Software Providers News

ABS Wavesight on Thursday announced its eLogs software has received formal approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for use by U.S.-flagged ships. The ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service company is now one of three maritime software providers to receive such approval on the basis of the USCG’s guidance under USCG NVIC 01-23."The maritime industry is entering an era of rapid digitalization,” said Gurinder Singh, Director of Solutions Engineering at ABS Wavesight. “We are proud to be at the forefront of that transformation, and the fact that our eLogs software meets all of the U.S.

Engineering and industrial software providers Cadmatic and CONTACT Software have partnered to bring the first shipbuilding-specific product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions to shipyards.Cadmatic, a ship design and information management solution provider for the marine industry, said it will utilize the CONTACT Elements platform and its apps to deliver a broader scope of shipbuilding-specific digitalization solutions.Cadmatic’s scope will cover the entire lifecycle of shipbuilding projects from design and engineering to prefabrication and production and even to maintenance and operation.

Kongsberg Digital announced that Dorian LPG (DK) ApS, a subsidiary of Dorian LPG Ltd., owner and operator of very large gas carriers (VLGC), has contracted to install Vessel Insight to its entire fleet of 22 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. The agreement is expected to commence operation in the upcoming months.By installing Vessel Insight, Dorian is consolidating collection of all critical data from its entire VLGC fleet into one common infrastructure. The company aims to gain insight into signals coming from the fleet’s assets and enable realization of data-driven operations.

A new guide published by ABS aims support the development of smart functions and condition-based approach to optimized performance that will help marine and offshore owners and operators capitalize on their operational data.Through the analytics that they provide, smart functions can proactively manage asset health and performance, providing a mechanism for sustainability and improved uptime. Smart functions can also lead to increasingly condition-based approaches to maintenance…

ABS published the Guide for Smart Functions for Marine Vessels and Offshore Units (Smart Guide) to help marine and offshore owners and operators capitalize on their operational data.The Smart Guide introduces a unique class approach leading to the marine and offshore industries' first set of notations to help owners and operators qualify and utilize smart functions. Through the analytics that they provide, smart functions can proactively manage asset health and performance, providing a mechanism for sustainability and improved uptime.

At Nor-Shipping this year, Akzonobel announced the official launch of its ‘Digital Voyage’ strategy. This program builds on the foundations laid two years ago when the firm launched Intertrac Vision, the industry’s first Big Data tool for predicting coating performance. The Digital Voyage outlines the goal of putting a wealth of knowledge in the hands of ship owners and operators, and helping them make smarter, more economical and environmentally friendly decisions. As we embark on this journey…

DNV GL announced it is creating a specialized Digital Solutions organization that will set out to capture the opportunities that lie in data sharing, advanced analytics, automation, and machine learning as well as addressing challenges related to data quality and security. Elisabeth Heggelund Tørstad will leave her post as CEO for DNV GL’s Oil & Gas business to head the new Digital Solutions business, which will consist of 1,000 digital experts. She will be based at DNV GL headquarters in Høvik, Norway as a member of the Executive Committee for the DNV GL Group.

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 USCG has poised e-logs and SaaS to transform U.S.-flagged shipboard recordkeeping. The United States Coast Guard frequently appears behind the times when it comes to rulemaking involving shipboard technological advances. Often, by the time the USCG has a Final Rule approved for publication in the Code of Federal Regulations, the technology which that Final Rule was expected to address has been superseded by a newer form of technology. Not so, however, with electronic recordkeeping (e-logbooks) and Software as a Service (SaaS). Currently the USCG offers the “Official Logbook 706-B” in manual form free of charge to any marine operator who requests one. The 706-B is the basic pen & ink ship’s log.

Marine Procurement Solutions (MPS) has built an electronic platform that aims to enhance the purchasing cycle for the maritime industry. MPS provides software, consultancy services and other customized solutions through its Direct Connect e-procurement trading platform that is designed to unite buyers, vendors and other members of the supply chain via a cloud-based interface that allows users to electronically process requests for quotations, purchase orders, confirmations and documents associated with supply management transactions.

DNV GL announced the release of its new Navigator Port 2 software, an overhaul of DNV Navigator. According to DNV GL, the upgraded port clearance software aims to achieve a new level of usability, with a new and intuitive structure and interface. Navigator Port 2, previously called DNV Navigator, has taken a leap forward in ease-of-use. The interface has been improved. It is now more intuitive and efficient, with a work-oriented process that is easier to understand and navigate within.

A new study from Germany show rapid expansion in the maritime fleet management software sector. While shipowners are generally classified conservative in the uptake of new technology, the advent of increasingly sophisticated software solutions which manage everything from fuel  to cargo to crew make a compelling financial case to modernize quickly. Earlier this summer Germany’s Fraunhofer CML issued what is arguably the most thorough study to date which analyzes the software market as applied to shipping companies. Entitled “Fleet Management Systems 2013,” the 60-plus page report provides exhaustive detail and insightful research on software solutions from 46 providers globally, with many pages of product overview helping to measure how one system stacks up versus another.

