MARIS in moti onSEPTEMBER 2012

MARIS in moti on

Up on MCloud

As a technology leader, our initi ati ve to off er onboard installati on of ‘Cloud’ capability for ECDIS promises to be one of the most exciti ng developments for users in the years ahead. MCloud – our working ti tle – envisages real ti me streaming of data from the ship to a Cloud-based server.

Anyone who has used ‘Cloud’ as part of their daily lives will see the inherent benefi ts to this approach for remote assets such as ships, in terms of the way it can interface ’live’ with other mobile devices. But, as it is possible that the competi ti on is watching, perhaps it would be bett er if you spoke to us directly. Contact us at SMM through ESL GmbH, B6/510.

With power comes responsibility. Given the rapid growth in our share of the ECDIS market, we have taken tangible steps to futher develop our reputati on as a leading edge technology provider. Today MARIS is a complete industry partner able to meet the demands of shipowners and seafarers as ECDIS use becomes mandatory.

Esti mates of market share are oft en made, or suppressed for purely commercial reasons. But if I tell you that ECDIS from MARIS now commands a 20% market share in terms of ships in service, it is only to emphasise that, as ECDIS becomes mandatory and the revised STCW Conventi on and Code comes into eff ect, such a large slice of the industry brings with it extensive responsibiliti es.

Our success has added urgency to our drive to ensure that, as well as having the tools to meet mandatory requirements shipowners and seafarers are in the positi on to use them. For this reason, you will see that this issue of MARIS in moti on is heavily focused on training and the relati onships we have been developing with industry leaders in the fi eld to support opti mal use of the products we conti nue to develop.

You will see that we have conti nued to strengthen our programme of developing product-specifi c packages for onboard computer-based ECDIS training with CBT industry leader Seagull. We have worked closely with the Internati onal Hydrographic Offi ce to ensure that our systems meet their latest fi ndings on available systems and our new distributi on agreements include training support.

But I also want to emphasise that our objecti ves lie beyond such ‘front-end’ agreements and compliance. This is why MARIS

ECDIS can be found in almost 100 training insti tutes around the world and why we have made the delivery of certi fi ed, type specifi c training in cooperati on with leading training insti tutes a major priority.

Most recently, Wärtsilä became the latest major marine company to specify MARIS hardware and soft ware as part of its product specifi c training. The MARIS ECDIS900 system is being installed at the Wärtsilä Land & Sea Training Academy Subic, the engine company’s instructi on centre in the Philippines.

We believe that 2012 will see regional shipowner uptake of ECDIS expand by around 20%-30% and, given the importance of the Philippines as a source of mariti me labour, this deal is a landmark in our drive to ensure that good and standardised ECDIS training on MARIS systems is available in as many locati ons as possible.

Steinar Gundersen, Deputy Chief Executi ve, (Corporate), MARIS AS

MARIS in motion

Close co-operation

SERVICE NEWS

Ticking IHO checklist

The International Hydrographic Office has long expressed concern that some ECDIS may not display certain combinations of chart features and attribute. MARIS has been working closely with IHO to corroborate that our systems are confirmed as meeting the standards set.

The ’Update Report on IHO Action concerning ECDIS Software Issues’ submitted to the IMO Maritime Safety Committee suggests that only one third of the ECDIS IHO it inspected functioned the way it expected. Coming as it did in the run up to the launch of the MARIS900 4.5.4.76 system, we responded directly to a latest IHO circular.

MARIS Technical Director, Philippe Kah, says: “We have been able to advise our distributors that the new ECDIS900 V4.5.4.76 is fully compliant with IHO tests.”

Tuned into Radio Holland

MARIS and Imtech Radio Holland have reached an agreement to broaden their cooperation on the service and installation of all MARIS products through the Imtech Radio Holland network of subsidiaries and agents worldwide. The agreement includes worldwide sales of ECDIS.

The cooperation calls for MARIS to provide an intensive tech-nical training programme for engineers in the Imtech Radio Holland network, covering competence in all MARIS products, ranging from single installation ECDIS to complete, fully inte-grated packages containing VDR, triple ECDIS, conning, Radar Overlay, Voyage Decision Support and all Digital Services.

ECDIS link with Nautisk Forlag

MARIS and Nautisk Forlag AS have agreed a Global Distributor Agreement for MARIS ECDIS products encompassing all Nautisk Forlag’s present and future offices.

