Shipping is frequently described as a conservative industry that is slow to embrace new technologies. In fact, this is not true especially when it comes to the matter of maritime communications. Ships were communicating with the shore via radio from 1899 although initially messages were sent using morse code rather than voice. By the late 1970s, satellite communications were being used by a small number of commercial vessels and many more military ships.
Obviously technological change is only adopted once it has reached a stage where it can meet the unique demands of the maritime industry and in particular prove its reliability and robustness under the harshest of conditions. If shipping has been slower to embrace some aspects of modern technology, it is often because the difficulties and high cost of maritime communications across vast distances has meant that ship operators devised ways of minimising the amount of communications needed for commercial purposes.
Few ship operators or their crews are concerned with the high science and engineering of the satellites themselves, but they do need to understand the fundamentals of satellite communications and the radio spectrum. Starting from the very basics, ship operators and seafarers alike understand one thing and that is far from land at the mercy of wind, waves and weather a ship is constantly moving in three dimensions simultaneously and the satellite or radio antennae is a tenuous link to systems ashore.
All satellites make use of a beam which is a pattern of electromagnetic waves received or transmitted by the satellite. The transmission from a satellite has a defined pattern and the beam can be wide or narrow covering a large or small area on earth. Using a system of varying frequencies and alignment of antennas onboard the satellite, each satellite can have several beams within which all or most of the satellite’s power is concentrated.
Most satellite communication systems are structured so ships are required to share channels with others which is perfectly fine for simple communication needs but highly inefficient when dealing with the large quantities of data that some operators generate. This can be overcome by making use of a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) service.
Subscribers to VSAT services are provided with exclusive or semi-exclusive use of satellite channels for sending and receiving voice and data at broadband speeds (although a VSAT service is not necessarily needed for broadband). Usually, they are charged for this on a monthly fixed fee subscription basis (although there may be limits on the data allowed before extra charges apply) as opposed to the rate per Mbit charged when using basic services. This enables a network to be created that permits the transmission of large quantities of data.
Arguably the modern satellite antenna is the most vital link in the communication chain. Unlike the fixed systems that are used ashore, its ability to articulate in all planes and maintain a link with a satellite under all but the most extreme conditions will be the catalyst for the digitalisation of shipping. The evolution of antennae to its present reliable and robust state has come just as the use of satellite technology on a global scale is set to accelerate rapidly.
Some pioneering spirits in the world of shipping were making use of satellites in the final quarter of the 20th century and some even making use of dedicated VSAT services. But they were few and far between and the choice now opening up as network owners build new constellations of satellites in all three of the earth orbit sectors is becoming bewildering.
LEO (low earth orbit) MEO (medium earth orbit) and GEO (Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit or more commonly called geostationary) systems all have their pros and cons, and some ship operators make use of services on different systems. Then there are the bands in the spectrum that offer choices and again more factors for users to consider.
Most crew will know the limitations of radio systems and the various frequencies such as UHF and VHF which are in daily use on and around the ship. These are all under 1GHz in frequency and it is above this that the satellite frequencies and bands are found.
Navigators will be aware that X and S bands are used for radar systems but the uses and differences between L, C, Ku and Ka bands have rarely bothered seafarers or shipowners. But this is changing and deciding what communication needs are likely to be will determine which bands and which equipment is necessary.
Shipping embraced the radio age on a totally voluntary basis long before carriage of radio and employment of a radio officer became compulsory on merchant vessels. But critical mass in satellite communications was to come as a result of an IMO safety strategy. GMDSS was conceived at a time when merchant ship casualties were spiking but by the time it became fully operational in 1992, incidents and lives lost were already reducing.
GMDSS can be seen as the dawning of the satellite communications era. The advent of GMDSS saw a major change in the way all maritime communications including commercial messages were handled on ships. It also ensured the demise of the dedicated radio officer. While not all ships were obliged to install satellite systems, many crew and owners of those that did not, recognised that it offered communication by email as an option that did not exist before.
Today GMDSS has moved on from the monopoly conferred on Inmarsat and is soon to implement changes by the first review of the system since it was implemented. As a system, GMDSS mandates only the equipment to be carried and the training of those that need to implement it at sea. Unless a ship is involved in or needs to respond to an incident, the equipment need never be used although it must be maintained and certified at regular intervals.
There are however some later regulations that do require ships to communicate on a regular basis. These are primarily intended to track ship movement either by authorities in the case of LRIT (long range identification and tracking) or by authorities and other ships in the case of AIS (automatic identification system). AIS is only mandated to use radio signals, but the signal can be received by satellites and there are several commercial services that use the data for purposes beyond the navigational aid that AIS was intended to be.
Communication of regulated information is on the increase and already covers to some extent the information for port state authorities that port agents have traditionally supplied and advance notices of arrival for some nations – notably the US – for security purposes.
Although not yet mandated there will likely be more requirements for information and data to be reported. Examples include the IMO and EU emission reporting requirements and conceivably more data on cargo under the impending CII requirement.
Having been obliged to install satellite equipment as part of GMDSS, shipowners soon realised that email was a better method of communication than radiotelegraphy and although with Inmarsat C the transmission or receipt was not instant it was quicker than other methods but could be more expensive.
Communication costs are something that shipowners have become expert at keeping in check over the years and superfluous communication was traditionally discouraged other than by letter or telephone when the ship was in port. As the cost of communicating has fallen, many ship operators and managers have embraced the opportunity to communicate more freely and the volume of traffic has definitely increased dramatically and is still accelerating.
Having said that, the volume and method of communication will be determined by the type and age of the vessel and the service it is operating on, and the ship management strategies and procedures of the ship operator and cargo owners.
In the new digital age, pioneering owners are making much more use of software monitoring and services offered by equipment suppliers to oversee and advise on machinery management and maintenance. This is driving a move away from services that charge for maritime communications based on data usage and towards subscription services that come with a data allowance or even unlimited data transfer. Often these services are geared towards a switch to VSAT services.
In the days of radio communications only, personal communication facilities on board for all but senior officers were, to all intents and purposes, non-existent. That has changed in the satellite era but although accessible by many seafarers.
The early years of this century were characterised by maritime communications service providers making all efforts to increase use of their services primarily to increase revenue. One of the methods employed was to promote and facilitate crew communications first by way of provision of an onboard telephone and later by email as mobile phones and tablets became readily available on a global basis.
