After receiving certification for its first Iridium Certus terminal in August, Cobham SATCOM has shipped its first SAILOR 4300 L-band systems.
Co-operating closely with Iridium, following its appointment as an Iridium Certus manufacturing partner in 2015, Cobham SATCOM has leveraged its position as a leading L-band terminal provider.
Innovations, such as integrating the Iridium BCX module within the antenna itself introduce significant cost and operational benefits, including lower installation costs and more flexible antenna placement, and optimised link performance, the company claimed.
SAILOR 4300 L-band is a link to the low-latency Iridium NEXT network, enabling Iridium Certus service users to optimise diverse operational applications including; multi-user Internet/VPN, IoT and telemedicine, alongside regular usage, including email, electronic forms/reporting and crew communication.
SAILOR 4300 L-band is also GMDSS ready, with Iridium services expected to start in early 2020.
Singtel and KVH have partnered to provide shipping companies with a broadband satellite service using KVH’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM satellite connectivity across the Asia/Pacific region.
This satellite service is designed to facilitate the use of digital solutions in the maritime industry to significantly improve operational efficiency, crew welfare, and on board safety. Vessels can make use of this fast connectivity to harness real-time data about engine performance gleaned from on board sensors to facilitate preventive maintenance and reduce maintenance costs; obtain information on weather patterns and sea currents to determine the ship’s most fuel-efficient route; and provide onshore operations staff regular updates about the status of cargo.
Dubai-based ship service specialist, Elcome International ,which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, has unveiled a new field service management system, which harnesses disruptive technologies, such as mixed reality, artificial intelligence (AI), holographic computing, cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT), collaborative databases and knowledge-based software tools.
“The new Elcome Onboard 365 field service platform will create a paradigm shift in the maritime industry,” claimed Jimmy Grewal, Elcome’s executive director. “This revolutionary suite of service management tools will provide greater transparency, improve efficiency, reduce errors, speed up repairs, lower operational costs and minimize downtime to a degree never before possible in this industry.”
This new platform was developed for Elcome by Hitachi Solutions and built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 software, integrated with the Microsoft HoloLens wearable mixed reality technology.
The software uses cloud-based interconnectivity to automate and streamline all facets of managing service, including initial service request, scheduling the service call, assigning the most appropriate service engineer for specific job, ensuring the proper service kit with the right spares and tools, performing and documenting the repairs, logging man hours, testing, re-certifying and following up.
Elcome is digitising its huge service files containing hundreds of thousands of job reports dating back nearly 20 years, roughly reflecting an average lifespan of a ship and most equipment on board.
Navarino is to start offering SES Networks’ global managed mobility service, based in Ku-band.
"Navarino has a wide customer base with a broad range of diverse requirements that demand reliable and consistent high-speed connections for their data services. This makes SES Networks – with its extensive satellite network and one of the most well-regarded contention ratios – an ideal partner for us,” said Konstantinos Katsoulis, Navarino Commercial Director. “In recent years we've seen a step-change in the industry that has been driven by digital transformation, and by collaborating with SES Networks we’re uniquely positioned to enable high performing data connectivity at sea. Through our collaboration we know that our customers will have the capacity, coverage, and performance they need to navigate this and any future changes successfully."
In addition, Navarino said it will add maritime connectivity services from Intelsat to its portfolio of connectivity solutions.
Under the agreement, Navarino will introduce Intelsat satellite services delivered from the IntelsatOne Flex platform.
With this service set to be introduced to customers in 3Q18, Navarino CEO Dimitris Tsikopoulos said that he is expecting a high level of interest in the new possibilities that the Intelsat/Navarino collaboration will bring.
Intellian has launched its new 85 cm Ku to Ka band convertible maritime VSAT antenna, the Intellian v85NX.
The v85NX is claimed to be a future-proof system that supports GEO constellations, as well as ensuring compatibility with future networks, such as LEO and MEO.
It is designed to be easily convertible from Ku to Ka band by simply changing the RF Assembly and Feed while still using the dual-band optimised reflector and radome, and is capable of supporting full 2.5 GHz wide Ka-band networks, the first antenna to do so.
In addition, Intellian launched the GX100HP, a 1 m Global Xpress terminal designed with a higher power 10 W GaN BUC option.
The GX100HP is a 1 m Ka-band maritime terminal that is type approved for use on Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network and for its maritime Fleet Xpress service.
The increased BUC output power to 10W on the Ka band supports greater throughput in response to customer requests to push even more traffic through the network, Intellian said.
NAPA’s electronic logbook, NAPA Logbook, is now available as a monthly service solution.
NAPA Logbook will also be one of the first integrations with NAPA Mobile, enabling support for smartphone logbook entries wherever the crew are on board.
NAPA Logbook has been in service for over 10 years on board vessels with more than 8,000 users and is approved by more than 20 major flag states, including the Bahamas, Marshall Islands, Panama, Malta and Singapore.
See also Satcoms/Satnav feature in the October issue of Tanker Operator Magazine.