Maritime satcomm specialist Inmarsat partners with Korean shipbuilding giant Samsung Heavy Industries for the implementation of smart satellite technology in shipbuilding processes.
The companies have signed what Inmarsat calla a »ground-breaking« Memorandum of Understanding (Mo[ds_preview]U), establishing a relationship to leverage the ‘smart ship’ connectivity offered by Fleet Xpress at the vessel construction stage. The strategic agreement envisages the leading South Korean yard installing Inmarsat-approved terminal hardware and offering applications to cover remote machinery diagnostics and CCTV services, to leverage the satellite communications platform’s capabilities from the moment the ship is delivered.
The new service, which has been christened ‘Smart Ship’ by SHI, is supposed to allow owners to enhance efficiency »by harvesting data from hull-monitors and equipment sensors onboard in real-time, utilising Inmarsat’s dedicated bandwidth for Certified Application Providers (CAPs)«, it was said in a statement.
Ronald Spithout, Inmarsat Maritime President said, »This agreement with SHI represents a new chapter in the story of smart shipping and the connected vessel. The Fleet Xpress service allows SHI to build-in new levels of vessel efficiency.« Subject to a definitive agreement, SHI will retain remote connections to vessels, while Inmarsat will support SHI’s services through a dedicated Certified Application Provider subscription.
