Products & services

Emerging Markets Communications to acquire MTN

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 29 April 2015 29 April 2015

Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire MTN Communications (MTN), a leading provider of communications and content for remote locations around the world. The combined entities bring together the most talented and experienced professionals in the remote communications industry, servicing land and maritime-based customers, with a transformative suite of network products and services for businesses and people, connecting in hard to reach places or on the move.

The acquisition will benefit the organizations’ combined 1,600 vessels and more than 8,000 land-based customer sites in the most hard to reach places on all continents and in every ocean. Customers will represent multiple verticals, including maritime, energy, cruise lines and ferries, yachts, non-governmental organizations, telecommunications providers, global enterprises and governments.

The combined entity will be one of the largest independent providers of satellite connectivity services for both land-based sites and maritime vessels, worldwide. The company will also be the largest provider of connectivity services, in some of the most strategic verticals within the satellite industry, backed by ABRY Partners, a private equity firm specializing in funding some of the most successful communications companies in North America, with more than $42 billion of completed transactions.

“Our vision is to create the next generation mobility platform offering the most reliable, secure and cost-effective connectivity solutions for people and businesses on-the-move -- and in far reaching places -- on land and at sea - and the acquisition of MTN makes this vision a reality,” said Abel Avellan, founder and CEO of EMC.‎

“We are bringing together two global communications leaders to meet customers’ unprecedented requirements for land-like connectivity, content and voice services in the world’s furthest reaching corners,” said Mark Walter, president and chief operating officer, MTN. “Our combined talent, networks and product set will deliver capabilities and scalability no other provider can offer.”

“Since our customers ask for greater speeds and exponentially higher throughput every year, combining into one entity enhances our ability to bring invaluable solutions, with the highest levels of service, for business and mission-critical operations globally,” said Errol Olivier, executive vice chairman, MTN. “We are excited about the enhanced scale and global resources we will bring in our mission to exceed customer demands.”

EMC and MTN have proven track records of delivering a broad range of transformative communications solutions. They bring faster, more efficient Internet, content and cellular services - including voice, text and 3G Internet access - for business, personal and critical missions. The acquisition will leverage patented and patent-pending solutions, including optimization, cloud computing and hybrid networks. This complementary acquisition will expand global footprints, service centers and teleports, and invaluable products.

“By integrating EMC and MTN, we will put together all of the key building blocks to create the most complete, globally-scalable mobility platform, along with unique services, truly different from any provider in the market,” said Avellan.

EMC’s global infrastructure and value-added services

EMC’s global infrastructure features 52 field support centers, three wholly-owned teleports, and global satellite capacity available in C-Band, Ku-Band and Ka-Band, enabling fast installations and response times for customers worldwide. The company’s value-added services leverage patented technology and have transformed the industry with products such as SpeedNet, a cloud-based browser providing a faster Internet experience over satellite.

MTN solutions transform customers’ ability to lead their markets, deliver quality services to their own customers, maximize onboard revenue and operate more efficiently. MTN provides end-user solutions such as Internet connectivity, voice services, live global TV and mobile apps. Enterprise solutions include crew welfare tools, Web portals and video conferencing. MTN also delivers a technical toolkit to customers for management of their own networks and optimization of their bandwidth. Agnostic when it comes to product, satellite frequency and architecture, MTN integrates the most ideal, robust solutions to meet skyrocketing demands

The agreement is subject to regulatory review and other customary conditions, and is expected to close by second quarter of 2015.

KONE to supply elevators and escalators for MSC Meraviglia

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 29 April 2015 29 April 2015

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has been awarded a contract by STX France to equip MSC Meraviglia, a new-generation MSC Vista class cruise ship.

KONE will supply the ship with altogether 39 elevators and escalators. Built in the Saint Nazaire yards in France, the 167 000 gross ton ship will be 315m long and 43m wide carrying 5,700 passengers and 1,500 crew members. The entertainment offer on board will boast a panoramic lounge for shows, an amusement park, an aquapark as well as a two-deck inside promenade. MSC Meraviglia will be water emission free, and the hull and propulsion system will be optimized for better energy efficiency. The new flagship of MSC is due to be completed in 2017.

KONE's people flow solutions for MSC Meraviglia will include 17 KONE MiniSpace passenger elevators, two KONE MiniSpace scenic elevators, 13 KONE MonoSpace service elevators, four escalators, two KONE Motala 2000 platforms for people with limited mobility and a dumbwaiter. Other KONE solutions will include KONE E-Link monitoring system for improved serviceability and maximized eco-efficiency. High-end design features of the elevators will include Italian marble flooring.

"KONE is proud to be associated with the development of this new-generation and environmentally friendly cruise vessel and to continue our partnership with STX France," says Ari Winter, Head of Marine Business at KONE."

The order was booked in the first quarter of 2015.