Most, but not all, owners were relaxed about crew communication provision because the cost did not fall to them to cover but was managed by means of recharging the cost to individual crew members. Crew communications and connectivity is partially covered in the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention. Although there is no specific mention of provision in the mandatory part of the convention text, there is reference to ‘reasonable access to ship to shore telephone communications and email and Internet facilities where available, with any charges for the use of these services being reasonable in amount’. What constitutes reasonable is debatable but for the crew affordability is still an issue with some suggesting that around a quarter of their wages can be spent on communication costs.
Passengers are also benefitting from the satellite communication services on ships. In some cases, they were in fact some of the first to do so as cruise vessels equipped with C-band systems could receive entertainment services from a number of specialist providers.
For shipowners some benefits are to be had from fast connections on passenger vessels such as cruise ships and ferries. Here an extra revenue stream can be tapped by allowing passengers to use their own mobile telephones onboard. Both passengers and crew can benefit from streamed entertainment services of which there are an increasing number. Services such as Inmarsat’s Fleet Media allow for latest movies, international films, sports and TV shows to be downloaded on vessels anywhere in the world. This gives access to hundreds of hours of on-demand content that can be watched on a laptop, computer or an iOS or Android smart device via wi-fi or physical network connection.
Another method is by means of picocells connected to the ships communication system a picocell is a small base station installed in accommodation areas of the ship that extends mobile coverage. Connected to a remote gateway it will convert a mobile call into a narrowband IP signal for transmission over the satellite network used by the vessel. The picocells allow mobile phones fitted with appropriate prepaid SIM cards to access the maritime communications be they VSAT or L-Band.
Easier and faster maritime communications coupled with modern sensor technology have opened up a whole range of opportunities for ship operators that is changing the ways ships are operated and maintained.
It takes time for new ideas and concepts to permeate an industry that is in some ways fragmented by trade, region and the resources available to individual owners and operators. Many of the latest ideas will probably not become universal on ships for many years but they are already accepted and employed on tens of thousands of ships. As digitalisation increases, the integration and evolution of ideas is regularly turning up new concepts.
Seafarer training used to be a combination of shore-based theory, onboard practice and lots of book learning whenever and wherever possible if someone wanted to progress to officer or higher rank status. In the digital age, a lot of the shore training is done using simulators and increasingly using computer-based training. Increased communication capacity on board has allowed the CBT to take place on board with students being tested regularly and records of their ability and new skills shared electronically between training provider and employer.
In a recent trend, simulator training is moving to take place at sea while crew are serving on the ship. At a basic level this corresponds to the CBT situation with a single screen and a keyboard being the input devices. Quite clearly it would be impractical to install a full mission simulator on a ship and the ship’s own equipment is not intended for training but more than one training service provider is exploring virtual reality as a training tool for crew members, regarding emergencies that may occur on board.
Performance monitoring is a relatively new development in ship operation that has its origins in the trim optimisation software developed by several companies in the mid-2000s. At that point in time, the ability to transfer large volumes of data ashore was something that most ships did not have so the software systems on the market were aimed at giving crew on board information that could be actioned in real time or used for improving future operations.
Whilst all of the systems have their own unique differences, basically all collect a wide range of real time measurements such as inclination of the ship both fore and aft and transversally, ship speed, engine power and load, fuel use, wind and tide strength and direction, capacity of ballast, fuel and other easily moved stores.
With the data acquired, the software can rapidly calculate all of the possible permutations and present the information for the crew to take any necessary remedial action. Most of the systems can also make recommendations or show the effect of a possible change in one of the parameters. For example, a change in speed, engine load or course direction.
Even as standalone systems on board individual ships, these systems did produce some significant fuel savings but improvements in the software and growing use of maritime communications would mean they could develop into full performance monitoring solutions for the shipowner.
Depending upon the ships systems and equipment suppliers, data can be assimilated from virtually anywhere giving a full picture for the ship and shore office. The information can provide early warning of equipment failure and also identify when a ship may be approaching the limits of performance and consumption limits set out in charter parties.
The online modules that can be integrated into most systems automatically transfer data to shore and can even simultaneously display data from a whole fleet on a large office display so that any ship which is not performing optimally at that moment can be identified. Several of the systems can be programmed to identify operating profiles on regularly used routes that minimise fuel use and modify these based on changing weather and sea state forecasts.
The latest trend in performance monitoring involves its evolution into what is often called an Internet of Things (IoT). This is being enabled by maritime communications services providers actively encouraging the use of third party applications on their platforms. An example is Inmarsat’s Fleet Data solution. This is a bandwidth-inclusive IoT platform that allows ship operators to instantly collect data from onboard sensors, upload the data to a secure cloud-based platform, and interface with applications from third-party application developers.
Another development of performance monitoring is moving beyond observation to assisting in maintenance. Ships are a complex mix of machinery and equipment systems and although some are unique to ships, many have equivalents on shore. First and foremost among these are the engines, especially medium-speed, four-stroke engines. On ships these can be either propulsion engines or gensets and a similar situation exists onshore where they are used in power generation or in road and rail transport.
For decades it has been common practice in shore situations for the engine maker to be heavily involved in maintenance of their equipment in power stations. This has been taken a step further still because the more robust communication facilities available on shore have allowed equipment to be monitored around the clock from central control stations and the computerised engine control units can be modified remotely to adjust engine running parameters or even to stop an engine if a dangerous situation develops.
These developments are gradually finding their way into the marine sector but restricted maritime communications on many ships combined with the fact that equipment on older vessels may not be suitable for some of the changes that are becoming possible. Almost all engines installed on ships today will be electronically controlled and have an engine control unit and some older engines can be upgraded.
Shipping is not being left behind in other aspects of maintenance and training. Both of the main engine makers (MAN Energy Solutions and Wärtsilä) have embraced VR training and added it to simulator training and hands on training services. This does permit engineers to be trained on products that are not physically present and has potential for use onboard ships as well as in training establishments.
It is however in the field of remote assistance enabled by augmented reality that the greatest potential for onboard use is to be found. Remote monitoring and assistance of equipment was making slow inroads into marine circles in the years before the COVID pandemic but looks to be something that more operators will be willing to participate in. The ability to use 4G cell phone technology in ports has assisted but the availability of more satellite bandwidth can bring the same remote capabilities to vessels at sea well out of range of shore communication networks. AR in particular has the potential to transform maintenance and emergency assistance as ship side user only needs to be a physical presence while the experience and knowledge is provided by the shore side experts.
Thus far, all of the developments mentioned have been about shipping adopting new communications and technology to evolve traditional shipping methods, but there are other agendas in place as well. One that has achieved attention in the last five years or so is the question of remote operation.
Remote operation is seen by some as a halfway step to autonomous ships but by others it is making use of technology to assist the crew of the vessel in emergencies and by providing back up under other circumstances.
