Hapag-Lloyd tests Inmarsat bonded network service
- September 9, 2024
- Steve Rogerson
German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd is trialling Inmarsat’s NexusWave bonded network service for transforming ships into floating offices.
The fully managed global service brings together a multi-orbit, multi-band set of connectivity networks as a single network.
The trials align with the Hamburg-headquartered shipping group’s requirement for robust connectivity that can meet increasing communications and security demands, and rising expectations for business and crew communications.
NexusWave delivers an office and home like experience that’s always connected, without having to worry about usage, quota or speeds by curating various services onboard the vessel to the needs of the owner-operator while providing full transparency on total cost of ownership. It also offers an upgrade path to the ViaSat-3 network.
A series of owner-operator trials aim to verify the way reliable high-speed internet connections allow critical enterprise and IT functions to move to the cloud instead of maintaining them on vessels, so shipboard personnel can align with office-based colleagues. Crew will be able to access IT services previously only available onshore.
“With NexusWave, our vessels can transform into floating offices, seamlessly integrated with onshore and cloud-based IT systems,” said Patrick Briest, senior director at Hapag-Lloyd. “This advancement in connectivity will allow us to further streamline operations through the cloud, achieving significant cost savings and enhancing crew IT services to match onshore experiences.”
The NexusWave service leverages SD-Wan technology to provide intelligent traffic bonding and prioritisation to ensure that mission-critical operations are continuously connected, while supporting services based on video streaming such as remote inspections. With business and crew welfare channels maintained separately, the service also enhances crew connectivity.
NexusWave is designed with security at its core, encrypting traffic at the vessel level and protecting it with enterprise-grade infrastructure, trusted by enterprises and governments worldwide.
“With NexusWave enhanced connectivity, we can provide our customers with a seamless, secure and robust communication environment that transforms maritime operations,” said Gert-Jan Panken, vice president at Inmarsat Maritime. “We are committed to continuing to provide options that not only meet but exceed the expectations and needs of our valued customers like Hapag-Lloyd, ensuring their operations are efficient and future-ready.”
London-based Inmarsat Maritime (Inmarsat.com/maritime) is a Viasat (www.viasat.com) company with over 40 years of experience. It helps ship owners and operators stay connected, navigate safely, enhance operational efficiency and improve crew welfare.
With a fleet of 280 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.1 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd (www.hapag-lloyd.com) is a liner shipping company with around 13,700 employees and 400 offices in 140 countries.