07 July 2009, 2:31pm
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.”
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.

Each month we select a hot topic and a leading figure in the industry to write about it.Lack of Location Awareness is ‘Analytical Blind Spot’ for Organisations.
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