Wireless Technology News

KVH Industries said Tuesday that ScanReach, an innovator in onboard wireless connectivity solutions designed specifically for the steel vessel environment, has joined the KVH Watch Solution Partner program and will offer KVH Watch Cloud Connect services.According to the press release, ScanReach’s onboard wireless connectivity technology enables data to travel anywhere on the vessel without cabling, and, combined with KVH Watch Cloud Connect, the data will travel to the cloud for…

Keeping track of personnel on board (POB) “will be a requirement on all contracts” with offshore energy companies, predicted Tonny Sørdal, vice-president for quality, safety, health and environment of support vessel operator Olympic Subsea ASA.He was speaking just a year after one of its customers first asked for that capability and now, seven of the company’s 10 vessels have been fitted with a system that not only tracks crew and contractors while they are on board, but also as they transfer from the vessel to wind turbines and even within the turbine itself.

Headset communications on board workboats in harsh marine environments are subject to a variety of challenges: background noise from loud engines and high wind turbulence around the microphone and the highly corrosive salt and spray in marine environments. On board rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) and high-speed craft (HSC) that pound through rough waters at 60 knots – including a variety of patrol boats and interceptor/interdiction vessels – critical communication can be rendered all but impossible.

APM Terminals Barcelona revealed how the latest 5G wireless technology is enabling the use of V2X communication – where information is passed between vehicles and other entities that could affect it.During his presentation, entitled “5G in a container terminal: V2X applied to Cranes. Improving safety in a dangerous Environment”, Sergi Domínguez Tomas, Head of IT at APM Terminals Barcelona, explained that 5G technology provides an opportunity to develop new solutions to optimize safety within the terminal.“Wireless communications have always been difficult to manage in container terminals, but we are convinced that 5G technology will allow us to use V2X systems in our terminal…

Allseas Group, the offshore pipeline installation contractor, has chosen WFS Technologies’ new Seatooth Pipelogger for the real time measurement of process temperature on a subsea pipeline system which they have installed recently.WFS, the player in subsea wireless automation, Subsea Internet of Things (SIoT) and Subsea Cloud Computing Networks (SCCNs) said that the pipeline system is designed to have a total gas throughput capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters per year.WFS Technologies’ Pipelogger is a real-time, wireless technology which requires little to no maintenance, and can operate at depths of up to 2,000m without the need for…

The latest technology can detect the risk of an on board electrical fire – before it ignites. It’s not too late to incorporate this feature into your next workboat design.Fire on board always poses a risk to life, although certain vessels such as passenger ships present a particular danger because they carry a large number of people, and tens of millions around the world use them as a method of transport annually. However, a fire on any type of vessel, including the vast number and array of workboats…

Industrial LTE wireless broadband services provider Infrastructure Networks, Inc. (INET) is deploying a pilot LTE system in the Gulf of Mexico. INET said its pilot deployment will be used to demonstrate the capabilities of industrial LTE wireless broadband service and coverage when coupled with 700 MHz spectrum that INET has leased from Verizon Wireless under the LTE in Rural America program. The pilot will be open to certain companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico that have expressed an interest in using the network for testing and planning larger LTE rollouts. Tarig Anani , CEO of Infrastructure Networks, said, "The pilot deployment phase of our LTE rollout will give customers an opportunity to test and preplan their own LTE deployments in lockstep with Infrastructure Networks.

Dorchester based, Tritex NDT has launched its new Multigauge 5700 Datalogger Metal Thickness Gauge. The new gauge, has all the advantages of the Multigauge 5600 but with the added benefit of storing readings on the gauge, the manufacturer said. The Multigauge 5700 Datalogger includes an onboard memory for recording measurements in either a grid or string format, or combination of both. The readings are then transferred to a PC or laptop using wireless technology, which also allows remote gauging if required.

