Press Release: Tromsø-based maritime digital platform provider, Dualog, is delighted to announce that The China Navigation Company (CNCo) has partnered with Dualog in the testing phase of the Dualog Drive application. With the completion of this testing, The China Navigation Co. has implemented Dualog® Drive, a maritime-optimised file and folder replication service, designed to simplify the collection and distribution of large data volumes between ship and shore.
Founded in 1872, CNCo is the oldest operating entity and deep shipping arm of the Swire group, a conglomerate with diversified interests. CNCo owns and manages a sizeable deep-sea fleet of multi-purpose, container and bulk vessels and has an extensive network of shipping businesses globally. In 2011 it rolled out Dualog’s class-leading email solution across its entire fleet. As its digital operations have expanded, so has its relationship with Dualog, culminating in this latest decision.
Dualog® Drive provides the ideal solution to the core challenge of how to integrate ships with the shore-based elements of an organisation. As every part of business becomes digitalised, land-based enterprises have turned to cloud solutions to enable secure, company-wide data collection and distribution. But for those whose ‘offices’ are away at sea, connected via costly satellites with limits to their bandwidth rather than superfast fiberoptic cable, that is not the straight-forward solution that it seems. Furthermore, these vessel-based offices will be operating with a mix of systems, IoT devices and users that need to access or share data with head office regularly.
Currently, most shipping companies use email-based systems for data and file sharing, but this becomes a problem with big file sizes. Typically, they rely on being in port so that an agent can take the files back to the office on a USB stick, a time-consuming and costly process. Moreover, expensive and unreliable satellite connections require users to micromanage data transfer volumes to synchronise with other business communications needs. Having transfers halt or fail due to unstable connections is also a challenge.
Featuring maritime-optimised technology that secures data flow even in low-bandwidth situations, Dualog® Drive ensures optimised transfers between sea and shore at the time and place they are needed.
at the China Navigation Company
Gerry Bonner, General Manager Fleet Services, at CNCo, said: “Dualog® Drive has proved to be an efficient means to share information from shore to ship and vice versa for CNCo. Safety documentation was our starting point, and we now use Dualog® Drive to distribute and maintain a repository of SMS documents pertaining to all ships in our fleet. As we investigated the options, other potential uses became apparent. We have used the system for IT software distribution, collection of Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) data for urgent investigations, and to share updates of vessel drawings after revisions. We also want to use Drive to ensure that major Equipment Safety Updates and Technical Circulars, as well as Certificates, are updated across our fleet accordingly. We have also used the system to distribute company circulars and safety notices, and we are considering several other situations where we can provide additional benefit to our Ships Staff by using the Dualog Drive Application.”
in Dualog’s Singapore office
CNCo plans to have Dualog® Drive fully operational across CNCo’s entire fleet before the summer. Andrea Giglietti, Customer Service Manager in Dualog’s Singapore office, said: “Dualog® Drive makes possible digitalisation of many processes that were simply impracticable in the past. And with the possibility to install and roll out to large numbers of vessels in a very short timescale, implementation causes minimal disruption.”
