TECHNICAL
MARITIME SATELLITE & COMMUNICATIONS
free inter - company calls Apart from that com4crew uses existing satellite communication channels, is unlimited within the 12-miles-zone, is easy to install and offers cost-effective pricing. com4crew is designed as a mobile, flexible communication device with an advanced billing system based on a secure network. Marlink introduced WaveCall by Marlink, the next generation of its WaveCall satellite communications system for merchant and leisure vessels. One of the new features offered with WaveCall is Prepaid Calling Cards, providing better cost control for vessel
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owners and their crew. Tore Morten Olsen, Marlink CEO, said "Prepaid Calling Cards are an easy-to-use service within our product portfolio, and this is something which is very helpful for crew members with high focus on cost control." The system is boosted by Marlink's continued partnership with Sea Tel. Marine Technologies C-Comm was formed to provide the world's first truly END-to-END communications capability for the challenging, uncompromising markets of oil & gas, maritime, and defense/security where secure, ondemand, controllable, redundant wire-
less communications are required to support remote/mobile, mission critical assets and/or operations. VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect), a company of VT Systems Inc (VT Systems), today said that Thrane & Thrane A/S has implemented the iDirect satellite communications platform to support highspeed connectivity at sea. Thrane & Thrane's new Sailor 900 VSAT system provides a range of fixed broadband data packages, going up to 1024 kbps downlink/256 kbps uplink, and supports multiple voice channels. The system equips ship operators with always-on broadband connectivity to expand crew com-
EPA Vessel General Permit for Discharges Reporting
Marine companies are scrambling to comply with the with new vessel discharge reporting regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- and Skymira, a provider of turnkey business solutions, is assisting with its electronic forms service. On February 6, 2009 the EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP) for vessel discharges begins, impacting a broad cross-section of the maritime community. This set of requirements covers twenty-six types of vessel discharges for the purpose of minimizing their impact on surrounding waters. The new reporting entails daily vessel and barge inspections, along with other reporting such as corrective actions. Skymira is providing a tool to assist in compliance with the EPA reporting regulations using Skymira's electronic forms service. Skymira's electronic forms are used by inland, coastal and offshore maritime companies for a variety of vessel activity functions -- from daily logs and grocery/supply orders, to crew time sheets and required Coast Guard forms. Based on each company's specific needs, electronic forms offer a quick and simple low-cost solution for transmitting and centralizing operations information, using the most cost-effective cellular/satellite communication services. Maritime companies defining their new NPDES/VGP reporting procedures and forms can use the Skymira electronic form service to convert paper forms into electronic forms that transmit directly to a secure web-site for the company. These electronic forms can be stored both on the vessel and in the office to fulfill EPA records retention requirements. To learn more about how Skymira's electronic forms service can assist with EPA/NPDES compliance, or any vessel-related information, contact Roy Lund at 866-521-0540; ext 805, or via email at lund.r@skymira.com.
munications, strengthen connectivity to corporate networks and support remote vessel management. The Sailor 900 VSAT system features dual ports to provide seamless automated switching between a primary, fixed-fee VSAT broadband network and pay-per-use narrowband coverage. A ship's narrowband system becomes a back-up to the VSAT network and maintains coverage when a satellite network may be out of range. The Sailor 900 VSAT system also leverages iDirect's Group Quality of Service (QoS) technology, which enables ship operators to create bandwidth profiles that govern uplink and downlink speeds for every application onboard. For example, operators can establish separate networks for crew and operations communications. This preserves bandwidth for high-priority applications and heightens overall network performance. Thrane & Thrane's VSAT service is initially available in Europe and northern Africa over Ku-band. The iDirect platform supports Thrane & Thrane's plans to expand its VSAT network to include worldwide coverage. "VSAT broadband represents the future of maritime communications and a key to increased business productivity onboard and on shore," said Jens Ewerling, Global Marketing Manager for Maritime Satcom, Thrane & Thrane.
ASBESTOS
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with MESOTHELIOMA and has been exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to receive money damages from the manufacturer.
For information, call
1-888-ForTheInjured
(888) 367-8434 or visit
ForTheInjured.com
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Offices: Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart & Miramar
40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News