Modern cruise ships can cost upwards of a billion and built to last more than 25 years, so the platforms must be built for change, as evolving style & taste, material innovation & maritime regulation dictate. “Built to stand the test of time” is the mantra, so in seeking insight on modern cruise design we sought insights from a designer that also has stood the test of time, Tomas Tillberg of Tillberg Design International. Mr. Tillberg, as a long-tenured and well-respected member of the Cruise Ship design community…

WFS helps Marin communicate with underwater models in their test basin using subsea wireless technology. Marin is one of the leading institutes in the world for hydrodynamic research and maritime technology, providing services to the shipbuilding and offshore industry and governments. Customers include commercial ship builders, fleet owners, naval architects, classification societies, oil and LNG companies and navies all over the world. Marin’s Seakeeping and Maneuvering basin…

Spurred by Seismic Equipment Solutions (SES) Client demand, SES becomes preferred provider of the true cable-free system. FairfieldNodal today announced that global seismic equipment rental company Seismic Equipment Solutions (SES) acquired 6,000 channels of its ZLand nodal system. ZLand, the only true cable-free nodal system, is unique in the industry, making it faster and safer to deploy than conventional cabled systems, even in treacherous or environmentally sensitive areas. The commitment to FairfieldNodal makes SES the preferred global leasing provider for ZLand systems. According to SES, the acquisition was in response to contractor requests, which are, in many cases, prompted by the contractor’s own clients.

Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) has strengthened its foothold in the Mediterranean through a major turnkey telecommunications contract with Corsica & Sardinia Ferries, one of Italy’s most prestigious ferry operators. The five-year contract covers Mobile Telephony, Mobile Internet, WiFi and VSAT for eight passenger ferries and plays a key role in supporting Corsica’s ongoing aims to provide crew and passengers with competitive wireless communications backed by a highly reliable quality cellular network.Corsica & Sardinia Ferries are one of the biggest operators on the Western Mediterranean Sea transporting about 3.5 million passengers annually aboard their ferries running to and from France and Italy to Corsica and Sardinia.

MINNETONKA, Minn. (Aug. 11, 2011) - Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) today announced that its ConnectPort® X5 R is now certified to use the Iridium satellite network for global, two-way, low-latency data communications. The gateway is a compact, ruggedized tracking and telematics device that incorporates cellular, satellite, global positioning system (GPS), Wi-Fi and vehicle area network (VAN) wireless technology in a single enclosure allowing for the greatest possible connectivity flexibility. Ideal for fleet management and asset tracking applications, the ConnectPort X5 R provides remote connectivity to mobile assets via cellular or satellite networks.

The German navigation specialist Raytheon Anschütz introduces a newly developed wireless battery monitoring technology. The core of the system is a new sensor that features an innovative measurement concept to provide highest failure safety while contributing to cost savings during installation and servicing. Raytheon Anschütz, as a subsidiary of the Raytheon Company, presents a wireless battery monitoring demonstration at this year’s UDT in London. The Wireless Battery Monitoring System (WBMS) is the central measuring and evaluation system for main batteries aboard submarines.

EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:EFJI) announced that it has received an order from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for $1.1m to provide a maritime wireless solution for the customer. "Our secure wireless technology provides the DoD with a FIPS 140-2 Validated and IEEE 802.11 based solution that will transmit data, voice and video," said Michael Jalbert, president and chief executive officer of EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. "The wireless reach-back system provides a secure means of rapidly transferring data in a maritime environment in support of the customer's mission to deter, delay and disrupt the movement of terrorist and terrorist-related materials and personnel at sea.

Maritime Communications Partner (MCP), provider of onboard communications to the global cruise fleet, has announced a new five-year contract with Germany’s Aida Cruises for the supply of wireless mobile services and systems to three, 2,174 passenger new builds. The contract for three consecutive new builds in 2010, 2011 and 2012, follows the completion of the installation of wireless cellular systems onboard Princess Cruises, Cunard Lines and P&O Australia ships. It is MCP’s first contract with the German-based AIDA Cruises. The scope of supply covers GSM, GPRS and SMS, and complete turnkey installation including the delivery of network equipment and services, engineering and product management, network design, operation, and system integration.

