Dubai-based Topaz Energy and Marine has signed an agreement with Orange Business Services for a Maritime Connect solution that connects its fleet at sea and supports the corporate network. Topaz is a leading offshore support vessel company for the global energy industry. The Orange integrated communications platform increases the efficiency of the fleet, lowers cost and improves the onboard experience for crew.
Under a three-year agreement Orange is initially connecting 39 vessels from the Topaz fleet, and by the end of 2018, Orange will roll out Maritime Connect across the entire fleet of more than 110 vessels.
The Orange Maritime Connect platform incorporates multiple connections including VSAT, L-Band terminals, 3G/4G and Wi-Fi. It routes traffic depending on the availability of the link and with the appropriate quality of service. This allows Topaz to integrate its fleet into the corporate network as “offices at sea” and rollout business-critical applications.
A key application for Topaz is fleet management, which manages ships at sea and provides invaluable business intelligence. This includes dashboards that can detect vessels deviating from the average standard in terms of fuel consumption, speed or maintenance issues, for example.
Maritime Connect also delivers innovative maritime bandwidth management and optimization features. It manages voice, video and data in limited bandwidth and challenging weather conditions and prevents cyberattacks thanks to an integrated suite of security features.
Orange is uniquely able to support maritime digital transformation by combining many different technologies and networks – both onshore and offshore – with end-to-end integration and in-house satellite connectivity. Shipping companies, IT managers, captains and the crew can control access to data and voice services on board vessels or remotely from the shore.
Luc Serviant, vice president, Middle East and Africa at Orange Business Services, commented: “Today Orange is working across all sectors to help enterprises to respond to the demands of digital transformation. Historically in the maritime sector, limited connectivity and the need for multiple communications providers has meant the exclusion of fleets from the centralized business processes, ultimately resulting in reduced productivity. With Maritime Connect, Topaz can integrate its ships with the shore and is able to transform them into branch offices at sea.”
René Kofod-Olsen, Chief Executive Officer, Topaz commented: ”The maritime industry is undergoing its own digital transformation, from digital ports to vessel management. We operate in a unique context spanning ship to shore operations, with the majority of our people based offshore. By enhancing the communications capabilities of our vessels, we are able to synchronize and manage our integrated business operations more effectively and ensure our crew can easily access the internet for all their business communication needs, as well as connecting them to family and friends and transforming the onboard experience.”