The idea of autonomous ships may have been something discussed in military circles and in boardrooms of commercial equipment suppliers, but it was never really a topic that ship operators themselves had publicly debated prior to 2012 or thereabouts. The matter of fully unmanned autonomous ships is still a matter of debate and while there are some projects in place, the regulatory and commercial desirability is a long way from being decided. Remote control of ships is however now a reality although not yet at a commercial operation level. Several demonstrations of remote operation have taken place since the first by Rolls Royce in 2017.
Projects involving remote control as a prelude to autonomous ship operation are also underway around the globe. One of the most ambitious was to send an autonomous craft across the Atlantic. The Mayflower Autonomous Ship project has its own website (MAS400.com) from where developments can be tracked. The trimaran vessel which is around 30m began its planned voyage in June but was forced to turn back with a mechanical problem two days into the voyage. After repairs it was put back in the water in September, but the planned voyage was postponed until early 2022. With no humans onboard, the research vessel uses IBM’s automation, AI and edge computing technologies to make decisions based on its status, environment and mission.
The related but less controversial subject of remote assistance is another topic that has evolved over the last decade. The criticisms levelled against shipping after the Costa Concordia incident galvanized some operators to establish better oversight of vessels at sea. Carnival Corporation – the parent of Costa Cruises – has been a pioneer in this respect and has established three Fleet Operation Centers (FOCs) in Hamburg (2016), Seattle (2017) and Miami (2018).
These monitor all aspects of navigational safety, weather and energy management, receiving screen shot data from the bridges and engine rooms every 60 seconds and switching to 15 second feeds if necessary. In addition, alarm status, stability information, and tank status is also transmitted. The information is displayed on a wall mounted screen display comprising several large screens allowing all relevant data and equipment status to be viewed with the need to switch screens as is necessary even on some bridge workstations which only have a single screen.
The centres are manned 24/7 always with experienced mariners on hand. In the event of any safety concerns, the FOC team supports the captain and his crew on the vessel concerned. The FOC also supports the ships with regard to any non-safety-critical situations deviating from planning, such as developing gales or hurricanes which could make route alterations necessary, rescheduled sailings due to the late arrival of embarking passengers, etc.
Assuming the commercial objections can be addressed, at some point it is likely there will be a fusion of the Remote control centres used in the few projects that have taken place and the FOCs. As things stand, there are very few systems on ships that could reliably run for long periods without crew intervention, but autonomous ships feature strongly in some visions of shipping’s future.
Until then there will be a need for crew and with that comes a need for occasional remote assistance of the medical kind. At a very early stage in the marine satellite era in 2001, a Norwegian company called iMed piloted a service with a local shipowner in which a digital camera was used to transmit images and a modified ECG machine could send readings ashore.
Today there are several services that offer a modern telemedicine service for ships but penetration into the commercial ships sector is still a long way behind cruise ship provision. The service providers or maybe enablers come from different backgrounds with some being charitable or subscription medical professionals, others equipment suppliers and in the case or Marlink’s Telemed a communication service provider.
The COVID pandemic has accelerated the use of remote medical assistance on shore and simultaneously highlighted the problems faced by seafarers who in some cases were refused access to shore facilities even though their ship was anchored offshore or in port. As more experience of the success of examination by video link is gained, it is likely that this can be migrated to marine use.
Coupled with greater experience of diagnosing by video, better maritime communications and bandwidth will enable much improved display of injuries and symptoms. Having equipment such as defibrillators onboard will then put seafarers in perhaps a better place even than people ashore who are unlikely to have that available. The cost of equipment and the better bandwidth would certainly be far less than the cost of just one or two unnecessary diversions in the working life of a ship.
Cyber security has become a necessary fact of life in the computer age especially since connectivity to the internet has become the norm. There are still stand alone computer systems to be found on ships, but these are becoming increasingly scarce and even some systems that were not planned to be linked to the outside world are vulnerable if they are upgraded or designed by way of USB sticks or the like.
The potential for navigation and safety to be jeopardised by attacks whether malicious, criminal in intent or an inadvertent interference with a vital system prompted the IMO in 2017 to recommend ship operators to address the issue in their safety management systems. That recommendation came into effect at the start of 2021. Company SMS policies and procedures should help ensure that cyber security is considered within the overall approach to safety and security risk management.
Effective segregation of systems, based on necessary access and trust levels, is one of the most successful strategies for the prevention of cyber incidents. Effectively segregated networks can significantly impede an attacker’s access to a ship’s systems and is one of the most effective techniques for preventing the spread of malware.
Manufacturers of satellite communication terminals and other communication equipment may provide management interfaces with security control software that are accessible over the network. This is primarily provided in the form of web-based user interfaces. Protection of such interfaces should be considered when assessing the security of a ship’s installation.
The battle against cyber criminals is a never ending one. What works today as protection may not work tomorrow. It is essential to keep abreast of developments and take action as appropriate. For ships it is especially important to ensure that communication service providers are offering up to date protection through their various products.
Performance monitoring on ships is a relatively new development in ship operation that has its origins in the trim optimisation software developed by several companies in the mid-2000s. At that point in time, the ability to transfer large volumes of data ashore was something that most ships did not have so the software systems on the market were aimed at giving crew on board information that could be actioned in real time or used for improving future operations.
Initial reaction to the systems on offer was mixed. While generally welcomed by less experienced officers and shore staff who would have eventual access to records to analyse, more experienced navigators sometimes felt their skills and experience gained over years at sea were somehow being undermined.
The developers of these systems were mostly ex-seafarers themselves and understood that trim optimisation – keeping the vessel on as near an even keel as possible given cargo, fuel and ballast conditions along with prevailing sea and weather – was key to reducing fuel use under all weather and vessel loading conditions.
The market place was very soon becoming crowded with the likes of Eniram, acquired in 2016 by Wärtsilä and now assimilated into the Wärtsilä Voyage division, Kyma, Marorka, Force and GreenSteam being just some of the early pioneers. As examples of the benefits of digitalisation, these systems are definitely among the front runners and have been great demonstrators of how simple data can be used to very good effect.
Whilst all of the systems have their own unique differences, basically all collect a wide range of real time measurements such as inclination of the ship both fore and aft and transversally, ship speed, engine power and load, fuel use, wind and tide strength and direction, capacity of ballast, fuel and other easily moved stores.
With the data acquired, the software can rapidly calculate all of the possible permutations and present the information for the crew to take any necessary remedial action. Most of the systems can also make recommendations or show the effect of a possible change in one of the parameters. For example, a change in speed, engine load or course direction.
