UKHO Partnering Agreements
The UKHO has announced at SMM Hamburg 2008 a strategic partnering agreement with Transas and Kelvin Hughes. The commercial agreements will see every future ECDIS pre-loaded with AVCS data, tailored to the needs of Transas' customers and optimised for use on Transas' en Kelvin Hughes ECDIS's.
UKHO launched AVCS in April this year, which integrates official electronic navigational charts (ENCs) from national hydrographic offices across the globe, along with newly manufactured ENCs for gaps in key areas, to provide a comprehensive world series for the international mariner. The combination of Transas ECDIS and AVCS data will be known as the Transas Admiralty Data Service (TADS) and .
The new TADS service compiles the ENC data set into the internal format of a Transas ECDIS system, meaning that users will experience significant time savings, whilst also guaranteeing an easy, error free installation and updating of official SENC data on their systems, where the producing nation allows.
Since TADS is based on AVCS, it comprises only official ENCs produced by government hydrographic offices and therefore is fully compliant with Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) legislation for use within ECDIS. Maintaining up-to-date ENCs is critical for their compliance and therefore TADS comes complete with automated and semi-automated chart updates.
Spike Hughes, Marketing Director for Kelvin Hughes, commented: "Any new Kelvin Hughes radar display has a dual function both as a radar and as a type approved ECDIS back-up. This co-operation with the UKHO to pre-fill these displays with AVCS data will make a significant contribution to the increased take up of official electronic charts. The parallel initiatives of the UKHO AVCS service and the Kelvin Hughes inclusion of chart radar functionality in our standard radars combine to attack the main barriers to comprehensive adoption of electronic charts, namely lack of official data and the cost of implementation. We are proud to be part of this initiative to improve the safety of marine navigation.
Chief Executive Mike Robinson believes the Transas partnering relationship will meet the demand for safe, compliant navigational data, in an easy to maintain format.
Transas was the first manufacturer to gain type-approval for an ECDIS back in 1999 with BSH of Germany and is now producing its 5th generation system, the Navi-Sailor 4000 MfD. With more than 7,000 systems sold worldwide, the Transas system combines user-friendly functionality with the latest in navigation technology.
Mr Robinson added that UKHO is seeking to create agreements that help the marine community in the transition towards a digital future: "OEM partners are clearly a key element in the delivery of global, official electronic charting services, and are key to driving forward the adoption of compliant navigational information".
"This close level of collaboration will ensure that data displays appropriately and that the hardware and software work seamlessly for the mariner."
UKHO is currently obtaining ENC data for Malaysia, Indonesia and Colombia (the latter distributed via IC-ENC). With further agreements close to being concluded, coverage will increase by a further 10% over the next few months. In total, since launch, 694 new ENCs have been added to the AVCS service with more already in the pipeline, and UKHO is on course to deliver its commitment of covering the Top 2000 ports in the world and the major routes between them within twelve months of initial launch.