BMT Defence Services Limited, a subsidiary of BMT Group, is heading a consortium of 30 companies to investigate the commercially effective application of electric ship technology in a $30.3m European Union funded project. The ultimate aim of this study, which will begin in January 2009, is to provide a working guide on how to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the combined European commercial shipping fleet. The Power Optimised Ship for Environment with Electric Innovative Designs ON board (Pose2idon) project will see BMT Defence Services co-ordinate the activity of the 30 company consortium which includes Converteam Technology Limited, DCNS, DNV, SAM, Sirehna, GICAN, EMEC and BALance.

BMT Defence Services Limited, a subsidiary of BMT Group, is heading a consortium of 30 companies to investigate the commercially effective application of electric ship technology in a $32.1m European Union funded project. The ultimate aim of this study, which will begin in January 2009, is to provide a working guide on how to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the combined European commercial shipping fleet. The Power Optimised Ship for Environment with Electric Innovative Designs ON board (Pose2idon) project will see BMT Defence Services co-ordinate the activity of the 30 company consortium which includes Converteam Technology Limited, DCNS, DNV, SAM, Sirehna, GICAN, EMEC and BALance.

AAPA is finalizing programs and securing industry experts for both the Port Administration Seminar and the Information Technology Seminar. These two important disciplines will be covered thoroughly as independent seminars, coming together for two sessions, one on eCommerce and another on Electronic Policy. These two groups will also come together for continental breakfasts, breaks and lunches. AAPA seminar host, the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport, is planning an Evening Cruise & Reception Aboard "The Gulf Islander" for both groups on Thursday evening, April 5. The program for the Port Administration Seminar has been carefully assembled to cover the latest trends and challenges in port administration.

MACSEA Ltd, a provider of software agent technology for prognostic machinery health monitoring, has signed a Co-Operative Research and Development Agreement with Electric Boat Corporation (A General Dynamics Company) of Groton, Conn. The goal is to further develop and demonstrate advanced technology for real-time maintenance decision-making in support of a minimum manned, highly automated and networked information infrastructure on future Navy ships. Key technology development areas include wireless sensors, neural network-based diagnostics/prognostics, and intelligent software agents. One outcome of this research will be prognostic agents capable of operating in a wireless environment to satisfy the Navy’s Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) philosophy of the future…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced that Major General Carl A. Strock, Director of Civil Works, has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project. Construction of the navigation improvements and associated ecosystem restoration features may now proceed after a cost-sharing agreement is signed. Issuance of the ROD -- a written public record under the National Environmental Policy Act explaining why the agency has decided upon a particular course of action - clears the way for the Corps' Portland District to begin work improving the federal navigation channel that stretches 103 miles between the Pacific Ocean and Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash.

Emerson Process Management announces the opening of a new engineering center in , responsible for providing front end engineering services and project management expertise to the marine and offshore industry. The centre will build on experiences gained from hundreds of offshore installations to provide innovative installations that reduce the time and cost to first oil and improve the performance on board. Marine and offshore projects will be designed and coordinated along developed M&O standards and procedures, by the office, so as to benefit from the experience learned from similar projects. In particular these designs will include the implementation of innovative solutions such as integrated operations…

Mackay Communications announces that Oscar Solis has been hired as the new Southwest Regional Sales Manager, reporting to Mackay’s Vice-President of Sales David Lemoine. Oscar will be based out of our Mackay Marine-Houston Depot. Oscar brings extensive sales experience from the wireless technology industry, mobile workforce management, software/platform and hardware solutions, test & measurement instrumentation along with complete broadband services communications. Mr. Solis has held positions with Sprint as a Regional & Channel Sales Manager providing all three major product portfolio offerings. In addition, he has also served as the Regional & Latin America Sales Manager for Itronix Corp.