NAVTOR, AWT Pact Heralds in e-Nav Integration

E-navigation pioneer NAVTOR has signed an agreement with maritime weather routing specialist Applied Weather Technology (AWT) that will see the two companies integrating their services to offer the ultimate in route planning and decision making tools. As a result of the deal, AWT's market leading routing and optimisation systems will now be offered on NAVTOR's recently launched NavStation software.

NavStation operates as the world's first "digital chart table," gathering and overlaying all the data maritime navigators require – including ENCs, digital publications, and other services like piracy updates – on a single screen for the very first time. The product is available as standalone software for standard computers and touch devices, or with an optional, OEM developed and supplied 46-inch "gigapad" touch device for use on the bridge.

AWT's Optimization Routing Service will now be offered as a "layer" within NavStation, giving users around-the-clock weather routing information and analysis, with optimal planning capabilities. AWT communicates the latest data from its onshore base in highly compressed, economical formats, minimising communication costs. This gives navigators the freedom to constantly update routes, maximising safety and accurate scheduling, while keeping fuel use and emissions to a minimum.

"This heralds another significant e-navigation breakthrough," comments Tor Svanes, NAVTOR CEO. "AWT leads the market in gathering and analysing meteorological data to provide its customers with optimised route planning, efficient operations and better profit margins, while minimizing the environmental impact of shipping. By integrating their software and expertise into our own products, we can further refine the service we offer to navigators to reach a new e-navigation reality. It's an exciting development, not only for us and AWT, but also for the industry."

Haydn Jones, CEO at AWT, agrees, "NavStation's launch at SMM this year was a watershed moment. Like all the best innovations, it answers a real need in the market and simplifies tasks – freeing navigators from the burden of rushing around the bridge, between different consoles, software and charts to access voyage critical information. Everything is now accessible in one user-friendly interface."

Jones continued, "NAVTOR shares our vision of using technology to provide better products and services, while enhancing shipping standards and performance. It's a young company, but is being driven forward by vastly experienced individuals, and this combination makes it a natural partner for our innovative and ambitious team."

AWT's service will provide subscribing NavStation users with dynamically optimised routes based on the very latest weather and ocean data, while the optimisation feature helps plan the most efficient routes possible to manage voyage costs. The package can be added to the standard NavStation "base layer" – NAVTOR's market proven ENC service – alongside additional, optional layers such as tidal information, iceberg updates and all Admiralty digital products and publications.

The agreement is a landmark deal for the e-navigation segment, with the union of two players who lead the market within their specialist disciplines. NAVTOR provides its products and services to a who's who of shipping businesses – including shipowners controlling over 70% of Norway's renowned offshore fleet – while AWT, now a part of StormGeo, routes more than 50,000 ship voyages per year.