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minimum requirements will also probably be checked for instance during port state control inspections.

Most manufacturers today have their equipment approved in Europe (EU),

USA. China and some in Japan.

Russia and Korea.

Training

Make sure that you have thought about how your deck officers will be trained. I do believe that even if AIS is not part of the collision regulations other than "by all means" it would be devastating in case of an accident not to have your crew trained on the AIS.

Further there will also be a stronger requirement and enforcement for the ships to comply with the existing rules in a correct way. Currently training can be made through some marine universities as well as from

Computer Based Training programs available on the market.

The selected provider should be contractually committed and his equipment tested before the installa- tion process can begin. The installa- tion should then be monitored and documented before final approval and payment. This means all the installations should be fully approved, inspected, classified and documented taking into considera- tion both internal and external proce- dures.

I know that the cost for many of the initially installed AIS systems turned out to be more expensive than antici- pated by the owner. But now we are facing a new category of ships with different owner groups in most cases as well as the fact that the ongoing international efforts to improve and correct the AIS standards needs to be considered. Getting help in procuring your AIS system is an investment well worth the money and would in most cases not even reach the cost for a single installation. But it is a good insurance for getting it right from the start.

The preceding was authored by

Anders Bergstrom, a consultant at

True Heading AB, a leading consult- ing company that provides the high- est excellence and performance in the field of telematics and transpon- der technology. For more informa- tion on the services of the organiza- tion, visit www.trueheading.se.

Marine Communications

CapRock Selects Intelsat

Intelsat signed a new long term contract for capacity on the IA-6 satellite with CapRock Communications, a leading satellite communications service provider focused on remote industrial markets — including oil- field, construction, maritime, mining, and disaster relief. Said Mark Rasmussen, Intelsat's Regional Vice

President, North America Sales. "As an industry-leading provider of advanced corporate networks,

CapRock brings an outstanding portfolio of services to the exploration and production industry and it's our role to help them make that happen." Circle 16 on Reader Service Card

Petrocom: Wireless Industry Must "Partner or Perish"

PetroCom hosted a discussion on the "Wireless Ecosystem" at the 2004 Offshore Communications

Conference in Houston. Joining a panel of experts from Ericsson, Siemens, Air2Web, Sony Ericsson,

Panasonic and Opto 22, the group discussed the concept of the "Wireless Ecosystem," which can be characterized as a partnering of companies that represents different elements of the wireless market.

From the user, to the device, to the application, to the network, a movement toward partnering to pro- vide solutions for customers is seen as critical. "The wireless industry is changing and is struggling to transition from a mature voice market to a nascent data market," says Ken Wright, PetroCom's Vice

President of Engineering and Operations. "In order for industry leaders to stay current with this trend, they either partner or perish." Circle 17 on Reader Service Card

Saipem Upgrades Oil & Gas Communications

Intelsat was chosen by Telespazio to provide oil and gas industry contractor Saipem with voice and data services to support its worldwide on-shore and off-shore construction, drilling and deep water operations.

Each of the 16 vessels will be equipped with a 2.4 meter C-band maritime antenna to communicate with

Intelsat's satellite system. This network is integrated into Saipem's global terrestrial network which is managed by Albacom, a telecom provider. Circle 18 on Reader Service Card

MTN Expands Relationship with Intelsat

Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN) and Intelsat signed a five-year contract under which Intelsat will provide MTN with additional capacity to expand the range of satellite-based services MTN provides to its maritime customers, including the world's largest cruise lines. The added capacity will enable MTN to offer a comprehensive suite of on-board services such as automated teller machine (ATM) transactions, daily delivery of up to 150 newspapers, high-speed Internet access and cellular telephone services to passengers and crew members sailing in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Mediterranean.

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October 2004 27