Page 48: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q2 2016)

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TECHNOLOGY

On the future of class: “I believe it is going to change.

One of the things that we cannot forget is our core – our core is about safety. Offshore structures, struc- tural integrity – that is something we can never forget.

But the future is changing. Look at drones. Could you have a conversation with anybody even ? ve years ago about drones, and how drones could impact inspec- tion survey? No. Are we working on it? Absolutely.” – Howard Fireman, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Of? cer writes code at Nautical Systems, it’s aligned to their experts More than Technology and, theoretically, the linkage is back to the clients, more im- ABS NS is focused on delivering a complete, fully integrat- portantly, who de? ne the requirements. ed solution for end-to-end ? eet management focusing on three

Today’s ABS team is not your Grandfather’s classi? cation key areas: Asset Management, Compliance Management and society. The Asset Integrity Team has surveyors on it; the Workforce Management. To that end, says Fireman, “I’m now

Operational Environmental Performance team chief engineer at the point where I have the organization in place to reach, is today a former Captain who has earned his PhD in Naval start implementing our strategy and accelerate our pace of

Architecture. Fireman insists, “It is a totally different blend development.” Underscoring that pace of development, ABS of people to help provide us that subject matter expertise so has actually ? led an application for a trademark for the ABS when NS is moving forward, it’s based upon sound principle. Future Class initiative. The same has been done with the ABS

And as president, one of the things I do in our user confer- cyber safety standards.

ence is to bring those things out to our clients so they can see Looking ahead, ABS intends to use its clients to aid them things before I’ve locked them down, make sure my roadmap in developing mobile apps, the ? rst of which Fireman says is where they think the product should go because they oper- will be rolled out this year. That ‘app’ will involve purchas- ate everything. I operate nothing.” ing; a mobile application for senior staff to utilize when they 48 Maritime Professional 2Q 2016I I 34-49 Q2 MP2016.indd 48 5/19/2016 11:40:45 AM