PRESS RELEASE

The new real-time PRIMAR ECDIS Online™ service has secured its first commercial vessel user, marking another step forward in the pursuit of safer navigation at sea. adopted by the Norwegian Vingtor high-speed craft, this latest innovation from the norwegian-based PRIMAR electronic navigational chart (ENC) service is expected to have wide appeal.

“I’m very pleased to announce the service, which has been designed to enhance safety at sea and navigational efficiency,” says Mr Kjell Olsen, Director of PRIMAR. Providing daily fast ferry services between Bergen and Stavanger, HSC Vingtor arries an Adveto ECDIS-4000 system linked to GPRS/3G with data speeds of 384 kbit/s and above.

The secure PRIMAR ECDIS Online™ service allows its ECDIS to receive realtime NC updates directly from the PRIMAR database and thereby have the very latest navigational data at all times.

This solution is offered free of charge to end users via authorised distributors of the RIMAR ENC service, and complements the PRIMAR Online™ service. This solution has been developed and fully tested over the past year in close cooperation with Swedish ECDIS manufacturer Adveto, the first PRIMAR distributor to implement it fully.

The results of the development project show that ENC updates can be in use within minutes of being released by a hydrographic office. Since it eliminates the need to load an update CD for ENCs into the ECDIS system, the new service also reduces the workload for navigators.

“We believe passionately in working closely with all elements of the maritime industry,” says Mr Gerry Larsson-Fedde, the Norwegian Hydrographer  “We’re working with other ECDIS manufactures to expand the service.”

PRIMAR continues to see a significant growth in the use of ENCs for safe avigation and regards the introduction of PRIMAR ECDIS Online™ as another vital milestone in this progress.

“It’s in line with our vision of striving constantly to add value and simplify the structure and supply of time-based information services to distributors and their customers,”

“We’ve been working in close partnership with the maritime industry to develop and introduce innovative services which make valuable contributions to safety at sea.” says Mr Gerry Larsson-Fedde.

All services from PRIMAR, including the new PRIMAR ECDIS Online™, are available globally on a round-the-clock basis.

Further information from:
Capt Sach Sharma, market relations manager, PRIMAR, Norwegian Hydrographic Service
Tel: +47 51 85 87 86, mobile: +47 46 84 00 76, fax: +47 51 85 87 01
E-mail: sach.sharma@statkart.no Web:www.primar.org

NOTES TO EDITORS
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PRIMAR
The PRIMAR ENC service is operated by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service through a regional ENC coordinator centre (RENC) regime and distributor agreements with countries and ENC suppliers.

Currently offering more than 8 000 ENCs, it works with an international network of  authorised distributors. Regular updates are provided by standard CDs, the PRIMAR Chart  Catalogue, PRIMAR Online remote updating and PRIMAR ECDIS Online™.

ENCs from PRIMAR meet IMO SOLAS chart carriage requirements when kept up-to- date and used in conjunction with a type-approved electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) plus appropriate backup.

Adveto
Headquartered close to Stockholm in Sweden, Adveto was founded 1985 and has concentrated on developing electronic navigation systems.  The company’s solutions are well known today and widely used around the world.

Adveto was one of PRIMAR’s first distributors and an early adopter of ENC presentation. With the new ECDIS Online™ service, it can offer a complete ECDIS solution to new and existing customers.

Westronic represents Adveto in Norway and has been responsible for the installation on HSC Vingtor. Based in Bergen, its core business is total electronic bridge installations for new vessels and retrofitting on existing ships.