Service Technology News

SevenCs has just released a brand new software tool called TMS ChartServer which is running on a high performance “Tile Map Service” technology. It allows users of maritime web and mobile applications – e.g. Fleet Monitoring, Vessel Tracking, and Surveying – to display maritime charts at top speed: no matter if full global chart coverage is needed or just a smaller area of interest. SevenCs GmbH is located in Hamburg, and for decades has been “the Expert” in developing maritime software applications.

Q88 LLC, a software as a service technology provider to the maritime industry, has opened an office in Athens, Greece. According t o the company, the new office further increases the its presence in Europe and will serve as a key hub for client relations and business development. “The Greek shipping community is so important to our success as a company and the industry as a whole. Having a presence in Greece is something we are very excited about. The Athens office will allow us to further strengthen relationships in the region and allow us to tap into the pulse of the industry,” said Fritz Heidenreich, president and founder of Q88.

According to a new industry report published by Lucintel, the future of the global marine port and service industry looks good, with opportunities in the marine freight transportation industry. As per a Lucintel study, the global marine port and service industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2015 to 2020. The major drivers of growth for this industry are high growth of the marine freight transportation industry and surging demand of containerized and bulk cargo. Increasing global exports, rising customer (Shipping companies) demand, and expansion of new regional trade hubs are the additional factors contributing to accelerated growth.

Craig Jessup has been appointed Senior Vice President, Services in Kalmar, part of Cargotec. Craig joins Kalmar from Ingersoll Rand where he headed the Industrial Technologies parts and services business for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Before Ingersoll Rand, Craig worked 21 years at ABB where he held a variety of leadership positions in the service business and was in charge of the global Services business of ABB's Robotics division as VP Customer Service as well as the Worldwide Head of Service Technology. Craig, who has both US and French citizenships, has lived and worked in several countries, including the USA, Canada, France, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands.

With the final conference in September and second and final trial campaign taking place at the end of June 2014, the I2C (Integrated System for Interoperable sensors & Information sources for Common abnormal vessel behavior detection & Collaborative identification of threat) integration project has resulted in significant breakthroughs for enhancing sea border protection. I2C was implemented to enable automatic identification and tracking of vessels suspected of involvement in i.e. irregular migration, illegal fishing, drug trafficking and looting of cultural heritage.

Floating LNG market poised for increased investment and activity, report finds. Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecast total expenditure of $64.4bn from 2014-2020 in its new FLNG market report. Two-thirds of this spend is attributed to liquefaction infrastructure, while the remaining is from import and regasification facilities. The previous seven-year period saw minimal investment in floating liquefaction infrastructure, however, with the introduction of floating LNG vessels, global FLNG Capex is expected to experience significant increase over the next seven years.

Born five years ago, ABB’s remote diagnostics service (RDS) is still in its infancy. But this brainchild of service technology is growing fast – and its future looks bright. The quality of ABB’s marine after sales service is stepping up a notch with the opening of a new control center in Norway and the addition of remote diagnostics service (RDS) connections fitted to vessels in shipyards. Systems specialists are available from a control center just outside Oslo to troubleshoot faults in electrical installations onboard ships anywhere in the world.

Pilot Freight, worldwide transportation & logistics provider, picks up its seventh 'Ryder Transportation Management Carrier Quality Award'. Every year Ryder recognizes carriers through this award who demonstrate excellence in on-time performance, claims handling, customer service, technology applicants, economic value and innovation. The Ryder awards recognize excellence through a variety of metrics including: on-time performance, claims handling, customer service, technology applicants, economic value and innovation. Ryder places more than $4.1 billion of its customers’ freight on selected carriers in all modes of transportation. “We are honored to be awarded the Ryder Quality Award for 2011,” said John Hill, Pilot’s executive vice president of sales.

HUAL AS was named as a General Motors Supplier of the Year for its overall business performance in providing GM with parts and services. The award was given during ceremonies Saturday, April 3 in Prague at the Hilton Prague Hotel's Congress Hall. "HUAL is representative of the type of company we want to grow with as we drive to be the best worldwide," said Bo Andersson, vice president, GM Worldwide Purchasing Production Control & Logistics. "The company has a balanced focus on performance and behaviour that supports GM's priorities. "HUAL is very honoured to have been selected by GM as 2003 Supplier of the Year for Ocean Carrier Services, " said Karl A. Terjesen, HUAL's president. "Receiving this important and prestigious award from the world's No.

Grimaldi Group has been elected General Motors’ supplier of the year due to its overall outcome as logistics provider. The award was granted during a ceremony held Saturday 3rd of April at the Hilton Hotel in Prague. Bo Andersson, GM’s Worldwide Purchasing Production Control and Logistics Vice President said “Grimaldi- Naples Group represents the type of company with which we want to grow along our journey towards being the best in the world. Grimaldi Group’s service level and working method are able to put up with GM’s priorities. The company is a model for all of our suppliers,” he stated.

Kvaerner, the international engineering and construction group, announced that consents have now been secured from all creditors that are party to the debt restructuring in the group. The remaining key condition in the overall refinancing of the Kvaerner Group has thereby now been fulfilled. The other key elements in the refinancing scheme, a Directed Offering subscribed at the end of November 2001, and a Rights Offering, to be subscribed later this month, are proceeding according to plan. Formal closing of the debt restructuring and the Directed Offering are expected to take place tomorrow, and the Group’s internal cash pooling system will thereafter be fully operational.

Schlumberger has affirmed its commitment to the deepwater market with launch of the DeepSTIM II - the second in a new line of advanced stimulation vessels for deepwater service. The new vessel surpasses the size of the first DeepSTIM by 10 ft., making it the largest stimulation vessel operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The new-generation DeepSTIM design integrates Schlumberger expertise in marine, mechanical, electronic and chemical engineering, and DeepSTIM II incorporates design improvements made after the first vessel was launched in 1999. Measuring 270 x 56 ft., the vessel's large capacity provides reliability in severe weather and allows the vessel to remain at sea for long periods.

Just one look at the tug Sea Reliance and its companion barge 550-1 shows that Marine Transport Corp., a Crowley Maritime Corporation company, spared no effort to make this ATB (articulated tug barge) and barge a state-of-the-art workboat. Its twin Caterpillar 12-cylinder diesel engines put out a combined total of 9,280 hp allowing for a sustained speed of 12-knots with a full load of 155,000 barrels of petroleum. The barge's cargo-handling systems, with inert gas blanketing and hydraulics, are the equal of most tankers. The technology is matched only by the accommodations and amenities, including single staterooms and private showers, which every crewmember greatly appreciates.

Advances in satellite communication product and service technology seem to have outpaced many of the markets they seek to serve. However, despite some jittery times for the big three global satcom providers, it appears that maritime and offshore markets stand to gain real, bottom-line-driven results by adopting the latest communication technology solutions. The maritime industry has traditionally — with its generous mix of large corporate and small independent ownership — taken considerable flak for its collective conservative nature in regards to the integration of advanced technological products and systems onboard vessels, large and small.

Advances in satellite communication product and service technology seem to have outpaced many of the markets they seek to serve. However, despite some jittery times for the big three global satcom providers, it appears that maritime and offshore markets stand to gain real, bottom-line-driven results by adopting the latest communication technology solutions. The maritime industry has traditionally — with its generous mix of large corporate and small independent ownership — taken considerable flak for its collective conservative nature in regards to the integration of advanced technological products and systems onboard vessels, large and small.