Maersk Line has joined forces with Ericsson to bring global mobile telecommunications to the oceans. Introducing extended connectivity to vessels will allow Maersk Line to work smarter.
In the current economic climate business as usual is not good enough. If companies are to survive then they must differentiate themselves from the competition, continually striving to gain the edge that will mean the customer chooses their products. This requires taking risks; having foresight of where the market should be, and using expertise and determination to take it there.
Maersk Line has just announced such a bold move. It is working with Ericsson to introduce a technology that could change the face of shipping forever. Over the next two years newly developed mobile telecommunications masts will be placed on 400, some 80%, of Maersk Line vessels. This will introduce a real-time communications capability that has been lacking on the oceans. Up until now real time communications have been limited to satellite connectivity that primarily supports only vital onboard functions.
It is a venture that has the potential to considerably up the stakes in terms of fleet management, delivery times, onboard issue resolution and energy efficiency. Utilizing this technology to its maximum potential will allow Maersk Line to enhance the customer experience, strengthen the bottom line and take better care of the environment.
At a launch event in with Ericsson in Copenhagen Søren Toft, Maersk Line’s Vice President – Centre Operations, said: “Innovation plays a key role in Maersk Line’s ambition to lead the industry to a more customer focused way of doing business. In the past year we have announced a number of investments in initiatives and services that are indeed changing the way we think about shipping.”
The new technology will be especially helpful when vessels run into trouble, allowing them quick and easy access to remote expertise, should they need it. However, the Maersk Line commitment to continuous improvement likely means that the technology will also be used to create improvements that haven’t been thought of yet, as Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson puts it:
“We’re proud to be able to connect Maersk Line’s fleet with our technology. We believe in a Networked Society, where connectivity will only be the starting point for new ways of innovating, collaborating and socializing.”
