Greece-based METIS Cyberspace Technology has updated its Ship Connect automated data-acquisition system to improve its data transfer and monitoring capabilities and support ship performance analytics based on standard protocols.
The upgraded system enables the processing and visualisation of real-time and historical data both on board and ashore, with readings transferred from vessel equipment to the METIS cloud platform in a second or less.
Backed by MQTT, a standard messaging protocol for IoT, and Google’s Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) platform-neutral system for serialising structured data, the application’s new open-source framework allows it to be more easily scaled to accommodate the installation of millions of IoT devices.
“With the latest generation of Ship Connect, we have set the standard for the interoperability which will shape shipping’s digital future,” said Serafim Katsikas, CTO, METIS Cyberspace Technology.
“The system is lightweight, efficient and compatible with all data sources, requiring minimal resources and optimising network bandwidth. It is not only extremely fast but secure and dependable, offering shipowners a solid foundation on which to base key operational decisions for enhanced vessel performance, sustainability and safety.”
“Ship Connect is built on widely supported, open-source architecture as opposed to the closed, proprietary kind that we see in many other systems currently available on the market. It therefore supports our objectives by allowing cross-platform integration and seamless interconnection with third-party systems.”
The METIS cloud platform is currently measuring 6.3 billion performance data points per month on approximately 270 ships, the company notes.
