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Ericsson says new cloud-based service will link maritime industry to ‘networked society’


Telecoms network vendor Ericsson has announced plans to launch a cloud-based service that will link the shipping industry to a “networked society”.

Ericsson's said its ‘Maritime ICT Cloud’ will connect vessels at sea with shore-based operations, maintenance service providers, customer support centres, fleet and transportation partners, port operations and authorities.

Ericsson, which will unveil details of the service at a consumer electronics event in Las Vegas this week, said ships currently rely on manually-updated traffic, cargo, port, weather and safety information that is sent point-to-point, rather than made available to all parties simultaneously via a network.

“Despite the fact that ships carried an estimated total of 9.6 billion tonnes of cargo in 2013, around 80% of global trade by volume and over 70% of global trade by value, the maritime industry lags behind alternative transport industries in terms of its use of information and communications technology,” Ericcson said.

“Using engine diagnostics and up-to-the minute information about weather and traffic conditions both at sea and in ports, Maritime ICT Cloud enables ship captains to optimise their voyages to save time, fuel and money while also limiting environmental damage.”

Ericsson’s head of industry and society Orvar Hurtig said: “Vessels at sea do have systems in place that allow them to monitor critical functions and fuel usage, set and maintain an optimal course and ensure the welfare of their crew, but they are not particularly well integrated with fleet management systems onshore and they do not maximise the potential of real-time data.”

According to Ericsson, by the end of 2014 the largest ships were able to carry 19,000 20-foot equivalent units. “Keeping track of so much cargo is incredibly challenging, and there is much to be gained from connecting containers wirelessly, monitoring them and making real-time information about their whereabouts and environmental conditions easily available via an integrated dashboard,” the company said.

Ericsson said that as a result of recent amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (2006), ship owners are expected to provide broadband connectivity for crew communication, entertainment, training and tele-medicine.

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