ABB Marine & Ports has become the latest maritime technology company to connect with Inmarsat’s Fleet Data shipping IoT (internet of things) platform, with the two firms announcing the signing of a new Master Supply Agreement.
The deal recognises ABB as a certified application provider (CAP) for Fleet Data, which collects information from onboard sensors, pre-processes it, and uploads it to a Cloud-based database.
The CAP agreement means that analytics, monitoring and decision-support software developed by ABB to benchmark fleet performance and improve ship efficiency will be able to integrate with the Cloud database via the Fleet Data Application Programming Interface (API).
“As respective leaders in the field of mobile satellite communications and marine power, control and automation technologies, Inmarsat and ABB combine connectivity and enabling applications at a scale that can be truly transformative,” said Stefano Poli, Vice President Business Development, Inmarsat Maritime.
“This deal provides further evidence of the power of Fleet Data to rise to the challenge. As a digital enabler, Fleet Data can support a myriad of applications, so it is no coincidence that Inmarsat has signed agreements with digital technology majors as well as start-ups intending to shake up the industry.”
“Both groups recognise that developing a digital culture is about downloading and updating, not expensive ship visits and installation time.”
The ABB vessel management software ABB Ability Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS is expected to be the first system from the company to plug into Fleet Data and make use of its dedicated bandwidth capabilities to move data between ship and shore.
“Collaborative operations that put our cumulative engineering knowledge, leading-edge products and remote support at the disposal of those at sea and ashore are core to the ABB Marine & Ports Service offering across a wide range of vessel types,” said Antto Shemeikka, Vice President Digital Services, ABB Marine & Ports.
“We see the potential for faster digitalisation enabled by continuously evolving connectivity.”