Even as stand alone systems on board individual ships, these systems did produce some significant fuel savings but improvements in the software and growing use of communications would mean they could develop into full performance monitoring on ships solutions for the shipowner.
Initially, most of the owners that wanted to take the next step were content with receiving accumulated data from ships at regular intervals which could be analysed at leisure and where considered necessary new working procedures and instructions sent to ships. However, it was not long before the software developers had enhanced and upgraded their products to allow transmission in real time with fleet and online versions. Options included direct transmission to a shore office or a cloud-based reporting system that allowed personnel to access from anywhere at any time.
The spread of sensors and data collected has expanded to cover many more aspects. For example, the Marorka Onboard system can use computer models of the ship’s hull and energy systems for monitoring the efficiency of electricity production and consumption as well as the overall efficiency of the on-board electrical grid; Improving the efficiency of electrical power production and consumption by managing generator loads and reducing unnecessary use of electricity; Providing specialised analysis and advisory support for increasing the energy management of individual systems such as: waste heat recovery processes, cargo pumps and refrigeration.
As far as fuel is concerned, the Marorka system can monitor which type of fuel is being used and relate it to areas of trading. It also details simultaneous consumption by different users. Consumption balance monitoring and registration of discrepancies between reported fuel additions and measured fuel consumption can identify leaks from tanks or fuels lines.
Depending upon the ships systems and equipment suppliers, data can be assimilated from virtually anywhere giving a full picture for the ship and shore office. The information can provide early warning of equipment failure and also identify when a ship may be approaching the limits of performance and consumption limits set out in charter parties.
The online modules that can be integrated into most systems automatically transfer data to shore and can even simultaneously display data from a whole fleet on a large office display so that any ship which is not performing optimally at that moment can be identified.
Several of the systems can be programmed to identify operating profiles on regularly used routes that minimise fuel use and modify these based on changing weather and sea state forecasts.
The field of performance monitoring on ships is not limited to specialist software providers with companies such as ABB with its ABB Ability Tekomar XPERT family of products and Kongsberg’s Vessel Insight systems taking advantage of the experience of those companies in providing engine management systems.
Most performance optimisation products take into account fuel consumption and variables related to outside influences but do not link in any way to the engine management. Thus, an opportunity to improve efficiency is missed. Digitalisation at the engine level already provides services such as predictive maintenance. However, it can also provide instant, in-depth analysis of the engine with real time advice which can be implemented to reduce fuel consumption. This can ensure the engine is operating at maximum performance and help extend the lifetime of the engine by monitoring asset health.
There are many factors that can increase fuel consumption and although the data is being collected and recorded regularly, small changes that make performance sub-optimal can go unnoticed until they reach pre-set levels that trigger warnings. For example, a drop in scavenge air pressure could be caused by something as simple as a clogged turbocharger filter and a reduction in turbocharger efficiency caused by worn nozzle rings. The deterioration will be gradual in the same way as fouling growth on the hull increases drag and causes a rise in fuel consumption.
The latest trend in performance monitoring on ships involves its evolution into what is often called an Internet of Things (IoT). This is being enabled by communications services providers actively encouraging the use of third party applications on their platforms. An example is Inmarsat’s Fleet Data solution. This is a bandwidth-inclusive IoT platform that allows ship operators to instantly collect data from onboard sensors, upload the data to a secure cloud-based platform, and interface with applications from third-party application developers. More on other methods here.
Remote operation on ships is a subject that has its roots in numerous places; the controversial concept of autonomous ships, the idea that 80% of maritime incidents are caused by human error, the trend for reducing crew numbers and as a reaction to incidents such as the grounding of the Costa Concordia.
Remote operation on ships is seen by some as a halfway step to autonomous ships but by others it is making use of technology to assist the crew of the vessel in emergencies and by providing back up under other circumstances.
The idea of autonomous ships may have been something discussed in military circles and in boardrooms of commercial equipment suppliers, but it was never really a topic that ship operators themselves had publicly debated prior to 2012 or thereabouts.
The related concept of e-Navigation was however at the heart of the EU’s ATOMOS (Advanced Technology for Optimising Manpower On Ships) project begun in 1992. The aim of this project was to reduce crew numbers on EU member state flagged vessels as a response to the lower crew costs for Asian and East European shipowners being seen as a threat to competition. One of the conclusions of the project was that modern low-manning, high-tech ships are at least as safe as conventional vessels.
In 2012, another EU funded project MUNIN (Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks) was purely concerned with developing autonomous and unmanned ships. The project completed in 2015 by which time the subject was being openly discussed and debated throughout the shipping industry.
The timing of the MUNIN project may have been coincidental but it followed rather quickly on from the grounding of the Costa Concordia in January that year. The vessel had deviated from its planned route at Isola del Giglio by direction of its captain and struck a rock formation on the seafloor. The tragedy, in which 32 people died, raised questions about the attitude of ship operators and their lack of oversight of vessels at sea and led directly to some companies including the Carnival Group to establish shore operation centres.
The matter of fully unmanned autonomous ships is still a matter or debate and while there are some projects in place, the regulatory and commercial desirability is a long way from being decided. Remote control of ships is however now a reality although not yet at a commercial operation level.
In 2017, Rolls-Royce in conjunction with tug operator Svitzer demonstrated the world’s first remotely operated commercial vessel in Copenhagen, the 28m long Svitzer Hermod. From the quayside in Copenhagen harbour the vessel’s captain, stationed at the vessel’s remote base at Svitzer headquarters, berthed the vessel alongside the quay, undocked, turned 360°, and piloted it to the Svitzer HQ, before docking again.
The tug is equipped with a Rolls-Royce Dynamic Positioning System, which was the key link to the remote controlled system. The vessel also features a range of sensors which combine different data inputs using advanced software to give the captain an enhanced understanding of the vessel and its surroundings. The data was transmitted to the remote operating centre which was designed to redefine the way in which vessels are controlled. Instead of copying existing wheelhouse design, input from experienced captains was used to place the different system components in the optimum place to give the master confidence and control. The aim was to create a future proof standard for the control of vessels remotely.
Later the same year, a team from Wärtsilä Dynamic Positioning remotely controlled a platform supply vessel in the North Sea off Scotland using a standard satellite link from its office in California 8,000km away. The satellite link included no significant latency and allowed for manoeuvring the vessel as if aboard the vessel. To make the remote control work Wärtsilä said the greatest challenge was developing a way to get sufficient data over a low-bandwidth connection but did not reveal how this was achieved. The team also needed to find a way to recover the link seamlessly if it was disrupted, and to make it secure to counter the risk of hacking.
