Cap’n Ericsson and his great SEABORNE CLOUD wheeze

A life on the ocean wave, a node on the rolling deep

CES 2015 Ericsson has launched a “Maritime ICT Cloud”, mainly supporting logistical operations, as well as connecting vessels at sea with shore-based operations, maintenance service providers, customer support centres, fleet/transportation partners, port operations and authorities.

There are also tools for voyage optimization, cargo monitoring and crew welfare.

The Swedish tech giant points out that although around 80 per cent of global trade by volume (and over 70 per cent of global trade by value) is carried by sea, the maritime industry lags behind alternative transport industries in terms of its use of information and communications technology.

At present, ships rely on manually updated traffic, cargo, port, weather and safety information, sent point-to-point rather than made available to all parties simultaneously via a network.

This is a time-consuming process and the lack of access to real-time data significantly increases the margin for error.

At the same time, the offering enables services used to manage fleets, monitor engines and fuel consumption, oversee routes and navigation, and ensure the well-being of the crew.

Ericsson will provide everything from satellite connections to application support in one complete package, and manage operation of the Maritime ICT Cloud on behalf of its customers.

Ericsson already has a portfolio of equipment for tracking containers, keeping tabs on refrigerated containers at sea, and providing GSM coverage for crew on ships linked to a sat phone. Much of that technology has been developed with Ericsson’s customer Maersk. ®