Karen Hughey News

ABS announced a partnership with Engineering Software Reliability Group (ESRG), a provider of leading-edge data analysis and remote monitoring technology. The partnership will improve service offerings in real-time data management and analytics to the marine and offshore industries. “The future of operational optimization and regulatory compliance in the marine and offshore industries lies in the ability to collect, analyze and act upon real-time data gathered from operations around the world,” said Karen Hughey, President and COO, ABS Nautical Systems. ESRG brings more than 12 years of reliability and maintenance experience monitoring and analyzing US Navy ships.

ABS Nautical Systems today announced that implementation of its NS5 Enterprise software suite has begun on Reederei Claus-Peter Offen’s fleet of container vessels. Based in Hamburg and one of the world’s largest suppliers of modern container tonnage, the company will be utilizing three modules from ABS Nautical Systems’ integrated software solution. Reederei Claus-Peter Offen purchased the Maintenance & Repair, Purchasing & Inventory and Voyage Management modules for its fleet of 103 vessels. These modules provide the tools to track maintenance expenses, upcoming drydocks and repairs, inventory replacement needs, fuel consumption and cargo operations across their entire fleet.

Humboldt Shipmanagement Ltda. Becomes First in Latin America to Implement ABS Nautical Systems’ NS5 software to a Tugboat Fleet. Humboldt Shipmanagement Ltda., which handles ship management services for various fleets, including oil, gas and chemical tankers has expanded their use of the NS5 Maintenance & Repair software to its fleet of 25 tugboats. “We’ve seen the benefits of this product on our other fleets and believe it has the capabilities to be successful on our tugs,” said Renato Cortes, IT Project Manager for Humboldt Shipmanagement, Ltda. “Tugboats are confined spaces so the implementation has been much more involved. Having used the software on their tanker fleet since 2002…

ABS Nautical Systems announced that its fully integrated asset management software suite NS5 has been selected for trial by Formosa Plastics Marine Corp. (FPMC), part of the Formosa Plastics Group - the only privately owned Taiwan oil refinery and the second largest gasoline and gasoil producer in Taiwan. This new relationship marks the entry of ABS Nautical Systems into the Taiwan market and continues its expansion throughout Asia. FPMC will evaluate several modules from the NS5 software suite through the ABS Newbuild Program including Maintenance & Repair, Hull Inspection and Drawings Management. When making a decision to assess ABS Nautical Systems’ offerings, FPMC was particularly interested in the software’s capability for class integration with the ABS Eagle Survey Manager program.

ABS Nautical Systems today announced that they have been selected as the asset management software provider for Star Clippers, based in Monaco. Star Clippers is one of the premier specialty cruise lines and the only modern-day cruise line dedicated to re-creating the golden age of tall sailing ships with a “mega-yacht” experience. Operating three of the largest and full-rigged sailing ships in the world, Star Clippers will implement the Maintenance & Repair, Purchasing & Inventory and Crew Management modules…

ABS Nautical Systems announced the redesign and release of its suite of asset management software, NS5. Continually evolving to meet industry needs, NS5 Enterprise has a versatile design that allows all users – from senior management to crew members – 24/7 access to relevant data from their overall business landscape. While owners and senior management have the capability to retrieve the latest real-time information that drives their business, the status of their fleets, shipboard and shoreside users can reference this same data as it relates to their particular job functions.

ABS Nautical Systems announced its successful partnership with Euronav Ship Management (Hellas) Ltd., one of the world’s leading tanker companies. Euronav selected ABS Nautical Systems as its asset management provider in 2009 and was the first adopter of the Hull Inspection module. The Hull Inspection module is a browser-based tool that helps track the structural condition of a vessel throughout its service life. Euronav currently uses the Hull Inspection module on 11 of its ABS classed tankers. However, given its successful use of the program to date, the company plans to continue expanding use of the program to additional vessels. “Prior to implementing Hull Inspection, we used hard-copy forms that made it difficult to organize, assess and identify conditions.