The vessel was a 4,000dwt, 80m PSV. The control system used at the remote centre was an identical model of the ship’s integrated bridge system. Over the course of four hours the Wärtsilä team used the Gulfmark Highland Chieftain’s DP system to send it on a ‘box manoeuvre’, 20m in four directions. They then used a combination of DP and joystick control to carry out a series of other manoeuvres, testing control of surge, sway and yaw, before steering the vessel for a short distance on its journey back to Aberdeen.
In both cases, a normal crew was on board in case of problems developing, but in neither case did they have to intervene.
After the test, Wärtsilä said in a statement that the big prize in the short term is to use remote control technology to move some crew onshore, rather than to develop a completely unmanned ship. To do this, Wärtsilä is looking at using video and laser proximity sensors to allow the remote operator to have the same situational awareness as an officer on the bridge. The company did not believe this was possible with the satellite links then available but said ships could switch to 4G near the coast, so offshore crew can navigate through traffic, around obstacles, and into ports. Some degree of autonomous control will also be crucial so that the ship knows what to do if the connection is lost.
In 2020 Samsung Heavy Industries navigated a tug from a remote operations centre 150 miles away from the port. The demonstration combined collision avoidance, autopilot, and remote control technologies. The 125-foot tug operating at the Geoje Shipyard in Korea was outfitted with the company’s Samsung Autonomous Ship technology.
According to Samsung, SAS analyses in real-time signals from navigational communication equipment, including radar, GPS, and AIS, to recognize nearby ships and obstacles. The system develops the route for the vessel, evaluating the risk of collision considering the ship’s operating characteristics. It then navigates the vessel to its destination by automatically controlling the propulsion and steering.
Operators at the remote control centre were able to monitor the operations and guide the vessel with images combined with augmented reality (AR) technology. Among the tools they had was a 360-degree view around the ship that was made possible using LTE/5G mobile communication technology. At the land control centre, they viewed the images on a large screen, monitoring the operation of the ship and demonstrating the technology to directly control the tug.
Projects involving remote control as a prelude to autonomous ship operation are also underway around the globe. One of the most ambitious was to send an autonomous craft across the Atlantic. The Mayflower Autonomous Ship project has its own website (MAS400.com) from where developments can be tracked. The trimaran vessel which is around 30m began its planned voyage in June 2020 but was forced to turn back with a mechanical problem two days into the voyage. After repairs it was put back in the water in September 2020, but the planned voyage was postponed until early 2022. With no humans onboard, the research vessel uses IBM’s automation, AI and edge computing technologies to make decisions based on its status, environment and mission.
The criticisms levelled against shipping after Costa Concordia galvanised some operators to establish better oversight of vessels at sea. Carnival Corporation – the parent of Costa Cruises – has been a pioneer in this respect and has established three Fleet Operation Centers (FOCs) in Hamburg (2016), Seattle (2017) and Miami (2018).
The FOC monitors all aspects of navigational safety, weather and energy management. It receives screen shot data from the bridges and engine rooms, all ships being monitored every 60 seconds and can switch to 15 second feeds if necessary. In addition, alarm status, stability information, and tank status is also transmitted. The information is displayed on a wall mounted screen display comprising several large screens allowing all relevant data and equipment status to be viewed with the need to switch screens as is necessary even on some bridge workstations which only have a single screen.
The centres are manned 24/7 always with at least two experienced mariners on hand. In the event of any safety concerns, the FOC team supports the captain and his crew on the vessel concerned. The FOC also supports the ships with regard to any non-safety-critical situations deviating from planning, such as developing gales or hurricanes which could make route alterations necessary, rescheduled sailings due to the late arrival of embarking passengers, etc.
In case a navigating ship deviates from the planned route corridor, the FOC staff receives an alert. In such cases it verifies if the deviation is comprehensible and its cause, which might be dense traffic (confirmed by reference to screen shots from radar, AIS etc). If the cause of the deviation cannot be verified, the FOC makes immediate phone contact with the ship. In a developing situation, the ship itself can make contact with the FOC seeking advice.
Collection of automated data done through the Microsoft-based ‘NEPTUNE’ platform, specifically developed for use by Carnival Maritime, allows for storing and comparing of the data of all ships monitored and supported, helping to define best-practice solutions for example for itinerary planning or engine usage on a specific route.
Carnival has built custom tools for use and integration into the FOCs such as its proprietary software applications Neptune and Argos. Developed in-house, Argos is an always-on knowledge management tool that harnesses information from thousands of data points and overlays rules-based decision making, predictive alerting and queuing into one visual dashboard. The result is at-a-glance situational awareness across the fleet which significantly improves communication from ship to shore, enhances safe passage of ships, improves operational efficiencies and supports overall environmental initiatives.
Neptune captures and provides analytics for dozens of distinct parameters for navigational safety from each ship, focusing on three strategic areas to optimise safety, efficiency and overall fleet performance.
Carnival is not the only company to operate such centres but to build three or more which can each take over if one centre goes offline for any reason is probably beyond the reach of many operators especially as Carnival’s network is built upon the company’s structure with offices for its different fleet areas.
VR, AR, AI in shipping are all commonly used abbreviations. Historically equipment makers have recommended maintenance regimes for their products. In the early years after sale, following the recommendations are essential to meet warranty requirements. After that most operators have tended to follow the OEM’s recommendations and use a preventative maintenance strategy that requires replacement of parts at specified intervals.
More recently there has been growing acceptance of condition based or predictive maintenance regimes. In these there is a reliance on testing of lubricants for signs of component wear and more measurement using sensors for parameters such as heat, pressure, temperature or vibration.
Ships are a complex mix of machinery and equipment systems and although some are unique to ships, many have equivalents on shore. First and foremost among these are the engines, especially medium-speed, four-stroke engines. On ships these can be either propulsion engines or gensets and a similar situation exists onshore where they are used in power generation or in road and rail transport.
For decades it has been common practice in shore situations for the engine maker to be heavily involved in maintenance of their equipment in power stations. In some cases, the power station operator may even contract with the engine maker to provide all the staff necessary to routinely operate the engine. With the development of electronic engine management this has accelerated the use of condition based maintenance regimes.
This has been taken a step further still because the more robust communication facilities available on shore have allowed equipment to be monitored around the clock from central control stations and the computerised engine control units can be modified remotely to adjust engine running parameters or even to stop an engine if a dangerous situation develops.
These developments are gradually finding their way into the marine sector but restricted communications on many ships combined with the fact that equipment on older vessels may not be suitable for some of the changes that are becoming possible. Almost all engines installed on ships today will be electronically controlled and have an engine control unit and some older engines can be upgraded.
