Recently, Singtel launched iSHIP, an all-in-one platform providing satellite-enabled connectivity and digital services for the maritime industry.
iSHIP’s integrated services for crew and fleet management gives ship managers and owners greater flexibility and visibility of their resources and operations, enabling better crew well-being, vessel safety and operational efficiency, Singtel said in a statement.
Immortal maritime trade
Since the beginning of time, humans have used water to transport cargo from one place to another. The first ships were single logs that small cargo was attached to and floated down river for trade.
The Romans developed fleets that could cross the Mediterranean Sea in about a month, around 5,000 years ago. Flash forward today, and currently, nearly 90 per cent of all goods from finished products to food, fuel and more are shipped over the seas, with maritime trade volume set to triple by 2050.
To keep ships running and global seaborne trade flowing during the pandemic, shipping companies had to rapidly digitalise critical operations such as navigation, power supply, engine control and cargo management that were traditionally manual tasks while ensuring ship crews stay health and safe. Ooi Seng Keat, Vice President, Carrier Services, Over-the-Top & Satellite, Group Enterprise, Singtel said:
“Our seas are a major mode of global trade and transport. But the pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and shipping operations, driving strained crews, who are more accustomed to traditional or manual processing methods, to navigate fragmented digital resources and applications. iSHIP was specifically designed to address these challenges and provide a versatile solution for shipping companies that are accelerating digital adoption and also have decarbonisation and crew welfare high on their agenda. By making it easier for ship owners and operators to procure and steward digital services and resources, they can focus on keeping the world economy running, supporting billions of people who rely on our seas for food, energy and transport.”
Singtel is the only operator in Southeast Asia to attain the highest certification from the World Teleport Association, for providing customers with the highest quality of security, infrastructure and operational standards for their communications needs.
Complete connectivity
Currently, ship owners and operators have to liaise with multiple parties to procure connectivity and digital services or resources. With iSHIP, customers get all their possible maritime digital needs through one point of contact as well as access to 24/7 support.
Customers can select the combination of digital services they need with the assurance of Singtel’s end-to-end support, from initial provisioning and onboarding, scaling resources on an as-needed basis to resolving any technical or service issues encountered. With more crew members at sea for longer periods, ensuring their well-being is of top priority.
Singtel’s access to high-throughput satellites orbiting the earth means ship owners can provision more bandwidth as and when required, anywhere in the world. Using reliable connectivity, sailors can browse the web, use social media and make voice and video calls to stay connected.
Getting prompt medical attention for serious injuries is vital but many sailors are unable to disembark or receive trained medical professionals onboard due to pandemic measures. Currently, most crew can only call doctors nearer to ports or try to get a hold of one via video conferencing – though ensuring consistent connection without satellites can be challenging.
Smart Operations
By leveraging the latest in maritime Internet-of-Things (IoT) and data analytics, iSHIP enables ship owners and operators to improve operational efficiency and increase productivity while reducing costs, especially in fuel and operational maintenance. With data from sensors and other monitoring devices, ship owners and captains are empowered to optimise routes, workloads, and enhance quality control and quality assurance.
IoT devices also help shipping companies meet the maritime industry’s ambitious goal, set in June last year, to cut carbon intensity of all ships by at least 40% by 2030. For instance, ship captains can plot a more efficient route by using IoT devices to track a plethora of environmental factors from ocean current speeds to headwinds.
The ability to course-correct in real-time means fuel consumption can be reduced by 5% to 13%, translating to millions of tons and dollars in fuel savings, according to industry watchers.
Smart Security
Cyber-attacks are a mounting area of concern for the maritime industry. ISHIP provides advanced protection against malicious attempts and education and assessment courses for ship crew to improve their cyber hygiene thus alleviating potential human errors.
With the launch of iSHIP, Singtel continues leading the industry in providing connectivity support and more for the hundreds of customers and their thousands of vessels sailing the seas at any given time.
