The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) has adopted a Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) as the new way for its operations center to communicate with staff operating rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes and stackers.
“Using VOIP is a huge improvement simply because our voice communication with RTG and stack operators has become more reliable and less fuzzy compared with two-way radios,” Edward Bonilla, MICT operations assistant manager for project and development, said in PortFolio, the official publication of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), operator of MICT.
Bonilla said VOIP streamlines the communication between equipment operators and MICT’s operations center by providing a direct, secure, and clear call route.
Compared with two-way push-to-talk (PTT) radio technology which uses radio frequencies, VOIP leverages a local or wireless network to facilitate voice communication.
Reynaldo Mark Cruz, MICT’s information technology systems and services (ITSS) director, said that in making the VOIP work, ITSS “took advantage of the Honeywell Thor VM2 or the ruggedized vehicle-mount computers on RTGs and stackers, and reconfigured Avaya IP Office, MICT’s current phone system.
“A lot of our Motorola radios were very old and in need of replacement. Instead of spending on new units, we just used the existing VMTs mounted on RTGs and simply added the VOIP capability.”
The VOIP system eliminates the need for two-way radios, resulting in reduced gadget maintenance cost and charging time. It also requires MICT to make a one-time payment only to the National Telecommunications Commission instead of paying an annual licensing fee for using the two-way radios.
Currently, 45 RTGs and 15 stackers are using the VOIP system.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
