Software Product News

The common perception of intact stability has remained largely unchanged over the last few decades, where a vessel’s stability is evaluated using classical and static means: limits on righting arms, residual areas, and determining maximal VCG (or minimal GM) composite curves. These methods are familiar to most naval architects and are taught at a fundamental level in most naval architecture engineering programs.But repeated incidents of dynamic failure in recent decades brings question to the adequacy of classical static stability criteria to provide a complete understanding of…

Swiss IT and engineering firm MESPAS informs it has completely redesigned its Technical Ship Management software, resulting in a user interface that is more modern, intuitive and user-friendly.The new look is based on Microsoft design guidelines,  says, noting the new software solution feels familiar and easy to use for those who know Microsoft Office products. Meanwhile, the interface itself uses the latest up-to-date software technology.MESPAS Technical Ship Management is a maritime software product for the management of procurement, maintenance, QHSE, operations and crewing.

Maersk Tankers is launching a new standalone digital business to reduce CO2 emissions and optimize vessels’ earnings across the tramp shippig industry.Soren C. Meyer is moving from Chief Asset Officer to Chief Executive Officer of the new digital venture.The as-yet-unnamed business will develop and sell the software product SimBunker to vessel owners and managers in the tramp shipping industry to help them use their vessels more efficiently. This will reduce CO2 emissions, supporting the shipping industry’s ongoing efforts towards more sustainable development, and increase earnings.SimBunker optimizes vessels’ bunker spend, which can account for up to 60% of the total voyage costs, by determining optimal solutions for factors such as speed, bunker purchase and route.

Howard Fireman, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, joined the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in 2013. Fireman is responsible for leveraging the latest advancements in technology to drive the development of innovative products and services that promote safety and improve the delivery of class services in the marine and offshore industries. Since joining ABS, Fireman has also served as President of the ABS Nautical Systems Fleet Management Software product line where he has overseen significant advancements in the software and achieved growth in every sector.

The Liberian Registry, in partnership with Prevention at Sea Ltd, a Cyprus-based maritime compliance technology company, has launched an innovative software product designed to replace traditional paper oil record books (ORBs) and to facilitate correct ORB entries into an efficient electronic format. Liberia’s Electronic Oil Record Book (ε-ORB) is the most recent in a long line of ground-breaking industry initiatives designed to make the Liberian-flag fleet the safest, greenest and most efficient afloat. It is intended to address a variety of issues, including oil record books being reported missing on board, failure to document entries in the ORB of internal transfer of oily mixture…

Brian Yoder has joined Moffatt & Nichol as Chief Software Architect at its Long Beach, Calif. office to help manage the software product development of FlexTerm, a simulation and emulation tool developed mainly for the container terminal planning, the terminal operating system testing, the logistic system modeling and optimization in ports and terminals. The software allows for better analysis of dynamic processes and visualization of operational processes through 3D animations.

CherSoft’s professional navigation software Nuno Navigator now has access to a full portfolio of ENC charts from PRIMAR. ENC charts have traditionally been limited to ECDIS systems. Now, Nuno Navigator is bringing professional quality charts to smaller workboats, back offices, pilots, rig movement specialists and wherever a more complex and expensive ECDIS is not required. According to its developers, Nuno Navigator is particularly attractive to professionals needing a portable navigation system, who can travel with ENC charts on a rugged laptop.

Globavista drives greater efficiency in vessel fleets by providing enhanced operational intelligence to fleet managers with new software product updates, the developer announced. Globavista is a vessel tracking and monitoring product enhanced with a new User Interface allowing the management of large scale fleets more effectively, giving easier, more intuitive analysis to fleet managers across the globe. As the demands of maritime tracking and fleet management grows, there is increased worldwide demand for the Globavista vessel tracking platform…

Helm Marine Software’s product team leads burdened brown water workboat operators out of the wilderness – and confidently into compliance. Four to six forms a day and that’s before Subchapter M rules take effect. That is how many forms Helm Marine Software’s product team figures a typical inland vessel must deal with, every day. Their research shows that OSV companies have around 100 different forms to complete and Dry Bulk companies have around 70. Skip the forms, and under Subchapter M, vessels without Certificates of Inspection (COIs) won’t be fined. They will also be tied up at the dock.

AVEVA Marine and AVEVA Bocad software licenses will be deployed in Korean Universities and schools to encourage the ongoing development of the local marine industry. Students will be introduced to the ship design process through hands-on experience with essential engineering and design disciplines. "We welcome AVEVA’s support to bring critical job skills to our students," said Professor TaeWan Kim, Seoul National University. "By working closely and training the professors and teachers on the software…

AVEVA launches a new application for governing asset information using a standards-based methodology. AVEVA announced the launch of AVEVA Information Standards Manager (AVEVA ISM), a software product that enables both EPC contractors and asset Owner Operators to achieve greater control over critical engineering information across their projects and enterprises. It does this by rationalising existing class libraries and imposing consistent and compliant standards that improve information quality and reduce both project and operational risk. AVEVA ISM can be rapidly deployed and is fully compatible with software systems from other vendors.

McMurdo Group was launched today as a new global company in end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) solutions. Comprised of Orolia’s former Positioning, Tracking and Monitoring Division, McMurdo Group combines Boatracs, Kannad, McMurdo and Techno-Sciences, Inc. into the industry’s first, single-vendor provider of end-to-end lifesaving and tracking solutions including distress beacons, satellite connectivity infrastructure, monitoring/positioning software and emergency response management. “The formation of McMurdo Group is far more just than a corporate realignment. It is an opportunity to lead, simplify and educate a fragmented…

Aberdeen-based MarineMTS has signed a supply and support deal with a Greek manufacturer of marine electronic equipment. The deal will see MarineMTS supplying software to Intermarine Electronics, which provides marine electronic equipment to a multi-million pound global market, and also to the Greek Naval Fleet. Intermarine will use Microplot 7, an exclusive product developed by MarineMTS, in its own-label ECDIS products (Electronic Chart Display and Information System). As well as providing the proprietary software product, the deal will see MarineMTS provide support and maintenance services to Intermarine over the next 10 years. The Microplot range of software is the product on which MarineMTS was founded, and to which the business owns all the rights.