The agreement increases Nautisk Forlag’s global digital foot-print in providing its customers with the complete digital package. MARIS ECDIS has already been used with Naustik Forlag’s Vessel Information Service, Neptune VIS with great success.

We are partners in increasing Nautisk Forlag’s global digital footprint in providing the complete digital package.

Asia initiatives

While maritime ECDIS is a day to day reality in 2012, ‘news’ on product-specific ECDIS training has given way to subjective opin-ion on the media’s agenda. At MARIS we continue to put in place the practical steps to achieve what lawmakers had in mind.

Given that we expect uptake of ECDIS to have increased by 20-30% in 2012 in Asia, it is no coincidence that our focus has been on product-specific initiatives by customers within the region. Key markets include South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, China, India and Hong Kong.

We align training with four other factors (hardware, software, technical support and chart handling) when supplying ECDIS. Our experience in Asia is that customers are seeking generic and product-specific ECDIS training in equal measure. An abiding ob-jective in 2013 will be to play our part in dialogue with responsi-ble owners, aware of their responsibilities with respect to ECDIS, but unclear what those responsibilities entail in terms of training.

Seagull and MARIS e-learning

In association with MARIS and Consilium Marine & Safety AB, the computer-based training (CBT) specialist Seagull has re-leased e-learning modules designed to train navigation officers in the practical use of the MARIS ECDIS900 and Consilium EC-DIS. They are designed to satisfy the relevant requirements for equipment specific ECDIS training.

The type-specific ECDIS CBT module for MARIS ECDIS900 pro-vides all necessary understanding and practical knowledge for using the MARIS ECDIS900 and Consilium ECDIS systems in a safe and efficient manner.

It has been developed in response to concerns about the num-ber of ECDIS systems and types available in the market and the fact that crew switching vessels may not be familiar with the type they are expected to use.

The ECDIS CBT can be delivered as an independent CD or as a solution where the module is integrated with Seagull Training Administrator (STA).

MARIS in moti on

Close co-operati on

SERVICE NEWS

PAYS and who paysThe marine industry’s appeti te for new state-of-the-art functi onality in ECDIS is clear and manufacturers have responded with a slew of features that address enhanced safety, bett er fl exibility and reduced waiti ng ti mes. However, as ECDIS becomes mandatory, few att ributes can be prioriti sed over those that squeeze cost.

‘PAYS’ (Pay As You Sail) has been the response of suppliers, but MARIS recently undertook an analysis of actual cost reducti ons accruing to the approach and is keen to share its fi ndings. Our research indicated that cost reducti on is by no means evident in all vessel operati ons. Some modes will not benefi t from converti ng to PAYS.

We share this only to highlight the fact that PAYS, like any ‘pay as you go’ service, only makes sense if it suits the circumstances

of use, and its att racti veness depends on how the user is being charged.

Many navigation officers, for example, have found that handling ENC licences, cell permits, chart installation and updates is a complex and time-consuming process. With MARIS PAYS the ENCs are already installed, so there is no need to order permits and all charts are automatically updated by the server.

The improved fl exibility in the PAYS subscripti on is due to the fact that there is access to all ENCs worldwide. It is essenti al to keep all ENCs updated at all ti mes to ensure safe and accurate planning. With PAYS it is possible to plan a route at any given ti me within the limitati ons of the PAYS subscripti on.

In an ideal world all ENC cells would be updated every day, but in the real world, the navigati on offi cer only updates those cells required for the current route in order to save ti me and Broadband download capacity.

It is clear that compromises must be made to avoid excessive Broadband traffi c on the satellite link. Navigati on offi cers used to spend too much ti me handling ENC update CDs and licencing. But every minute counts, and with PAYS this is now a thing of the past. Updates for worldwide ENC collecti on in SENC format are available on the internet and can be downloaded by the ship agent at any ti me on a memory sti ck. Onboard installati on is thus achieved quickly.

The service can be introduced with the least possible cost by combining MARIS ECDIS900 and the PAYS service. MARIS controls the hardware, soft ware, ENC permits and server.

MARIS’ approach to implementi ng PAYS onboard ship is to uti lise existi ng equipment and only install soft ware. There is no need for additi onal computers or other hardware onboard.

MARIS undertook analysis of the true cost-saving benefi ts of the PAYS approach to ECDIS service provision

Automati c for the people

MARIS’ strategy in implementi ng PAYS mode in EC-DIS900 has been to integrate MARIS Digital Services (MDS), the one stop shop for mariti me charts and publi-cati ons since 2006, within ECDIS900. ECDIS900 benefi ts from all MDS functi onaliti es, parti cularly the ability to order ENC permits and charts from non-PAYS countries including Japan while ordering AVCS cells directly from ECDIS900.