In order to switch from a preventative maintenance regime to a condition based regimes, historic data (which may be paper-based) needs to be collated and recorded after which new data will be added either in real time if communication systems allow or at regular pre-determined intervals. If the shipowner chooses an OEM’s maintenance service, then the data can also be used along with data from other operator’s engines to build a database for each engine type which can help with trend analysis using AI and algorithms based on multiple recorded faults.
Unlike shore-based engines which are usually standard models, marine engines can often be one-offs particularly in the two-stroke arena. Even seemingly identical engines may have differences if built by different licensees who are able to make some of their own modifications. This can make building databases difficult but even if the quantity of data is small, it can be used to predict some problems.
Although the majority of shipowners moving to condition based maintenance tend to use the services offered by OEMs, there are a growing number of third party providers in the market. A ship operator with multiple engine brands across its fleet may prefer to use such a service for a whole variety of reasons including – but not limited to – cost.
Shipping is not being left behind in other aspects of maintenance and training. Both of the main engine makers (MAN Energy Solutions and Wärtsilä) have embraced VR, AR, AI in shipping training and added it to simulator training and hands on training services. This does permit engineers to be trained on products that are not physically present and has potential for use onboard ships as well as in training establishments.
It is however in the field of remote assistance enabled by augmented reality that the greatest potential for onboard use is to be found. In early 2019, Wärtsilä successfully tested its remote guidance service that it plans to roll out to customers making use of the Pointr App that can run on mobile phones and tablets.
The tests were conducted in real time using voice-controlled Augmented Reality (AR) wearables and remote guidance software, onboard the Huckleberry Finn, a ro-ro ferry operated by TT-Lines, while sailing between Trelleborg, Sweden and Travemünde, Germany.
Simulated remote guidance service situations were carried out on the ship’s navigation equipment on the bridge and on the shaftline seals and bearings in the engine room. The Wi-Fi signal for the video sessions was facilitated by a portable on-deck LTE antenna. The onboard simulations were monitored in real-time by expert Wärtsilä personnel located in Gothenburg and Hamburg. The tests verified the effectiveness of the AR wearables as a means of communication, while the portable Wi-Fi antenna provided a strong signal wherever needed.
Wärtsilä’s remote guidance service also proved successful during a demonstration in the TT-Lines office, during which remote guidance opportunities for use in dockings and shipyard overhauls were discussed.
Some months after the Wärtsilä tests ABB which manufactures turbochargers, motors and propulsion systems also began introducing AR functionality for its service teams and client contractors and engineers.
ABB’s Ability Remote Insights service will give field service technicians an AR interface that includes remote guidance, screen sharing, and document sharing to guide them through performing specific tasks. ABB says in addition to improving the performance of technicians working in remote locations in terms of speed and efficiency, the system will improve response times and extend asset lifecycles.
ABB supplies AR software but hardware is left as a choice for the user. Ideally this should be an AR or mixed reality headset such as the Hololens, Google Glass Enterprise, or Vuzix AR glasses as the user will have both hands free for working and to use hand gesture controls to navigate the Remote Insights interface. ABB says the system can also work on smartphones, tablets, or other wearables.
Remote classification society surveys directed by shore personnel and using crew handling cameras became increasingly common as Covid-19 lockdowns prevented surveyors travelling to some locations. Covid aside, a remote survey avoids waiting time for a surveyor to reach the vessel, as well as unnecessary travel costs.
Most class societies carried out remote surveys and are now considering the roll out of remote surveys under more normal conditions not least because travel costs and delays are eliminated, the surveys are quicker, produce survey documentation instantly and thus allow updates of survey status on electronic records.
Training for seafarers, whether officers or ratings, has historically been a combination of theoretical and practical basic training undertaken in shore training establishments and sea time on vessels at sea. The skills level for different ranks is laid down in the STCW Convention and all appropriate training and examination will need to be satisfactorily completed for career progression.
As well as the basic training for seafarers that all seafarers undergo, ship operators will want to ensure that officers and crew are able to operate the equipment and systems on the ship in which they are serving. When the ship is new, it is normal for the supplier to offer some training to one or two personnel selected by the owner at a training facility. When equipment is retrofitted, some equipment makers will do the same but sometimes it is necessary for the shipowner to arrange training.
In addition to item specific training, seafarers need to take part in regular drills for things such as lifeboat launching or fire fighting. A well operated ship will also want their crews to take part in safety meetings and reinforce training using resources such as films and videos. Activities such as these are now written into the safety management systems of ship operators – or at least they should be.
Onboard training films using film and projectors have been around since the days of black and white films. Videotel, one of the most well-known producers of marine training material was founded in 1973 and is a good example of how training for seafarers is one area where shipping has fully embraced digitalisation.
The company has always made its own training for seafarers films which cover the whole gamut of work and equipment on board all ship types and has at times added an entertainment element to them using techniques such as gamifying some of their titles.
In common with similar organisations, Videotel’s early method of operation was to supply a selection of films to ships and to change them at regular intervals to a new selection chosen by the ship or in accordance with a schedule established with the shipowner. The films – later on videotape and then on DVDs – were hired from Videotel and not owned by the ship.
In the mid-2000s, Videotel moved some of its title to an online service and launched an on demand service. It also moved into the computer-based training (CBT) sector with system specific ECDIS instructional training programmes. In 2014, it was acquired by KVH being seen as ideally suited to that company’s VSAT and entertainment offerings.
CBT took off in the maritime sphere with several other service providers providing a wide range of subjects. In 2010 the Norwegian e-learning company Seagull launched an online version of its Seagull Training Administrator (STA) crew training software, offering offer access to Seagull’s full computer-based onboard training library via the internet. The system gave shore staff the opportunity to check on STA training records and statistical reports, as well as opening up access to all 149 of Seagull’s Computer Based Training (CBT) programmes from anywhere in the world via an internet connection and a compatible browser.
By 2018 Videotel had added VR to its training for seafarers services following a co-operation with OMS-VR. A year earlier it had adapted its training material for use on mobile phones and tablets extending the learning possibilities for users. The system incorporates HTML5 responsive-design capabilities, where content can rescale dynamically to any screen size or aspect ratio. Additional features include touch navigation, a multi-language capability allowing users to switch between languages, and an ECDIS-inspired ‘night mode’ that allows the user to select a darker theme.
In 2020 Videotel and Seagull were combined into the Ocean Technology Group after the former was sold by KVH. Having brought the two trainers together OTG established its Ocean Learning Platform an enterprise level maritime learning management system designed to unite shore based and onboard training for seafarers initiatives, online and across mobile devices. It delivers blended learning, assessment and competency management solutions that completely connect e-Learning and hands-on activity to improve knowledge, skills and behavioural development.
