Skyfile News

AI-powered Endpoint Security solution replaces SkyFile Antivirus with protection for onboard IT environments against cyber threatsMarlink unveiled the latest upgrade to its suite of cyber security tools, adding Endpoint Security to the CyberGuard portfolio. CyberGuard EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) is optimized for the satellite communications environment, in particular by operating in a Master/Client architecture, which permits the regular, automated distribution of signature…

Leonhardt & Blumberg (L&B), Germany’s largest independent charter owner of 15,000-35,000 DWT container ships and ship management company, has renewed its long-standing partnership with Marlink for the provision of quality  global VSAT connectivity."Marlink’s managed connectivity service excellence and digital solutions are recognized as a strong foundation for the ship management company L&B’s on-going fleet digitization, which will deliver more efficient and greener maritime operations," said a press release."Marlink has established a firm position of trust through its existing partnership with L&B, thanks to consistently high quality of service and an active…

Rotterdam based ship management company Misuga Kaiun Holland B.V. selected Marlink to provide unlimited global Sealink VSAT connectivity for its dry bulk, multipurpose and wood chip carrier vessel fleet. Marlink will install one meter Ku-band antennas and integrate a package of solutions and applications designed to provide secure connectivity for business and operations as well as crew welfare.Misuga Kaiun Holland B.V. is the European subsidiary of Japan headquartered Misuga Kaiun Co., Ltd.

Satellite communications specialist Marlink has been awarded a contract renewal to expand its Sealink VSAT service to international ship owner Transpetrol.The provider of satellite communications services for the maritime industry claimed that the higher levels of guaranteed bandwidth ensure global connectivity for 14 strong tanker fleet.The renewal secures access to Marlink’s global network and specially-chosen business critical VSAT solutions for the entire tanker fleet and two planned new buildings due for delivery within 18 months.Operating a sophisticated and diverse fleet from medium range tankers to Aframax and Very Large Gas Carriers on global routes…

Marlink is unveiling a unique and intelligent threat detection solution for the maritime industry at SMM 2018 this week.Cyber Detection, the latest addition to Marlink’s fully integrated ship and shore-based Cyber Guard portfolio, monitors all outbound and inbound network traffic around the clock and enables customers to view threats affecting their vessels through an intuitive, web-based dashboard. In addition, customers may also set-up notifications on critical threats to be received by email and/or SMS.

The SMM 2018 scheduled to take place September 4-7, 2018, in Hamburg, Germany, is held every two years and is the traditional launching platform for a variety of commercial shipping and shipbuilding technologies. Five new marine technologies to look for in Hamburg include:Dredging TechCompany: HydrexBooth: B7.505Product: Dredging innovationHydrex will unveil a new concept developed to protect the marine environment from the spread of contaminated sediments during dredging operations.

Dutch ship owner De Poli Tankers BV has extended its contract with Marlink, securing high-bandwidth global communication using the Sealink Plus service for its fleet of eight chemical tankers and two gas tankers. De Poli Tankers' in-house ITC company, Maritime Performances BV, chose to retain the Sealink Plus service for the future as it combines high-bandwidth VSAT with unlimited L-band back-up in a single easy to manage bundle, Marlink said. De Poli Tankers first migrated to Marlink VSAT from L-band only communications in 2013…

Marlink has launched SkyFile Mail 10.1, the latest addition to its SkyFile messaging portfolio used by thousands of vessels worldwide. SkyFile Mail 10.1 is designed to improve management of SkyFile Mail traffic and user accounts through automatic detection and profile automation, making managing email traffic easier and more cost efficient. The continued development of SkyFile Mail specifically addresses user requirements and enables Marlink to ensure its extensive portfolio of business critical solutions evolves in line with its global Sealink multi-band maritime communication services. SkyFile Mail 10.1 is a free Over the Air (OTA) update on Sealink VSAT and back-up L-band services…

Hamburg headquartered international ship operator NSC-Group has chosen Marlink to move its fleet of about 60 vessels to high bandwidth maritime VSAT. NSC-Group has chosen a 10GB data allowance per month per ship on Marlink’s Sealink VSAT, to ensure sufficient capacity is available across its fleet for all crew welfare and business/operational use. NSC-Group’s diverse fleet, consisting a mix of Container Ships, Multi-Purpose Carriers, Bulkers, Container Bulkers, Car Carriers and Tankers will all experience a significant data speed and capacity boost with Sealink VSAT services, supported by the XChange communications management system and business critical solutions such as SkyFile Mail.

NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (REEDEREI NSB) has chosen Marlink to supply fully managed VSAT services including connectivity and an extensive business critical solutions roll-out for its entire fleet of 50+ vessels. The contract, signed early in July, positions Marlink as NSB’s primary provider of voice and connectivity services, supporting the leading German shipping company to continue improving its crew welfare and operational communication facilities with fully integrated services and solutions. In addition to the management of containerships, tankers, bulkers and offshore jack-up vessels, REEDEREI NSB, Member of NSB GROUP, is active in crewing of its own ships as well as vessels of other parties.

Marlink has united its global VSAT offering under its Sealink brand, meaning Sealink will be the single brand name for Marlink’s entire multi-band maritime communication VSAT services portfolio going forward. The Sealink brand strengthens and simplifies Marlink’s customer offering as it covers all VSAT services on Ka, Ku and C-band as well as future HTS based service packages, the company said. The introduction of Sealink as a single brand follows the establishment of the rebranded Marlink on February 25, 2016.

The commercial satellite communication division of Airbus Defence and Space has been rebranded as Marlink, now grouping all maritime and enterprise satcom activities under one brand. Marlink’s communication solutions for maritime and land customers are now offered through its established direct and indirect sales channels. Marlink said it will deploy a segment-based approach, ensuring expert focus, best-fit connectivity technology and solutions for its maritime customers in shipping…

Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited (EASTMED), a shipping operator servicing the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors, has chosen to install Marlink’s global VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) communication solution with L-band back-up on 20 tankers and bulkers. EASTMED aims to achieve greater operational efficiency to support its clients with cost efficient transportation in a safe environment. The VSAT solution will be completed with the full SkyFile suite to provide EASTMED crew with high-level Internet access and cost-effective communication. Marlink’s innovative VSAT solution will provide significant levels of bandwidth for vessel and business communication, helping EASTMED to improve e.g.

The world’s first 18,800 TEU LNG-ready ultra-large containership, M.V. Barzan, was recently named at a ceremony in South Korea. MV Barzan is one of 17 (11 x 15,000 TEU and 6 x 18,800 TEU) advanced new containerships built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), all of which will start their operational life with IP connectivity using Marlink VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). With reliable broadband, this new generation of containerships is online and connected to shore 24/7…

Telemar GmbH, the German subsidiary of the Telemar Group, closed an agreement with Herm. Dauelsberg for the supply of a complete “turn-key solution” for their fleet of 18 vessels. The shipping company Herm. Dauelsberg is based in Bremen with a longstanding tradition going back more than 150 years, with international activities as shipbrokers, liner agents and shipowners, currently operating a fleet of 14 container vessels and four bulk carriers. Telemar provided an integrated solution including airtime through Fleet Broadband for the whole fleet with future option to upgrade services e.g. Telemar Seamore, turn-key installation and commissioning and a number of value added services, including TOSS (Telemar onboard Security System), Skyfile, eNoad and Antivirus.

Airbus Defence and Space has launched SkyFile Mail Manager, the latest addition to its SkyFile messaging portfolio. Designed to improve management of SkyFile Mail traffic and user accounts, SkyFile Mail Manager, as the latest value added service to work on the Aurora Global network, is a new online tool that provides IT management efficiency on board and ashore. The new tool provides detailed reporting and control of all accounts and features flexible user rights and ship/fleet grouping options, which makes it easier and efficient to manage email traffic.

