Videotel, Safebridge JV for Onboard ECDIS Certification

Videotel, a provider of e-Learning maritime training solutions and a company of KVH Industries, has joined forces with online maritime training business Safebridge GmbH, which specializes in ECDIS training, to provide shipping companies with the unique ability to certify their seafarers on ECDIS type-specific training while serving onboard.

 

More than 30 ECDIS type-specific training courses will be available, which is the most comprehensive offering in the industry. Companies using the Videotel On Demand (VOD) system will have access to this leading-edge certification route. The agreement will enable a trainee onboard to select and log onto the VOD system and access the relevant Safebridge courses. After completing online theory segments, the trainee would then proceed to practical training using the onboard ECDIS before taking their test using Safebridge’s validation systems.

The list of type-specific ECDIS training courses covered in this agreement includes the full ECDIS type-specific training portfolio of Safebridge, as well as further training courses for more ECDIS equipment currently in development. Maritime regulations requiring ECDIS compliance on all ship types are in a rollout phase that began in 2012 and will continue until 2018.

“Training crew on ECDIS type-specific models has been a real headache for shipping companies and ship managers over the past years. The large number of different ECDIS models and the fact that crew generally have to complete their training ashore means that the shipping industry has faced a costly logistical burden in getting crew the knowledge they legally require,” says Nigel Cleave, Videotel’s chief executive officer. “We are delighted to further extend our long working relationship with Safebridge in this area, to introduce logical and cost-effective training solutions to our customers.”

Videotel’s training solutions are in use on more than 12,000 vessels worldwide, and include 950 new and updated titles to meet current seafarer training needs. The Videotel programs are available in a range of formats, including 500+ e-Learning courses, more than twice the number of CBTs offered by competitors. Videotel has been a leader in developing training material since 1973 when the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), the forerunner to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), wanted to improve the quality of training materials available to seafarers and called on the company’s services. Videotel has recorded more than 11 million training events in recent years, and its training programs have been recognized with nearly 100 awards.

Today, Videotel’s focus on maritime training materials is a vital aspect of the overall integrated maritime solution offered by KVH, which is addressing the big data needs of the maritime industry in a unique way. KVH’s solution includes the mini-VSAT Broadbandsm satellite network, which provides broadband connectivity to thousands of vessels worldwide; the TracPhone V-IP line of advanced satellite communications antenna systems; and the IP-MobileCast content delivery service, which utilizes multicasting technology to deliver entertainment and operations content without using vessels’ monthly airtime data allotments. Videotel’s Basic Training Package of 20 essential maritime training programs is already available via the IP-MobileCast content delivery service, and additional Videotel training programs will be added.