At its core is a new Ocean Learning Library bringing together materials from across the brands. Upgraded software-enabled features and the introduction of micro-learning and gamified content is aimed at further enhancing crew engagement encouraging the adoption of personalised and immersive learning sessions. Users can now combine information and content specific training for their companies and fleets, to complement the Ocean Learning Library. This is now further-enabled through an integrated rapid authoring tool, which allows companies to quickly create customised and trackable e-Learning content on subject areas of critical importance to the company.
Similarly, a pulse survey tool is now available that allows ship managers and crew managers to actively engage with their seafarers on a range of interactive applications such as employee experience, safety and operational matters and in-house campaigns. Survey data is then returned from the vessel and online sources providing insight and facilitating data-driven decision making.
Simulator training is an established instruction method in many industries and shipping is no exception. In response to a shortage of officers over the last two decades, greater use is being made of simulator training to allow more officers to qualify. High end simulators are produced by a number of specialists with Wärtsilä Voyage (previously Transas) and Kongsberg being the sector’s major players but there are several others some of whom specialise in a particular vessel type or particular types of equipment such as engines, cranes and even lifeboat handling systems.
Simulators can vary from a simple desktop or laptop computer to full mission bridge simulators that recreate a ship’s navigation bridge – in some cases identical to a specific ship for training crews before being posted to the actual ship. In shore-based training establishments, there is clearly no need for a communication element beyond the occasional use of multiple connected simulators in an exercise scenario that may also include a physical vessel at sea.
In a recent trend, simulator training is moving to take place at sea while crew are serving on the ship. At a basic level this corresponds to the CBT situation with a single screen and a keyboard being the input devices. Quite clearly it would be impractical to install a full mission simulator on a ship and the ship’s own equipment is not intended for dual use although a ship with a dual ECDIS system could perhaps use one for training while the other is in use.
In the summer of 2021, SQLearn a Greece-based e-learning provider announced its Brave Dolphin project, aiming to create the ultimate VR training tool for maritime. Aiming to expand its training services, SQLearn is developing a Virtual Reality Application as a training tool for crew members, regarding emergencies that may occur on board.
Maritime safety risk cases are difficult to be simulated in a real environment but the Brave Dolphin VR training solution will mainly include simulations of real-case scenarios of crucial incidents. The scenarios selected to be simulated in a VR environment were identified by expert maritime consultants, who have conducted a Risk Analysis on crucial incidents that occur on board.
The Brave Dolphin project will include four VR training scenarios giving the chance to crew members to learn “How to test the Emergency Generator”, handle a “Fire in the Engine Control Room” and “Enclosed space fire” as well get familiarised with the “Lifeboat Drill Procedure”.
Upon the project’s completion, Brave Dolphin will be further enriched with more scenarios and will be added to the Company’s umbrella of services branded as “Dolphin Platforms”, designed & developed by SQLearn, especially for maritime companies. These services are certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) according to ABS Standards for Certification of Maritime Education Facilities & Training Courses.
Injuries and illness on board ships are an unfortunate reality for seafarers and ship operators. Except for some passenger ships which are obliged to carry qualified doctors on board, immediate medical assistance will normally be limited to the first aid abilities of the crew, the contents of the ship’s medicine chest and the guidance given by the International Medical Guide For Ships and the associated Medical First Aid Guide for Use in Accidents Involving Dangerous Goods (MFAG) or whatever other reference books are carried on board.
The usefulness of that guidance may be diluted by the books being in a language that is not necessarily the mother tongue of the person using it and by it containing specialist medical terms which may make finding the advice difficult.
Fortunately for seafarers, what is now known as telemedicine has a surprisingly long history dating back to the early years of the 20th Century when expert advice could be obtained using the new medium of radiotelegraphy invented by Marconi. The first dedicated services for ships offering free assistance date to the 1920s and 1930s and by 1932 The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was publishing details of coastal radio stations that could link to the available services.
Although this was a laudable development, and probably well received by seafarers and shipping companies alike, they should not be forgotten that the doctors involved were generally speaking to crew members without a basic knowledge of medicine and therefore the ability to describe the patient’s condition and symptoms would have been limited and potentially resulted in many wrong diagnoses being made.
More to the point, even expert medical appraisal is no substitute for treatment in emergency cases that require the use of drugs not carried onboard or surgical operations. Ships are still reliant on medevac services and that may mean a diversion is necessary. Depending upon the ship type, service and distance from land, a diversion can means additional costs of up to $200,000. Such a cost is justifiable under most circumstances but there is anecdotal evidence that many ‘emergencies’ turn out to be minor illnesses that did not need emergency assistance.
Ships in port can usually avail themselves of local medical services and for most ships, their P&I Club will likely cover the cost of emergency treatment for ships at sea often thousands of miles from land and beyond the reach of medical evacuation, the remote advice services are still available and the extent of service they can offer has increased significantly already for ships with appropriate equipment on board.
At a very early stage in the marine satellite era in 2001, a Norwegian company called iMed piloted a service with a local shipowner in which a digital camera was used to transmit images and a modified ECG machine could send readings ashore. In 2009, TeleMedic Systems tested its Vitalink monitoring system over the Iridium network which at that time was limited in bandwidth. The VitalLink3 is a small, lightweight and durable telemedicine device that connects to and communicates with medical sensors. It can transmit details of pulse, blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen content and more allowing the doctor at the shore end to make much more accurate diagnoses.
The VitalLink3 unit collects the date provided by the peripherals, organises it into a consistent, synchronised format and then sends the information over a data link to the VitalNet server. Standard Windows PC’s, laptops or tablets can connect to the VitalNet for viewing the data either live as it is received or any time after the event.
Today there are several services that offer a modern telemedicine service for ships but penetration into the commercial ships sector is still a long way behind cruise ship provision. The service providers or maybe enablers come from different backgrounds with some being charitable or subscription medical professionals, others equipment suppliers and in the case or Marlink’s Telemed a communication service provider. All operate along the same lines as the iMed and Telemedic services mentioned above but with more sophisticated medical equipment made available on board.
There are few published statistics on the number of incidents where remote medical assistance has been provided using modern communication facilities it is difficult how easy they are to use and how reliable. A 2012 study ( Dehours E, Vallé B, Bounes V et al. User satisfaction with maritime telemedicine. J Telemed Telecare 2012 )reported that, while ECG equipment was available in quite a lot of ships, actual recording was problematic in 23% of the cases, and transmission of the results was an issue in 17% of the cases.
