIS receiver onboard a communications satellite. In addition, ORBCOMM will provide the ground systems capable of processing the AIS signals and relaying the collected messages to the Coast Guard.