While the voting procedure for the 2019 SMART4SEA Awards is open, Matthew Galston, Sr. Director, Product Management, Maritime, Cobham SATCOM, explains how his company’s systems increase digital performance across operators’ fleet for which Cobham SATCOM has been shortlisted in the ‘Connectivity’ category alongside other distinguished nominees. Maritime industry will enhance safety and sustainability if it becomes more connected and better informed by data, Mr Galston argues, highlighting the importance of increased connectivity onboard. Among others, the quality of a ship’s connectivity impacts the wellness on board; it helps the physical and mental health of crew by providing access to medical professionals through Telemedicine services.
SAFETY4SEA: Your organization has been shortlisted for the 2018 SMART4SEA Awards in the ‘Connectivity’ category alongside a number of other distinguished nominees. What would you like to share with industry’s stakeholders with respect to this development?
Mathew Galston: SAILOR 100 GX High Power and the SAILOR GX Antenna Diversity System bring more performance and a more resilient link to the Global Xpress satellites. These solutions extend the utility and increase bandwidth potential on Inmarsat Fleet Xpress, giving our global network of service provider partners a platform to offer even higher service level agreements, helping maritime end-users to get the most from digital applications across their fleet and business. While our Global Xpress solutions are highlighted for the award, Cobham SATCOM is however, a service-agnostic company. We are a digital enabler for the maritime industry, with a state-of-the-art but proven antenna portfolio covering practically all available satellite services and frequencies, as well as radio comms. Any frequency. Any network. Any Orbit. From this foundation and through our partnerships with service providers we bring satcom to the sea, not just as an antenna + service but a complete solution that delivers on the diverse needs of ship owners and operators in very different maritime segments.
S4S: When it comes to tackling the smart challenges around the shipping sector, what are the core priorities on your agenda?
M.G.: In a recent global shipping industry study commissioned by Cobham SATCOM, 61% of survey respondents replied that they are either likely or highly likely to be investing in satcom in the coming years. This shows that a majority are already convinced that digitalisation is the way forward, meaning that the maritime industry will only become more connected, better informed by data, and ultimately, safer, more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This can only happen when the satcom industry begins to take notice of the communications business model used by enterprise providers on land. Ship owners, managers and crew don’t place emphasis on the technology, they just need a solution that gives them access to digital solutions to run their vessels and fleets smarter. At Cobham SATCOM it is our goal to achieve this, to simplify and transform the current status quo and enable delivery of fast, secure and resilient connectivity that just works anywhere.
S4S: How does greater connectivity change life onboard? What is your advice to industry stakeholders to improve seafarer wellness and safety?
M.G.: The better the crew welfare facilities you implement, the longer the best people will stay with you. Staff turnover is costly so can be part of the equation when deciding levels of investment in satcom. If you invest less on lower-end services and technology and give crews a basic or patchy service, meaning they can’t reliably stay in touch with their friends and family, they will be more likely to look for opportunities elsewhere incurring additional costs. But invest in a future-proof and integrated multi-band solution which delivers always available and easy to manage connectivity globally, and crew satisfaction and hence productivity will be higher. Satcom supports mental welfare but can also help the physical health of crew by providing access to medical professionals through Telemedicine services, as well as safety by enabling more on board training. Ultimately, the quality of a ship’s connectivity impacts the wellness and safety of all on board, which extends the conversation outside of solely the IT department and into the procurement office and even the C-Suite.
S4S: Do you have any new projects on the pipeline and/or plans that you would like to share with the rest of the industry?
M.G.: As shown through the development of SAILOR 100 GX High Power and the SAILOR GX Antenna Diversity System, our portfolio is always expanding. We are committed delivering solutions as a gateway to digitalisation and continue to develop new technology as part of this.
S4S: What is your key message to the industry for enhancing safety onboard and ashore in the smart era?
M.G.: Smart technology is an investment, not a cost. Applied effectively it will engender improvements across the board including in safety, but only if the digital applications deployed on vessels and fleets are available at all times. Which makes continuous, global and high bandwidth satellite connectivity integral to smart shipping. As a key enabler of satcom services, Cobham SATCOM focuses on creating technology with the lowest lifecycle coststhat simply just work, allowing shipowners to focus on growing their own business without having to worry about anything else. The result is a portfolio of satcom and radio, safety and tracking solutions that reduce OPEX through more reliability even in the most extreme conditions, but also through innovative software control that expands remote access possibilities for service and troubleshooting. Cobham SATCOM antennas deliver more continuous service, while reducing the need for, and cost of, human intervention throughout their lifecycle. Likewise, since the launch of SAILOR 900 VSAT in 2011, we have been at the forefront of simplifying the whole satcom value chain across the procurement, delivery and installation cycle and for the entire service life of our products, making it easier, and less costly to migrate from L-band services to Ku- and Ka-band. Our approach as a service delivery provider as opposed to a more traditional hardware and product manufacturer will support at least 30,000 potential upgrades to VSAT in the short term. Solutions like the SAILOR 900 VSAT High Power and GX ADS are essential to enabling smart shipping for more vessels quicker.
You may cast your vote for Cobham SATCOM at 2019 SMART4SEA Awards dedicated webpage till 21st of December 2018!
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
