10 January 2017

Dutch ship owner De Poli Tankers BV has extended its contract with Marlink, securing high-bandwidth global communication using the Sealink Plus service for its fleet of eight chemical tankers and two gas tankers. De Poli Tankers' in-house ITC company, Maritime Performances BV, chose to retain the Sealink Plus service for the future as it combines high-bandwidth VSAT with unlimited L-band back-up in a single easy to manage bundle.

De Poli Tankers first migrated to Marlink VSAT from L-band only communications in 2013, leveraging the increased bandwidth and cost management benefits to improve fleet and business operations while offering more availability and quality for its crew communication facilities. Sealink Plus is delivered through 1 metre Ku-band antennas and the latest modem technology, while Marlink’s state-of-the-art XChange centralised IT and communications management system provides simplified administration including managing time slots for crew usage.

Supporting De Poli Tankers to manage its fleet more effectively, Maritime Performances has also deployed Marlink’s SkyFile Mail solution including SkyFile ENOAD, which provides an efficient way to enable users to comply with the latest US Coast Guard regulations. With SkyFile ENOAD, Notice of Arrival and Departure (NOAD) forms can be completed electronically and delivered all within the SkyFile ecosystem, ensuring timely reporting and reducing the risk of errors.

“By providing a stable, fast IP connection globally, Sealink has become vital to supporting operations across the De Poli Tankers fleet as we focus on delivering optimisation through digital processes,” said Ardi vd Wagt, IT specialist at Maritime Performances BV. “Renewing our contract with Marlink was a natural step, as it ensures we can continue to experience a highly available VSAT service, with fully integrated, unlimited L-band back up communications all under a single fixed cost contract.”

“De Poli Tankers’ move to VSAT in 2013 is typical of many of our customers, in that they very quickly noticed that fast, fixed monthly cost global connectivity can have a very positive effect on fleet operations,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “We’re delighted that Maritime Performances chose to stay with Marlink and are looking forward to supporting their work for De Poli in leveraging the power of maritime digitalisation to introduce even more operational efficiencies across the fleet.”