The 124 MSC’s vessels will be the first to benefit from AuroraGlobal, the new all-in-one high throughput maritime VSAT offering. MSC Cargo Italy has contracted Marlink to deliver the new WaveCall Plus high-speed Broadband VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) package for its entire fleet of 124 vessels. WaveCall Plus is part of AuroraGlobal, the new multi-band high-speed initiative launched by Airbus Defence and Space in March 2014. Already using VSAT on board its ships, MSC selected…

Airbus Defense and Space, the global innovative provider of satellite enabled solutions, reached a fresh record for its dedicated SkyFile Mail software in 2013, with more than 50 million emails sent by some 40,000 mariners worldwide – a 25 percent growth in email volume over the previous year. SkyFile Mail is an intuitive email solution for business and crew working for some of the world’s largest shipping companies. It is a leading messaging application optimized for satcom and the perfect partner for Pharostar, Sealink and WaveCall VSAT services from Airbus Defense and Space. The increased use of SkyFile in 2013 was similar for both VSAT and MSS…

Astrium Services released an update for its SkyFile Mail software, which provides more user flexibility and cost reductions on regular maintenance in addition to offering more possibilities to “Bring Your Own Device” on board. The new monthly update of SkyFile Mail Anti Virus improves security and features a new automatic notification that prompts the Master to update the Anti Virus software over the air. User flexibility is improved with SkyFile Mail v8.25 through enhanced I4 device control, which with the addition of JRC and Furuno, is now available for all types of FleetBroadband terminal.

Satellite-based mobility company Vizada will provide the new Inmarsat FleetPhone maritime handset with email and data transfer capabilities to its extensive network of service provider partners. Vizada will add several Vizada SolutionsTM - including SkyFile® Mail, Universal CardTM and Satellite Direct® - to the existing package. Vizada’s FleetPhone is also packaged with a crew calling promotion. Inmarsat’s new entry-level voice service will feature voice calls and voicemail in addition to text and email messaging capabilities. A supplemental voice line enables the captain to benefit from private communications while the crew maintains separate lines for personal or professional calling. The PBX integration allows for simple calling between the different phones located on the ship.

Vizada launched SkyFile C Store & Push to offer customers highly-reliable data reporting and polling services, including VMS (Vessel Monitoring System), LRIT (Long Range Identification & Tracking) and FleetNet. This new development enables shipping companies to adhere strictly to international maritime law: International Maritime Organisation regulations stipulate that a vessel must send a position report every six hours, and that this report must in turn be delivered to the data center in less than 15 minutes (or seven minutes in European countries). SkyFile-C Store & Push runs over a dedicated platform, developed by Vizada at its teleport in Aussaguel, France as part of a major upgrade to its Inmarsat-C infrastructure.

Crew PC, new versions of Vizada XChange and SkyFile Mail optimize crew comms and business data management. Vizada, an independent provider of global satellite-based mobility services, will showcase some of its newest updates and innovations in communications solutions for crew and optimization of business data at this year’s Europort in Rotterdam (November 8-11). Vizada and partner Marlink will be available at booth 3117 for the duration of the event. The recently-released Crew PC will be highlighted during the international maritime show. The Crew PC is a pre-configured onboard PC which connects to a satellite data terminal to provide instant plug-&-play access to data communications such as email, chat and internet access.

Astrium Services took a survey of seafarer’s usage of crew communication solutions in the commercial shipping sector to establish a picture of mariner communications requirements. According to Tore Morten Olsen, Head of Maritime Services, Astrium Services, the survey was illuminating in more ways than one, helping to shed light on modern comms usage for onboard business and personal reasons. MLC 2006 is here. What is your sense that ship operators and owners will incorporate an increased availability of communications solutions for seafarers? The MLC asks for “reasonable access to ship-to-shore telephone communications, and email and Internet facilities, where available.” The wording is quite soft. Plus it is located in the non-mandatory guidelines. So there’s some room for interpretation.