Following its 10.000th Fleet Xpress ship installation, Inmarsat stated that maritime digitalization and digital applications are rapidly growing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, the mobile satellite communications company noted that COVID-19 has brought a major spike in data demand for crew connectivity.
According to Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime:
“Maritime digitalisation is now unstoppable. The market is becoming mature enough to support its own digital ecosystem with separate bandwidth channels for crew, applications and operations.”
In addition, Inmarsat launched a new “Fleet Data Academy” along with partners and shipowners, in an effort to completely understand the benefits of digitalisation provided by a fast-growing ecosystem of applications.
“With 10,000 vessels worldwide now depending on Fleet Xpress 24/7, this is a moment to express our thanks to our end-users and our technology, installation, manufacturing and channel partners, and to reflect on 2020 as the tipping point for maritime digitalisation. That is why we have launched our new ‘Fleet Data Academy’ in order to work together with partners and end-users to realise the full benefits of digitalisation.”
…says Spithout.
In light of the above, Inmarsat will also launch a series of incentives over the coming weeks to celebrate the significant milestone.
Concluding, the arrival of Fleet Data as maritime’s first secure and scalable Internet of Things platform has also been pivotal. Specifically, using cloud-based data storage and interfacing easily with decision-making software, this has moved Fleet Xpress to a ‘2.0’ solution.
“This delivers fully on the promise of smart shipping, fully-scalable for vessel operators, making maritime accessible for start-up application providers just as it is for established corporates”.
…as Spithout concluded.