ABS Nautical Systems announced that they have been selected as the fleet management software provider of Dubai company Stanford Marine, LLC a provider of offshore marine support services. ABS Nautical Systems’ work with Stanford Marine marks continued expansion in Dubai, with several companies now using the NS5 software suite in the Emirates. Stanford Marine is changing from a paper and Microsoft Excel system to ABS Nautical Systems’ software suite NS5, a fully integrated system to allow for a more streamlined approach to fleet management. Stanford Marine will implement the Maintenance & Repair and Vessel Drawings modules on a total of 25 vessels, all of which are classed with ABS.

HOUSTON, Texas - ABS Nautical Systems today announced that they have been selected as the fleet management software provider for Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company (AMPTC). AMPTC owns and operates a fleet of LPG Carriers, Crude Oil Tankers and Product Carriers operating in the spot market worldwide that was established by member counties of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting countries. AMPTC, whose shareholders include the states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar…

ABS Nautical Systems, one of the leading providers of integrated fleet management software for the maritime industry, announced another year of record growth in 2010. ABS Nautical Systems signed 83 new clients with a combined total of 1053 vessels overall. In the month of December, 18 new customers were signed – a number that roughly equates to a new contract signed daily. New clients signed across the globe include Chevron, Reederei Offen, Hapag-Lloyd, Donnelly Tankers Management, Nereus Shipping, Fleet Management Ltd., NAVSEA and Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company. ABS Nautical Systems opened new offices in Vancouver and Shanghai in 2010 to better serve each region, and will be announcing three additional openings in the spring of 2011.

ABS Nautical Systems was selected by Tidewater Inc. to trial its fleet management software. With this partnership, ABS Nautical Systems intends to become Tidewater’s global fleet management software provider. Tidewater would be replacing an internal system with ABS Nautical Systems’ fully integrated software suite to help manage its principal operational functions including maintenance, vessel-initiated requisitions and relevant regulatory requirements. “Our vendor vetting process was time intensive,” said Bill Scott, Manager, Engineering and Technical Services, Tidewater. Tidewater will implement several modules from ABS Nautical Systems’ software suite NS5…

ABS Nautical Systems, the world’s fastest growing provider of fleet management software, hosted its 2010 Annual User Conference, Oct. 12-14, 2010 in Vancouver BC, Canada. The conference hosted approximately 150 industry professionals from more than 50 maritime companies, who learned about the new functionalities and enhancements offered in ABS Nautical Systems’ technology suite NS5. Attendees were also able to network and collaborate with industry colleagues, sharing best practices and product development ideas for the future. “With our software suite constantly evolving to meet industry needs, we use this conference as a platform to garner user feedback and insights that help strengthen our core products and services,” said Karen Hughey, President and COO of ABS Nautical Systems.

ABS Nautical Systems has added four senior executives to lead the firm’s growth globally and to better serve its customers. Thomas Blenk has been appointed Vice President of Global Operations for ABS Nautical Systems based in Houston. Blenk, a veteran of ABS with over 12 years of experience in both classification and operations, oversees the account management and consulting teams and is overall responsible for implementation of the NS5 software suite for customers worldwide. Previously, Blenk was Country Manager, United Arab Emirates for ABS, and brings international expertise in directing complex state-of the-art marine projects. Brad Achorn has been appointed to the ABS Nautical Systems management team as Regional Vice President, working in the Piraeus office.

ABS Nautical Systems, provider of integrated fleet management software for the maritime industry, announced it has experienced record growth in the second half of 2009. During that period, which began with the launch of the Newbuild Program, ABS Nautical Systems has expanded their business by signing 30 new contracts in just 26 weeks. ABS Nautical Systems expects to continue its momentum and forecasts even stronger growth in 2010. “By integrating our ship maintenance software with the classification and survey requirements of ABS, we will have the ability to streamline the owners’ inspection process and move towards developing a more standardized, class-approved maintenance program,” said Karen Hughey, President and COO of ABS Nautical Systems.

ABS Nautical Systems (NS), a division of ABS, a classification society, announced a series of senior management changes and established a new client-centered operational structure to strengthen its portfolio of fleet management software services for the marine and offshore industries. Karen Hughey, who joined NS in January as Senior Vice President, has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer, replacing Jack Kitchura who has retired after leading Nautical Systems for the past ten years. Hughey had previously served as Vice President of Application Development for ABS.