Admiralty e-Navigator maritime information

10 June 2009, 3:36pm

The UKHO has announced the Admiralty e-Navigator solution - a service which will make every stage of navigation and fleet management smarter, simpler and safer.

The Admiralty e-Navigator service presents a single real-time view to the mariner, their shore based managers and their suppliers across a wide range of maritime information.

In addition to a real-time view of the paper and digital chart holdings, real-time ordering and product delivery, the Admiralty e-Navigator service will also put consistent tide, weather and other related data at the fingertips of shore-based managers and mariners, cutting the complexities of voyage planning, optimising sailing and port turnaround times and delivering real operational efficiencies.

Until now, both shore managers and mariners have had to work with a multitude of different information from different sources. The Admiralty e-Navigator brings together all of the information needed for safe navigation, voyage planning and efficient fleet management in one place. For the first time, accurate berth-to-berth information will be available through one user-friendly application.

Customers will be able to buy just what they need when they need it, making sure they have the right information at the right time, in the right place. This will bring major benefits, both in direct cost savings and in time.

UK National Hydrographer Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff said: “Ninety per cent of navigation is preparation and the ability to reliably plan routes electronically, in the most optimal way and to readily get access to and maintain up-to-date official maritime information with minimal user-maintenance will dramatically reduce the workload of seafarers.”

“And this is only the start,” he adds.

“New regulations, environmental concerns, the demands of vessel security, as well as a constantly changing marine environment are all putting increasing pressure on marine superintendents and mariners. e-Navigator provides the platform for a growing range of products to improve planning and fleet management that will be coming on stream.”

Admiralty e-Navigator, which will be available in the market for free from late 2009, will allow users to,

- organise all Admiralty products and services in one place to make them easier to view, use, manage and maintain;

- order the products, from on-board or ashore, easily and simply from their preferred Admiralty distributor;

- download permits for Admiralty digital charts and publications in real-time on-board or ashore any time, day or night;

- select the right mix of digital or paper charts for each vessel for maximum efficiency and value for money;

- seamlessly synchronise digital charts and publications with the latest Admiralty updates;

- allow fleet managers to swiftly check the real-time status of the maritime information held by the fleet;

- improve safety, fleet management and emergency response by providing a single, view of the maritime environment whether on board or ashore;

Hugh Phillips, Head of Products at the UKHO said: “Admiralty e-Navigator is uniquely positioned to offer new standards for safe navigation and efficient planning and fleet management across paper and digital products. It will cut through the complexity that exists for fleet managers. Both they, and their crews, will have access to information as never before, literally putting a world of maritime information at their fingertips. Users will be able to access any of the Admiralty digital charts and publications they need, any time, day or night, wherever they might be in the world.”

The Admiralty e-Navigator is being developed by the UKHO working with MARIS of Norway. It will provide the gateway to all Admiralty products as well as those of a wide range of partners, giving access to the best solutions available on the market.

Hugh Phillips adds: “We chose MARIS because they have the experience, really understand the maritime industry and have strong products established in the marketplace which are already being used by some of the world’s leading shipping companies.”

Ian Vendrell, Business Development Director of MARIS said: “This is an exciting time to be joining forces with UKHO. Technology is changing the maritime industry. Our goal is to use it to help make intelligent, efficient navigation, voyage planning and management easy, whatever the size of the fleet.

UK Hydrographic Office

Geo: International