QinetiQ Maritime’s Paramarine software, a ship and submersible design tool, has released its latest version of software including a number of new capabilities. The new functionality in Paramarine V8, developed by QinetiQ GRC, is intended to further meet the needs of commercial ship designers and builders, whilst reinforcing its capabilities in the naval market. A major addition in the latest version of Paramarine is the introduction of probabilistic damage modeling and assessment, a requirement for all passenger and cargo vessels. Coupled with its innate parametric functionality and a flexible reporting system, Paramarine aims to deliver…

Atle Jacobsen, the CEO of Dolphin Geophysical, is, in many ways, a bit of a paradox. An experienced, no-nonsense, veteran of the marine seismic surveying industry, he is also disarmingly easy to “talk shop” with, engaging and has an obvious thirst for new ideas and technology. But the core contradiction lies in his approach to business. This is a man that shows no qualms about ripping up the rulebooks and making brave decisions, but at the same time there is a steadfast caution that underpins the very essence of the Dolphin business model.

Praeses' OneList – an enterprise software product in the Armada Suite of shipbuilding products – gives real-time deckplate access to defect tracking data. With OneList users can quickly enter, view, and close internal tickets – reducing construction and maintenance times, saving time and money. For shipyards today, ticket tracking is a time-intensive and inefficient paper-based process. This inefficiency is responsible for rework, schedule delays, cost overruns, and a high rate of internal ticket conversion to U.S. Navy TSME trial cards – all resulting in lost time and money. Trial cards are a common way to identify deficiencies which can extend construction schedules, increase costs, and negatively affect mission performance of the ship after deployment.

Previously there has been no single software tool available on the market that covers both wind turbine and substructure design analysis in one analysis package. Now Fedem Technology and DNV Software have joined forces with a new coupled analysis module available in Sesam Wind – used when performance of the wind turbine is influenced by wave loading. The offshore wind turbine industry will benefit from this new and innovative, user-friendly software solution including dynamic simulations, advanced fatigue calculation and code check in one complete analysis package.

Structured and analytical risk management have direct effects on a company’s ability to build a competitive advantage. To support organizations with one complete solution for managing operational, project and enterprise risk DNV Software has now incorporated the risk management tool EasyRisk Manager with the Synergi Life risk and QHSE-management solution. It provides a real time snapshot of a company’s risk picture. The focus of organizations on risk management has increased due to extended governmental requirements, increased demands for transparency and sustainability and compliance towards standards. As structured and analytical risk management has direct effects both on profit…

For inland operators, Compliance, Safety & Technology make for heavy river traffic as software providers descend on a rapidly approaching, potentially lucrative niche market. Is there a panacea for subchapter M? Pending USCG Subchapter “M” (SubM) regulations will eventually require towing operators to implement safety standards and use safety management systems, or alternatively, allow for an annual Coast Guard inspection regime. The new rules are expected to allow towing vessel organizations to customize their approach to meeting the requirements, while providing oversight using audits, inspections, and reviews of safety data. As many as 5,000 vessels and their operators will eventually feel the impact of the so-called subchapter M rules.

DNV Software introduces new 6.3 version of Sesam GeniE, to provide strength analysis through the entire lifecycle of fixed offshore structures. To avoid catastrophes at oil or gas field operations it is vital that a thorough strength analysis is done before a structure is operative. The effects of wave, wind and fatigue determine the duration and profitability of the operation, and correct calculations are critical. Efficient strength analysis throughout all stages of the life cycle of an offshore structure – construction…

A Scottish company has launched onto the global shipping market the first comprehensive software product designed to combat the increasing problem of modern-day piracy at sea. •    The cost of piracy in 2011 is estimated at $7 billion / £4.46 billion (including increased security spend and ransom payments). •    The numbers of hostages and size of individual ransom demands also increased over the same period. Marine MTS, based in Aberdeen, has developed Sentinel, which tracks user vessels remotely. As well as helping the user plot a safe route through problem areas, the software will automatically alert emergency or military services should something unusual happen on board.

Tokyo, Japan, is the Newest Global Location for the Middletown, RI-Based Technology Company. KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq:KVHI) has opened an office in Tokyo to further strengthen KVH's position in the market and to provide additional support to its Japanese partners. The opening of the KVH Industries Japan Co., Ltd., office reflects the growing market in Japan for KVH's maritime satellite communications solutions, which include the mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) service -- the world's leading maritime VSAT choice -- and the award-winning TracPhone(R) satellite communications systems. KVH Industries' Japanese partners include SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, which provides the mini-VSAT Broadband service under the OceanBB brand name, as well as Furuno Electric Co., Ltd., and Japan Radio Co.

Boatracs announces strategic partnership with Maritime Compliance Internationa (MCI)l to provide Subchapter M compliance solution. The two companies are collaborating in the development of a new electronic forms software product for the workboat market designed specifically for compliance management of the upcoming Coast Guard 46 CFR Subchapter "M" regulation. The new product is based on Boatracs' industry leading electronic forms platform, Boatracs BTForms. BTForms is currently in use on almost 200 vessels to simplify the process of collecting accurate vessel data for dispatch, Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE), maintenance and management.