The maritime industry faces a multitude of challenges to operate efficiently, safely and with complete optimization of operations. Over the years, satellite connectivity has been a key driving force behind the maturation of the shipping industry, today demonstrating how effective digitization can transform onboard operations to benefit overall business performance.
As operations and functions become increasingly automated, the demand for sophisticated tools and technologies will rise placing further demand on satellite network capacity and performance.
In the current climate, adaptive and intelligent connectivity solutions have never been more important as remote onboard operations and crew safety rely on connectivity during a global pandemic. For the maritime industry to reach its full potential, there are some factors which each organization should consider to optimize the opportunities of digitization.
Future-Proof Connectivity
With many shipping operations and functions becoming automated over the last few years as connectivity and accessibility to data have grown, data-driven technologies have grown business innovation in the shipping industry.
As more technologies and innovations evolve over time, the maritime market is increasingly optimizing operations and future-proofing its business models. With different operations and unique needs across organizations, the effective implementation of digital technologies needs to be tailored to unique business goals to leverage the full potential of communications to support a digital strategy.
Investments in stand-alone network technologies has only taken the shipping industry so far by juggling multiple technologies and data streams. With the demands and requirements placed on maritime connectivity growing increasingly complex, an integrated network management approach is needed to address every organizational challenge, enhance productivity and satisfy customers.
With many technologies, solutions and a wide choice of vendors to choose from, owners and operators need to be satisfied that their digitization is journey is supporting its unique business goals for the future.
Seamless Connectivity
Currently, the demand on the network is increasingly high as remote onboard operations management is needed during a global pandemic and crew require full access to connectivity for communications. Not providing crew members the connectivity they need can have a damaging impact on morale as it could hinder activities such as accessing familiar content and contacting family and friends at home. With the potential for these unpredicted global situations now realized, seamless connectivity has become the safety net of the shipping industry to make sure onboard operations and crew wellbeing and safety is managed remotely.
With many applications such as crew connectivity, IoT and business processes, a deep understanding of the need and demand for connectivity ensures that the highest throughput is available for all critical onboard systems and management processes on a day-to-day basis at competitive prices too.
Digital Management for the Full Voyage Experience
Using digitization to access networks and information remotely is a critical trend during these uncertain times where companies do not have physical access to onboard infrastructure.
The management of sufficient bandwidth access, an increasing number of data-driven applications and the monitoring and maintenance of all operations requires a smart network and data-management platform for a complete view of network operations.
The Speedcast SIGMA platform is playing an essential role across the oceans to run solutions and applications, crew connectivity, voyage management, asset tracking, entertainment and more.
Support and Service for Safety
With any digital technology that can enhance operational efficiency and provide reliable connectivity for any application of system, it is only as effective as the service behind the technology. Now more than ever, connectivity solutions have become the key enabler of safety and operations, so a high-quality service with committed support teams to help to protect onboard assets and support secure business operations to optimize the best performance is essential.
The Speedcast service will continue to deliver the guarantee of the fastest onboard communications for business and crew and deliver comprehensive solutions for complete safety and network operations management.
Addressing Evolving Threats
Satellite connectivity is also playing a critical role in enabling data-driven solutions to protect the shipping industry against an evolving threat landscape. As a growing concern for the industry, cybersecurity plays a critical role to protect onboard assets and operations from being disrupted.
Protective security measures have now become a regulatory requirement for ship owners and so Speedcast has developed a solution to address constantly evolving risks with real-time intelligence within its Cyber Security as a Service (CSaaS) programme.
Understanding the digital journey, business model opportunities, threats to avoid and unique business goals helps to identify a digital strategy which will optimize the full potential of each organization in the shipping industry.
A wide range of services are available to use as digitization tools across the whole shipping operation system. Speedcast understands that a tailored approach to each customer is the most effective approach to enabling the full potential of digitization to be realized in order to reach unique business goals and future-proof the business.
Author Sandro Delucia, is the Commercial Maritime Product Director for Speedcast.