Telenor integrates MarCom with MCP

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 21 April 2015 21 April 2015

Telenor Maritime Radio’s (TMR) business unit for the commercial maritime communications market, MarCom, integrates with Maritime Communications Partner (MCP).

The internal transfer in Telenor, the Norwegian telecom services provider, effective from 1 June, strengthens MCP with expert competence on maritime communications, new products and solutions, better coverage and the opportunity to maintain growth in Europe and the US with further expansion into Asia, the company said in a statement.

MarCom with a Nordic focus has delivered satellite communication to ferries and other vessels, whereas MCP has delivered mobile coverage globally to three main segments, cruise, ferry and the offshore market.

"We are developing our technology portfolio to address a bigger market in the maritime industry that consumes ever more bandwidth. We are integrating satellite and mobile to ensure the best possible customer experiences. Additionally, we will be able to increase the efficiency of, and develop the whole value chain resulting in cost efficient solutions," said MCP’s CEO Frode Støldal.

Innovation has always been key for Telenor and MCP, recently demonstrated by the news MCP is building the largest 4G offshore network in the world

Fifteen MarCom employees are transferred to MCP with offices in Bergen and Stavanger in addition to the existing offices in Arendal and Ft. Lauderdale, US. TMR’s Coastal Radio unit continues in Telenor Norway operating VHF, MF, Navtex and handling of certificates, radio inspections and licenses.

Southampton Cargo Handling utilises expertise to service Anthem of the Seas

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 21 April 2015 21 April 2015

Terminal operator Southampton Cargo Handling (SCH) is utilising their experience in handling cruise vessels to service the biggest cruise ship to call in the port of Southampton.

Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas has marked her maiden call in the port with a busy schedule of short promotional cruises showing off the 168,000 gross ton ship after she arrived from the shipyard.

Anthem of the Seas has space for 4,180 passengers and will use Southampton as her base throughout the 2015 season, with SCH providing stevedoring services for the regular disembark and embark calls. SCH is also responsible for mooring and letting go the 348m long ship.

The latest giant cruise ship to be based in Southampton, Europe’s leading port for cruise ship turnarounds, demands a major operation to load general stores and handle passenger baggage.

SCH Operations Director Kevin Hulme explained: "It is proving to be a busy first week of operations on the Anthem of the Seas with hundreds of tonnes of stores being loaded and we have fitted this around a busy schedule of short cruises before her official maiden voyage. We are used to handling RCI’s fleet of large ships and our expertise, combined with the ship’s latest handling technology, ensures that movements of stores and baggage can be completed swiftly and efficiently."

AIDA Cruises installs EMMA onboard its fleet

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 09 April 2015 09 April 2015

AIDA Cruises, the German contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corp & plc group, says it has installed an energy monitoring and management system on board its vessels.

"With the installation of the highly innovative energy monitoring and management system EMMA by ABB, AIDA Cruises sets new standards for the energy management onboard of its fleet. In addition to collecting a huge database of operational and technical information, the systems main function is to give real-time decision support for operating the ship and its systems as close to the optimum as possible," the company said in a statement. One of its most important features is its direct link to the ships automation system as well as to the shore-side organisation of AIDA Cruises.

With its comprehensive scientific approach to analysing operational data, ABB`s EMMA provides an enormous potential for improving the fleets energy performance. As of now, the new energy monitoring system has already been set up and commissioned on six AIDA ships and will be installed onto the whole fleet. Just months after the first installations, the system has allowed AIDA to identify important focus areas and to assign new priorities for both technical improvements as well as optimising operations.

"At AIDA we've realised that in order to achieve maximum efficiency, we must approach energy management onboard clinically and scientifically. This is why we installed ABB`s EMMA. The biggest benefit of having such an advanced energy management system onboard is that mathematically analysed key performance indicators are at your fingertips, not only raw data," says Jens Lassen, Senior Vice President Marine Operations at AIDA Cruises.

"AIDA is recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly cruise operators and the company sets high demands for the solutions it deploys onboard the vessels. We are pleased that AIDA selected ABBs EMMA energy monitoring and management system to further improve the environmental footprint of their fleet", says Heikki Soljama, Managing Director for ABBs marine and ports business.

Overall, 500 signals per second are transmitted from the ships automation system to the EMMA virtual machine. The seven top-level categories that are tracked are: propulsion power, propulsion efficiency, vessel trim, hotel and auxiliary power, air condition power per person, specific fuel oil consumption of the main diesel generators as well as total fuel consumption.

This gives valuable information to the crew and allows for a detailed drill-down of each parameter if needed. Systems and singular set-points on board can be adjusted as needed, contributing to an energy-efficient operation of the ship. Examples of this may be changing the engine configuration and loading, route planning with speed management or by optimising the trim or waste heat recovery.