Transforming Life Onboard with Technological Innovation
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SINGTEL SATELLITE - WHITEPAPER
Crew Welfare
Rewriting the Future of Crew Welfare:
Transforming Life Onboard
with Technological Innovation
that Enrich LivesRewriting the Future of Crew Welfare: While 2010 saw the world economy turning the corner from the
Transforming Life Onboard with global financial crisis, it also saw hostage-taking at sea rising
Technological Innovation that Enrich Lives to alarming levels.
According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Global Piracy Report,
pirates captured 1,181 seafarers and killed eight, taken from
the 53 ships hijacked in 20107. The Baltic and International
Maritime Council’s (BIMCO) The Economic Cost of Piracy
Mr Foh Cheong LEE
document also revealed that as of end 2010, around 500
Director
seafarers from more than 18 countries were being held
(Satellite Engineering and Solutioning)
hostage by pirates8. To focus the world’s attention on this rising
SingTel Satellite
rampage, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has
Singapore Telecommunications Limited
designated “Antipiracy” as its theme for 2011.
As the shipping industry recovers from the 2009 slump1, When one considers these horrors and the lonely months
global crew shortage continues to wield an alarming impact seafarers are away from their families and friends, it is easy
on world trade. This paper discusses how maritime companies to understand why the maritime industry is struggling with
can improve crew welfare with recent technology innovations recruiting and retaining talented and qualified maritime
that have demolished traditional cost barriers. Solutions such professionals.
as SingTel’s BigValue Maritime Broadband, developed and
co-funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, has The global crew shortage is also exerting other pressures on
made maritime broadband more affordable and accessible. maritime companies, including raising the alarms on safety
Pioneering ship owners can enhance crew retention and standards. The Seafarer’s International Research Centre’s
increase operational efficiencies when they embrace today’s (SIRC) latest survey revealed that 80 percent of errors occurred
latest maritime technology developments, designed to enrich onboard are attributed to overworked seafarers who are tired
life at sea - from entertainment, connectivity with family and or stressed9. The message is clear: it is time for maritime
friends, to personal mobile communication. companies to pay more attention on crew welfare.
Technology Has a Role to Play
In the face of these challenges, technology can play a part in
Introduction helping maritime companies do more for their crew.
Images of the high seas often makes one think of either tanker Recent advances in satellite communication technologies
or cargo ships transporting their goods around the world or have made broadband communication at sea a reality. As a
well-to-do holiday makers cruising the open oceans in luxury result, shipboard Info-Communication Technology (ICT) is fast-
liners. Rarely do we think of the crew who work tirelessly becoming a “must-have”, rather than a “nice-to-have”.
behind the scenes, to ensure the smooth operation of these
vessels. This is especially true when it comes to attracting today’s more
sophisticated Generation Z job-seekers, who grew up in the
With more than 90 percent of world trade transported by Internet Age, to consider seafaring as a career.
sea, 1.5 million seafarers ply the oceans on 500 cruise liners
and 85,000 cargo ships today. The global crewing crisis, with
alarming personnel gap at senior levels, heightens the critical The Seafarers’ Wish-List
role played by seafarers.
When considering the adoption of satellite broadband ICT
A latest report by The Nippon Foundation and the Japan onboard, maritime companies need to be mindful of what
International Transport Institute (JITI) estimates that by 2020, today’s seafarers really want, which is: Life at sea, just like that
the maritime industry will face a shortage of 32,153 officers on land.
and 46,881 ratings3 above current figures to meet the growing
needs of the maritime transport industry. According to JITI In today’s digitally sophisticated world, this translates to a
President Makoto Washizu, who presented these figures at request for capabilities to:
an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) seminar in May
2010, “Currently, too few young people are joining the industry • Remain connected with family and friends via email, surf
and too many existing seafarers are seeking shore-based jobs and chat.
early in their careers4.” • Enjoy a more enriched life at sea via news, entertainment
etc.