In the intervening years, bandwidth available for marine communications has increased considerably with the uptake of VSAT
While emergency assistance is a vital aspect of telemedicine, there are more routine matters that are also being offered by a number of companies. Ships are obliged to have on board a variety of medicines, dressings, appliances and equipment by IMO and flag state regulations. Normally a room on a ship is designated as the medical room and the drugs and equipment needs to be properly stored and managed there as well as emergency first aid stations around the ship.
Ensuring the ship’s medicine chest contents are appropriate and in date is an aspect that can sometimes be overlooked or poorly controlled. A service such as the ShipMed Safety System offered by Norwegian company Medi3 is a practical solution. The cloud-based software solution ensures regulatory compliance at all times, and value added services keep the vessel several steps ahead of existing compliance requirements.
It includes medical supplies, log and purchasing reports and to-do lists, as well as a separate report on narcotic medicines, to provide a greater level of control and peace of mind to the medical personnel responsible for the medical facility. The system also provides quick references for medical equipment needed for different injuries, and videos demonstrating various medical procedures.
The IMO states ‘ Cyber risk management means the process of identifying, analysing, assessing and communicating a cyber-related risk and accepting, avoiding, transferring or mitigating it to an acceptable level, considering costs and benefits of actions taken to stakeholders
The overall goal is to support safe and secure shipping, which is operationally resilient to cyber risks.’
Cyber security is a key focus for all our products which is why we ensure all data transferred within our maritime communication and data solutions is sent with end to end encryption. We also have cyber security features included as standard at no extra cost.
Our suite of maritime communication and data solutions includes our fully secure email solutions GTMailPlus and GTSeaMail, GTSentinel for endpoint protection and providing a free Phishing Pen Testing.
We also have a new range of products which operate on our FastNet platform. These include GTDeploy, a patch management solution and GTReplicate to allow you to configure, monitor and execute simultaneous file transfer tasks from a central location.
For more information on all our solutions, their security features and how they can help protect your vessels click here or speak to your regional Head of Sales.
As part of their maritime cyber risk management guidelines which come into force in January 2021, the IMO identify 5 key areas of cyber risk management; Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond & Recover.
For full details check our how we can help with compliance in our full article.
GTMaritime’s suite of products assist in ensuring maritime cyber risk management compliance with these regulations including;
Protect:
As part of our service to GTMailPlus customers we provide a free Phishing Penetration Test. The test allows customers to evaluate the ability of their personnel to identify phishing attacks, to encourage vigilance regardless of the software solutions and identify any requirements for further training.
Detect:
GTMailPlus and GTSeaMail include cyber security features as Advanced Threat Protection, Antivirus Scanning and Anti-phishing as well as providing reports on the threats detected. GTMailPlus.Continuity allows for continuing business if there is a break in connectivity.
GTSentinel provides end point protection.
GTDeploy allows for patch management to be implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner to protect vessels.
Repond:
GTMailplus includes features including quarantine, archiving and continuity to ensure vessels are protected and you can respond to any threats.
Recover:
Hackers are constantly trying to come up with new ruses to outwit software-based protections and companies must be prepared if one of the threats is able to breach their defences. To ensure business can continue if a threat is successful GTMaritime products include features such as Archiving, Backup and Restore and Continuity. We also have our new GTDeploy solution which ensure software patches can be updated easily and in a timely manner.
For more information on how GTMaritime can help you meet the new regulations click here or speak to your regional head of sales
We provide Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) as standard in GTMailPlus and GTSeaMail. This provides an additional layer of protection utilising the global threat intelligence network. The ATP solution works using behaviour-based technology utilising its elastic sandbox environment to visualise and report on exactly what the malware interacts with compared to the typical signature-based detection which relies upon previously known exploits.
Our ATP feature has stopped over tens of thousands of malware attacks that were unknown to standard antivirus solutions, this means that 1 in every 397 emails contains unknown malware.
Click here to find out how we can ensure you are protected from unknown malware attacks.
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal data, including login credentials and bank details. It happens when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, tricks a victim into opening an email. The recipient is then tricked into opening a malicious link or responding with sensitive information, which can lead to the installation of malware, the freezing of the system or the revealing of sensitive information. An attack can lead to devastating results.
GTMailPlus contains anti-phishing functionality to help protect your vessels and delivers comprehensive protection against the latest type of email social engineering attacks. However, hackers are constantly trying to come up with new ways to outwit software so crew cannot afford to become complacent.
Free Phishing Penetration Test
To help ensure staff know what to do if they spot a potential phishing attempt, we provide a free phishing penetration test to all GTMailPlus customers. The test allows customers to send emails to their vessels to test the vigilance of their crew in spotting phishing attempts. To find out more and take up the offer of a free penetration test and to read our case study click here.
Software management should form a key part of your safety management system to ensure vessel software security however this can be a time consuming and costly process. To help remove the obstacles of patch management GTMaritime have developed GTDeploy, specially designed for the challenging environments in which vessels operate. GTDeploy allows for IT departments to set up remote deployment of software patches so that they run automatically in the background, removing the need for time consuming manual updates and crew interaction.
It utilises our secure FastNet platform for transferring programs with granular bandwidth control, throttling, prioritisation and optimisation and is simple and easy to use across your whole fleet.
Click here for more information and to find out why you need GTDeploy as part of your safety management process.
In today’s digital world access to email is critical to keeping your business running, this is especially true with maritime email communications. With Continuity provided by GTMailPlus you can access your emails even if your onboard mailserver is inaccessible, allowing you to operate your ship’s business on or off the vessel to recover emails and continue business as usual. Accessible from anywhere, by authorised users, you will be able to send and retrieve your emails during any interruption in the shipboard email capability, allowing your business to continue uninterrupted.
Continuity is a webmail-based service hosted within GTMaritime’s cloud infrastructure, with the length of storage based on your Archiving settings. For more information click here.
Ship operators are embracing the advantages of digitalisation and data transfer between vessels, the office and 3rd parties is increasing, though this increases the need for improved cyber security measures. With the implementation of the IMO cyber security guidelines in January 2021 cyber-risk must be incorporated into your vessels’ Safety Management System.
To meet the demands of the modern maritime market we have developed FastNet, a multistream platform designed for today’s data demands. Using bandwidth management techniques, it optimises, secures and then transfers data packets around your business needs.
FastNet will form the core of all our GTMaritime products & our customers will have access to this tool for whatever digitalization projects they are considering for their ships.
By using FastNet you are able to reduce the number of ‘connections’ to your vessels, whilst still being able to access data. The first two products available on the FastNet platform are GTDeploy and GTReplicate, for more information click here or contact your regional head of sales.