Inmarsat unveils new IoT service for shipping industry

Inmarsat unveils new IoT service for shipping industry
5 September 2018 | https://www.telecompaper.com/news/inmarsat-unveils-new-iot-service-for-s...

Inmarsat unveiled Fleet Data, a new IoT service which is designed to allow ship owners and managers to access and analyse real-time onboard data more efficiently. Created in partnership with Danelec Marine, Fleet Data will record data from the onboard Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and other vessel sensors, pre-process that data, and upload it to a central (cloud-based) database equipped with a dashboard and Application Process Interface (API).

Trials of Fleet Data are due for completion in September aboard two ships operated by a leading ship manager, which have been verifying performance over a six-month period by relaying data collected through fuel optimisation software.

Fleet Data is available on both Fleet Xpress and FleetBroadband, making it accessible to over 45,000 vessels. Fleet Xpress, which was introduced in 2016, was adopted by all the major airtime providers such as Speedcast, Marlink, Navarino and Tototheo.

Laboratory tests with other applications to run over Fleet Data, such as ECDIS chart updates on the FleetBroadband service, are also underway in Alesund, Norway, the home of Inmarsat’s research and development activities for the commercial maritime sector.

To enable Fleet Data, ships need to install a Vessel Remote Server (VRS) and the product is agnostic in terms of VDR manufacturer.