To put this into perspective, one only needs to consider the
9,000 vessels currently on order, with average deliveries of
2,5005 vessels annually. According to Sharafuddin Sharaf, A New Era of Possibilities with Shipboard
Chaiman of UAE Shipowners’ Association, “… It takes eight or ICT Today
nine years to produce a well-trained captain while a new ship
can be designed and delivered in less than 2 years6.” Indeed, The good news is, all these are now possible with today’s
the worldwide crew shortage, if uncurbed, may see vessels advanced satellite communications technology – which lowers
confined to ports – thus wielding an alarming impact on world communication costs, one of the key concerns of maritime
trade. companies.Through the years, besides having to pay prohibitively high with one stone by addressing the increasing personnel gap at
per-minute costs for ship-shore telephone calls, maritime the senior levels.
companies had been grappling with the dilemma of whether
to allow their crew to use the ships main communications
systems for personal telephone calls and emails. Technology Highlight:
Rationale and Challenges
For maritime companies that continue to struggle with these
issues, the burden of recruiting and retaining seafarers places As most ships have an existing TVRO, Inmarsat for voice and
increasing pressures on them to invest in technologies that symmetrical data, SingTel’s hybrid model provides Internet
will make it easier for their crew to call home and remain access to complete the triple play, offering maritime companies
connected. affordable access to maritime broadband. The SingTel solution
takes advantage of the asymmetrical demands of most Internet
There are a variety of technologies available today that can applications to enable high-speed Internet for operational and
help to reduce communication, equipment and implementation crew use.
costs, thus making maritime broadband more affordable to
maritime companies. While designing the solution, there were two challenges that
SingTel engineers needed to overcome. One was the routing
issues due to the different peering networks (eg. between
Leveraging Existing Satellite Infrastructure Inmarsat and service provider’s network), Transmission
Intelligently Control Protocol (TCP) enhancement, data compression
techniques and data buffering techniques while activating the
One example is SingTel’s BigValue Maritime Broadband, which Inmarsat link.
utilizes a vessel’s existing TVRO (television antenna) to reduce
capital outlay. Secondly, they also investigated how to optimize and maintain
reasonable connectivity “at all times”, while balancing the
A development project co-funded by the Maritime and Port voice quality, TCP connection and low throughput over the
Authority of Singapore (MPA), this innovation extends savings Inmarsat link.
of up to US$100,000 from the initial setup costs. Without
the need to install additional broadband antenna, BigValue
Maritime Broadband enables ship owners to get broadband up All-in-One Crew Services at Sea
and running quickly, while optimising their precious real estate
onboard. To further lower communication costs at sea, maritime
companies can consider the SingTel All-In-One Crew Kiosk
BigValue Maritime Broadband delivers cost-efficient, high- solution that provides Unified Communications (UC) capabilities
speed 2Mbps broadband to ships, making bandwidth- intensive by integrating voice, data and mail on a single platform.
applications possible. These range from:
Made available via a strategic relationship between SingTel
• Crew Entertainment applications such as WebTV and and our technology partner, the key in this bandwidth-efficient
Karaoke-On-Demand; offering lies in the ultra-low bit rate codec of its SmartPacket™
compression technology.
• Crew Training and Education applications such as Distance
Learning, Certification and Upgrading;
Technology Highlight:
• Community Connectivity applications ranging from social SmartPacket™ Technology
networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, to economical
VoIP voice solutions, interactive games and more. Available as an optimised plug-and-play configuration, the
solution includes both hardware and software components.
Enriching Life At Sea Its Multi VoIP unit is connected to an Ethernet LAN that provides
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) IP addressing.
Internet access and the availability of these bandwidth- It supports up to eight standard analogue phone ports for
intensive applications make a fundamental difference in simultaneous voice connections over standard IP networks.
enriching life at sea and improving crew welfare. The desktop client software provides the latest VoIP codec and
IP technology, on a secure Windows environment.
Sending emails, downloading music videos on YouTube, reading
about the latest breaking news from online sites and most Utilizing the SmartPacket™ technology’s ultra-low bit rate codec
importantly, the ability to wish one’s kid “Happy Birthday!” via running at• Full-featured IP softphone and optimised two-way voicemail SingTel: A Single Provider Approach
• “Follow-me” user extension, enabling crew to have a single
email account, even when moving from one vessel to the One way to overcome these barriers, is to partner a single
next. provider like SingTel, who has the expertise and track record to
provide end-to-end integration of the ICT value-chain — from
With a pre-paid voucher system, pre-paid and post-paid infrastructure, platform to support services.
PIN protection, and a built-in usage monitor, crew are kept
informed of the amount they are spending – while enjoying As the only multi-platform provider in Asia, SingTel can
secured communication with their loved ones and friends. provide a total solution approach, helping maritime companies
streamline the entire process, from infrastructure design,
Peace-of-mind with Surveillance and Tracking Technologies platform integration to support services.
In view of the current piracy hazards, maritime companies can
leverage satellite broadband ICT technology to fortify the safety Downtime at sea is a major woe for the maritime business, as
of its crew, and subsequently, the security of its vessels and this may mean incurring hundreds of thousands of unplanned
the goods being transported. costs in docking fees and compensation. However, due to the
complex nature of the many silo or proprietary technologies
Solutions such as the SingTel e-Surveillance and Asset onboard, many maritime companies often find themselves
Tracking solutions can help to ensure peace of mind for stuck in ports due to technical problems that are taking a
maritime companies. longer than expected time to reach resolution.