SATCOM’s Availability, Pricing and Utility tempts marine users left unsatisfied by limitations of cellular communication. The inland operator hoping to survive in tomorrow’s rapidly emerging business environment using cellular communications alone is likely to be, as a minimum, disappointed. In a worst case scenario, they may find themselves out of business. That said; there are options that inland transportation businesses can turn to when trying to effectively manage their far-flung businesses. One such option involves the KVH inland solution. According to Steve Griffin, Manager, Commercial Sales at KVH Industries, Inc., the launch of the TracPhone V3ip gave inland operators a solution that had not previously been made available to them…

Global reach, inland and bulk handling expertise, domestic acquisitions and new U.S. Coast Guard approvals all team up to make ClassNK a logical choice to help solve your emerging subchapter M problems. That’s just the beginning. America’s Inland operators, faced with the coming scrutiny of Coast Guard subchapter M regulations, have also stood largely on the sidelines as service providers announce one subM solution after another. Software providers, consultants and marine surveyors all claim to have the answers to a problem that has not yet arrived because the U.S. Coast Guard’s preliminary language has not yet been approved. In the meantime, there is a new kid in town.

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.

INTTRA announce major enhancements to OceanSchedules, the ocean shipping industry’s comprehensive multi-carrier scheduling solution. With this release, INTTRA customers can now access and evaluate over 7 million global vessel schedules from 31 carriers with a new option for integrating OceanSchedules within existing applications and support for additional data formats for customers who want to load data directly into their systems. It now offers companies of any size the widest array of options for accessing, evaluating and choosing the voyage that best meets their needs from a single source. Included in this release of OceanSchedules is a new delivery format that supports the requirements of SAP’s Transportation Management Solution.

Station 12, the Netherlands-based mobile satellite communications company, has signed an agreement with Visma ASA for the acquisition of its marine division, SpecTec. The price for SpecTec is $75.4 million in cash plus the assumption of net inter-company debt of $893,000. SpecTec is a leading supplier of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, which has been designed to improve efficiency on board vessels. The company has 230 employees and is represented in 30 countries through its own subsidiaries and agents. In 1999, SpecTec increased net sales by 19 percent to $19.8 million, while operating profits increased by 83 percent to $2.6 million. SpecTec is the market leader with a 40 percent share of the market with systems installed on some 6,000 vessels worldwide.

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.

Every company in the marine and offshore industries has at some stage been involved in a millennium bug compliance study. It is now time to admit that industry is bored with the subject. Since the problem was first mooted, its possible outcome has remained a mystery, which is the only definite aspect of the millennium bug problem. No one actually knows what will happen. One thing is certain, though, in the modern marine and offshore industry, information has become the most important business tool. How companies handle and store it for use depends on their internal structure, but it is safe to say that it will be on a computer at some stage. Lose the information, and the company will lose money rapidly while trying to recoup that information and operate effectively at the same time.

With an expanded profile and vast interest from the marine industry, this year's Asia Pacific Maritime is scheduled to be the largest ever since its commencement in 1990. The exhibition, which will be held from September 5-7, 2001 and organized by PSA Exhibitions and Reed Exhibition Companies, is expected to draw key industry members from more than 500 companies worldwide. International participation is from 12 country groups — including Belgium, China, Denmark, France and Norway. With Germany holding the designation as this year's "Feature Country," the exhibition will showcase the latest technologies and services in shipping, ports, marine, communication and navigation systems, offshore technology, shipbuilding, and ship repair and conversion.

Key marine terminal software providers join forces to complement their offerings. Hong Kong based arl-shipping.com Limited and Dutch headquartered TBA B.V. today announced they have teamed up to join forces and offer their customers a complementary set of products and services. Under this agreement, both companies will market, sell and support each others’ software solutions to the worldwide market. The companies will also work together extending the joined portfolio of container terminal offerings, which includes both standard systems deployment and custom systems design and development.

Fleet management software joins extensive portfolio of marine technology solutions. Kongsberg Maritime, a leading marine technology developer has today (29th March 2012) acquired 100% of the shares in fleet management software specialist Jotron Consultas. A new product group consisting of all previous Jotron Consultas employees and based at Kongsberg Maritime’s premises in Horten, Norway, will be formed as a result of the acquisition. Jotron Consultas has developed a reputation as one of the leading specialist software providers for the sector.

The 4th Shipdex Conference took place at the MAN Diesel PrimeServ Academy in Augsburg, Germany on Feb. 16, where the Shipdex protocol was declared ready and available for use. Shipdex (Ship Data Exchange) is international business rules (protocol) -based and fully compliant with S1000D, developed to standardize the exchange of electronic technical data within the shipping community. The Shipdex protocol aims to ensure a high quality of technical and logistical data and simplify the exchange of data within the industry. For application service providers, Shipdex is a basic specification for implementing data interfaces from technical manual solutions to maintenance and purchase or any fully fledged ERP systems.