UKHO and Kelvin Hughes announce agreement

23 September 2008, 7:54pm

23 September 2008 - The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and Kelvin Hughes have today (23 Sept 08) announced a partnering agreement.

The commercial agreement will see Kelvin Hughes marketing its Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) fully pre-installed with the UKHO’s Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS).

This combination of a leading ECDIS system and pre-installed AVCS offers many advantages to the international mariner, providing more direct access to official, all vector navigational information and delivering a complete solution directly to the bridge of the vessel.

The pre-installation of AVCS also means that the mariner will only need to update the data before sailing: the initial fill will already have been completed.

UKHO launched AVCS in April earlier this year. The service provides a comprehensive world series for the international mariner by integrating official Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) from national hydrographic offices across the globe together with newly manufactured ENCs for gaps in key areas.

Kelvin Hughes is a leading and well established manufacturer of marine technology whose products include radar sensors and display technology, Voyage Data Recorders, Electronic Chart systems and highly advanced Integrated Bridge Systems.

UKHO Chief Executive, Mike Robinson, believes the Kelvin Hughes partnering agreement will play an important role in meeting the demand for safe, compliant, navigational data and is a further step towards removing barriers to the adoption of ECDIS and ENCs for primary navigation.

Spike Hughes, Marketing Director for Kelvin Hughes, commented: “Any new Kelvin Hughes radar display has a dual function both as a radar and as a type approved ECDIS back-up. This co-operation with the UKHO to pre-fill these displays with AVCS data will make a significant contribution to the increased take up of official electronic charts. The parallel initiatives of the UKHO AVCS service and the Kelvin Hughes inclusion of chart radar functionality in our standard radars combine to attack the main barriers to comprehensive adoption of electronic charts, namely lack of official data and the cost of implementation. We are proud to be part of this initiative to improve the safety of marine navigation.

“In a further initiative to enhance the AVCS service our maritime data supply service, Chartco, is working closely with the UKHO to provide a full AVCS update service. This will enable subscribers to receive AVCS updates at sea by ChartCo’s unique offering of either broadcast, e-mail or internet delivery.”

He added that: “The UKHO is above all committed to providing safe, official navigational information directly into the hands of the International Mariner.”

www.ukho.gov.uk

Geo: International