The SingTel Remote Diagnostics Solution frees up captains and
Technology Highlight: fleet managers from the complexities of resolving problems
e-Surveillance and Asset Tracking with onboard infrastructure.
The SingTel e-Surveillance solution helps maritime companies Designed as a single console that can be easily integrated
‘see’ their vessels – a must in enabling quicker response into one’s shipdeck equipment, the solution optimises deck
during emergencies. It also provides maritime companies with space while reducing problem resolution time. Based on
information regarding the status of the cargoes and the ability SingTel’s knowledge base, common problem areas faced by
to take pre-emptive action during pirate intrusions. vessels, including line of sight, footprint, communication
components etc. have been identified. The flexible console
An IP-based maritime surveillance solution, it allows shipping is then pre-programmed with parameters that are unique
companies to remotely monitor the vessels’ operations at their to each maritime company’s requirements. The solution has
land offices through the Internet or 3G-enabled mobile phones. been proven to reduce problem determination from one week
to several hours by easing the communication between crew
Asset Tracking is another way maritime companies can enjoy and SingTel support.
peace-of-mind – knowing that their crew and valuable cargoes
are safe. Available via SingTel’s collaborative partnership Partnering an experienced vendor like SingTel, who has more
with GlobalStar INC, the AITrac Asset Tracking solution than 35 years of maritime communications experience and
helps maritime companies track their assets, by providing an installed base of more than 20,000 ships, also streamlines
notification when the assets are outside the coverage area processes with a single support ticket, thus enabling faster
via geo fencing alarms. Its innovative battery design allows and more holistic problem resolution.
maritime companies to place the asset tracker on most moving
objects, including valuable assets. As a satellite operator, LESO of Inmarsat, telecommunication
and service provider of multiplatforms across L, C or Ku bands
Real-time tracking is enabled using motion detection, geo for global and regional needs, SingTel offers the advantage of
fencing, and GPS location-fix technologies, which provide a one-stop satellite ICT communications provider.
notification at preset intervals on the exact location of the
assets being tracked. With no need for external power or TORM Shipping, one of the leading product tanker companies in
antenna, maritime companies need not worry about incurring the world, shares their SingTel experience, when the company
additional two-way communications costs. opted for SingTel’s GMVSAT service, which offers “always-on”
unlimited broadband connectivity in 2009.
Barriers to Adoption we have experienced
first-hand, the tremendous
Indeed, investments in satellite broadband ICT involves
commitment – not just in the initial financial outlay, but also in enhancements brought
the resources required to maintain these new solutions or IT about by SingTel’s award-winning
systems onboard. This is perhaps the key barrier to adoption, maritime technology solution. It
faced by many maritime companies who often do not have the has brought our vessels “closer
luxury of having full-time IT staff onboard. to shore” and enabled our crew to
stay in touch with their loved ones
As such, the responsibility is often assumed by either the
Captain or the Fleet Manager, which further strains their Mikkjal Poulsen,
resources and stress levels. Not forgetting - the lack of General Manager,
qualified skillsets to manage these new technologies and the TORM Singapore Pte Ltd
complexities of managing silo or proprietary solutions provided
by multiple vendors. It is thus easy to understand why some TORM saw how their satellite broadband ICT investments had
maritime companies are still hesitant to explore the world of an impact on their crew satisfaction. Mr Poulsen said, ”While
satellite broadband.we were in the midst of implementing SingTel’s ‘”always-on” system of enterprise and social networking applications that
unlimited broadband across our entire fleet, we experienced a will enhance not just crew welfare, but also help maritime
number of request from our officers and crew, who prioritize companies increase their operational efficiencies.
to work on the broadband-enabled ships. Torm has reached
a critical mass with nearly 45 vessels implemented within With features such as Deal-of-the-Month promotions that
2 years, originally planned across 5 years for our 100 ships.” can be ‘pushed’ to the crew at sea and plans to roll-out a
mobile-friendly version which allows portal access via HTML5
browsers on mobile devices - life at sea will never be the same
Looking Ahead again.
