Questão 871134

From Security to Efficiency: Modern Vessel Tracking

More so than many other fields of business, the

maritime industry is focused on cost, which in turn

gives the appearance of being conservative towards

technology. Certainly, we have technical ships

5 magnificently operating with equipment that wouldn’t

look out of place in a NASA lab, but generally, it can

take decades for a technology to become mainstream.

Unless it becomes mandated by the IMO (International

Maritime Organization). Vessel tracking is a partial

10 exception to the rule though, with many fleet owners

realizing its potential for more cost-effective operation

and personnel security.

Knowing the exact position of all vessels in a

fleet, in a software solution designed to fit with your

15 own logistical processes, can significantly improve

efficiency. If a ship arrives early or late, more often

than not there will be an associated cost. If this can

be identified during transit then the early or late arrival

can be negated or at least planned for. Likewise, if

20 by knowing the positions of your fleet of workboats

means that you can route the closest vessel to the

next job, then significant fuel cost savings can be

made. With modern tracking systems, the way data is

used is just as important as knowing where a vessel

25 is at all times. But there are countless ways to apply

the data to the benefit of efficiency for a single ship

or fleet. So providing easy and reliable access to

position reports is essential.

A new tracking unit

30 ___ RockFLEET is an advanced new tracking unit

for the professional maritime environment. During

its design phase, the team decided that in order for

the position data it provides to be of the most use,

as well as being available via Rock Seven’s own

35 fleet viewer ‘The Core,’ it must also be available in

any software system the user chooses. Using a

standards-based API (Application Programming

Interface), the customer can integrate tracking data

from RockFLEET into their own applications. Typically

40 this means that RockFLEET tracked assets can be

added to existing fleet management software, which

invariably is designed around an owner or operators

own logistics.

With precise vessel location data available,

45 the opportunities are unlimited and only down to the

creativity of the user. For instance, a current Rock

Seven customer uses location data to manage payroll

of personnel. Essentially, personnel get paid different

amounts depending on whether the ship is at sea, in

50 international waters, in port or transiting regions with

high piracy incidents.

RockFLEET, a unique device

The above user is a private security company

involved in anti-piracy operations. It actually gets

55 location data using RockSTAR, the handheld version

of RockFLEET, which is a new fixed unit that can be

fitted anywhere on board. Completely waterproof and

with no moving parts, it is a robust, ultra-compact

(13cm diameter/4cm high) device with multiple

60 mounting options. The physical design of RockFLEET

was in part driven by the security challenges faced by

vessels facing the issues of modern piracy.

The unit itself is designed to look anonymous;

as standard there’s no name on the outside. It works

65 from ship’s power, but it uniquely has a backup battery

inside. Which is important should a vessel be hijacked

and the main power cut.

Knowing the location of all friendly vessels in a

region is vital to organisations with a stake in ensuring

70 safe passage through known piracy hotspots. With an

operational vessel/fleet tracking system, ship owners

and fleet managers will know where their ships are at

all times. This information can be fed to authorities,

private anti-piracy companies and the naval forces

75 patrolling piracy hotspots to build a clear, near

real-time picture for domain awareness. The value of

this information should a vessel be hijacked is obvious:

knowing the last whereabouts of a vessel provides

responders with a starting point should a hijacked

80 vessel’s tracking system be disabled by pirates.

Today’s pirates know that many commercial

vessels are tracked, especially those would be targets

sailing in what are known to be hostile waters. So

disabling vessel tracking equipment on board is a

85 sensible action for said pirates after a hijacked ship’s

crew have been subdued and because most tracking

units are powered by the vessel, finding and cutting

the power supply isn’t hard. RockFLEET, however,

is the only device of its kind with an internal battery

90 backup, so it can continue to transmit position for up

to two weeks if external power is cut.

With facility to mount covertly, this makes it

especially suitable for vessels traversing piracy

hotspots.

Available at: <http://maritime-connector.com/from-security-to-efficiency-modern-vessel-tracking/>.

Retrieved on: Jan, 7^th, 2015. Adapted.

According to the text, RockFLEET