The MARIS PAYS service is fully integrated within EC-DIS900 and no interacti on is required by the navigati on offi cer. It is fully automati c, meaning the navigati on of-fi cer concentrates fully on operati ng the vessel safely.

MARIS in moti on

About MARIS

MARIS is a limited company with its head offi ce in Tøns-berg, Norway, a recognised centre for mariti me infor-mati on technology. The company has delivered thou-sands of navigati on systems to customers worldwide.

The majority owner is the Grieg Group (www.grieg.no).The Grieg Group has a long and proud mariti me tradi-ti on. Today, the Group operates globally within a vari-ety of business areas; shipping, global logisti c services, shipbroking, mariti me informati on systems, investment consulti ng and fi sh farming. The Grieg Group has about 1,700 employees.

The roots of MARIS go back to the start of the mariti me informati on technology explosion in the mid 1960s. MARIS is a system house with world-class experience in onboard systems. Innovati ve engineering has add-ed several ´world fi rsts´ to its list of milestones. Among them are our ´Wheelmark´ certi fi ed ECDIS and PC Ra-dar/ARPA, IEC 60945 certi fi ed Flat Panel Computer and S-VDR/ECDIS COMBO. MARIS is working with the UKHO to develop The Admiralty Navigator.

For further informati on, please contact: Steinar Gundersen, Deputy Chief Executi ve (Corporate) MARIS AS, Tel: +47 97472000, email: steinar.gundersen@maris.no; or Bhupesh Gandhi, Director, MARIS Asia Pacifi c Pte Ltd, Singapore, Tel: +65 62762472, email: bhupesh@maris.no

Company news

The new MARIS website has now been unveiled with comprehensive, user-friendly pages on Products & Soluti ons, Support, the Company, Distributors, all MARIS Press Releases and the Newslett er, and a customer log in opti on.

This has been our opportunity to take stock of our breadth of service as a leading provider of mariti me informati on technology, as well as giving us a new ’shop window’ to the mariti me world.

The Products & Soluti ons page provides full descripti ons of the two diff erent types of the ECDIS900 Electronic Chart Display and Informati on System, ECDIS900 Flat Panel Computer SmartLine Mk10 and ECDIS900 Multi Display and Rack Computer Mk4.

It includes a full descripti on of VDS – Voyage Decision Support, the new shipboard voyage opti misati on tool for signifi cant fuel saving and documentati on of the voyage developed in partnership with Teekay Corp and Innovati on, Norway.

However, our business is as much about supporti ng our technology as the technology itself. The support site for each product lists country, city, address, phone and web and individual contact details. The ECDIS900 entry, for instance, is accompanied by details of supporti ng companies in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The Company link to each product also lists and provides details of MARIS offi ces in Norway, Singapore and Russia.

People count

At MARIS, we know that our success relies on the people bringing our technical soluti ons to market as much as it does on the technology developers themselves. For this reason, we would like to draw att enti on to a few personnel changes that have taken place in recent months.

Ralf Pluch is our new Sales Director for Europe and joined

us aft er extensive experience with ExNC Entwicklungs-und Vertriebs GmbH, which he founded to develop and market AIS Class B transponders.

Ralph has also worked as Sales Director with Nauti cast GmbH/ ACR Europe, where he developed an internati onal sales and service network for AIS Class A transponders. During this ti me the company gained a market share of 20% in more than 30 countries.

He takes over as Sales Director Europe from Willy Hansen who, following the global agreement signed between MARIS and Imtech Radio Holland, moves to the role of Director Special Projects for this venture.

Also joining the fold has been Ove Bråthen Director, Sales Scandinavia. Ove holds an electronics degree with focus on radar and underwater acousti cs and brings more than 25 years’ internati onal sales experience to the company, having spent the fi rst six years of his career with the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Ove has worked at sea on a number of seismic research vessels, spent a decade as Sales Manager for Schlumberger Oilfi eld Services, been a Project Manager for Vessel Traffi c Systems (VTS) in the Kongsberg Group, and spent seven years with Evry AS, Norway’s largest IT service provider as Key Account Manager and Bid Manager.

Our ambiti ous plans to conti nue growing are in safe hands.

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