SingTel has developed a Crew Portal to link the maritime
community of crew and companies. Providing a single point Conclusion
of access to news updates, sports, shopping and weather, the
web portal is a one-stop platform where crew can read the The global crew shortage plagues all in the maritime world.
news, monitor their stock status, check their emails, Facebook Maritime companies who want to recruit qualified crew and
and Twitter updates, and even catch up on company news – all enrich life at sea – can start by making timely decisions to
with a single, secured login. seize the possibilities offered by today’s maritime satellite
broadband technologies
Besides empowering crew to interact and share with their
friends and loved ones, the SingTel Crew Portal also enables As the maritime world transitions from traditional technologies
interaction amongst the maritime companies, their crew and into the world of IP, maritime companies can expect to gain
the maritime community at large. other benefits, including enhanced operational efficiencies
and increased business competitiveness – as they tackle the
Going beyond crew welfare, SingTel also envisions the portal to roaring waves of piracy and opportunities presented by the
be an enterprise applications platform for maritime companies. fast-growing Asian markets.
Working closely with developers, SingTel plans to build an eco-
Figures and Tables
References
1. IHS Global Insight. 27 April 2010 “IHS Global Insight 4. Ibid.
Forecasts Steady Recovery for Global Shipping” 5. Emirates Business 24/7. 2 June 2008 “Crew shortage
2. International Maritime Organization. December 2009 threatens shipping industry.”
“A Message to the world’s seafarers” 6. Ibid.
3. The Nippon Foundation and the Japan International 7. International Chamber of Commerce and the International
Transport Institute. Maritime Bureau. January 2011. Global piracy report.
2010. “A study on the future global supply and demand for 8. Baltic and International Maritime Council. 2011.
seafarers and possible measures to facilitate stakeholders “The Economic Cost of Piracy.”
to secure a quantity of quality seafarers.” 9. The Digital Ship. “Keeping in touch with home”About SingTel
SingTel is Asia’s leading communications group providing a portfolio of services including voice and data solutions over fixed, wireless and
Internet platforms as well as infocomm technology and pay TV. The Group has presence in Asia and Africa reaching more than 351 million
mobile customers in 25 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. It also has a network of 36
offices in 19 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States.
About SingTel Satellite
SingTel Satellite offers both fixed and mobile satellite solutions to meet customers varied remote/wireless communications needs. Our
solutions enable businesses in the maritime and enterprise sectors to stay connected through voice, data, fax, e-mail, Intranet/LAN
extension and internet access in remote regions where communications infrastructure is inadequate or non-existent.
We are also able to tap into and combine the knowledge, expertise and skills within the whole company to deliver an optimal end-to-end
communications package. Thus Creating Value Optimising Communications for our customers.
Ministry of Transport (MOT) Most Potential Partner for Data Services
Minister’s Innovation Award 2010 China Telecom Partner Award
Distinguished Award
Best Service Portfolio
World Teleport Association 2009 MEF Carrier Ethernet Service Provider of the Year for
Top Teleport Operators of 2010 Asia Pacific
The Global Top 20
International Service Provider of the Year
Technical Innovation Award for Maritime Broadband Australia Telecom Awards 2009
Seatrade Asia Awards 2010
Best Mobile Operator – Optus
Best Data & Telecoms Service Provider Australia Telecom Awards 2009
Computerworld Hong Kong Awards 2010 - 1st Runner Up
Best Data Centre and Hosting Services
Managed Service Provider of the Year ComputerWorld Singapore 2009 Annual Readers’ Choice
Frost & Sullivan - Asia Pacific ICT Award Awards
Technology Partner of the Year 2009 Best Managed Connectivity Services
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc ComputerWorld Singapore 2009 Annual Readers’ Choice
Awards
Innovation Award for Maritime Broadband
Lloyds’ List Asia Awards 2009 Telecommunication Services
ComputerWorld Singapore Customer Care Awards 2009
Ministry of Transport (MOT)
Minister’s Innovation Awards 2009 – Merit Maritime Broadband Communications
Asia Pacific Frost & Sullivan Technology Leadership Awards
World Fastest Growing Teleport of the year 2008
World Teleport Associations’ 2009 Corporate Operator –
Finalist Technical Innovation Maritime Broadband
SeaTrade Asia Awards 2008
DataCentre Services, Singapore
2009 Singapore Frost & Sullivan market Leadership Winning Technology Solution Provider - Maritime Broad-
band
Best Managed Services Network World Asia IT Star Awards 2008
Network World Asia Readers’ Choice Awards
Technical Innovation Award for Maritime Broadband
Great Global Partner Lloyds’ List Asia Awards 2008
China Unicom International partners’ Meeting Award
For More Information
SingTel Satellite Customer Service (24hrs)
Tel: +1800 416 9333 (Singapore)
+65 6416 9333 (International)
Fax: +65 6483 4140
Email: satellite@singtel.com
Website: www.singtel.com/satellite
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