British classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has made a “significant investment” in Hamburg-based ship management software provider Hanseaticsoft.
Hanseaticsoft provides fleet management software solutions to optimise workflows in shipping companies.
Clients including NSC, Peter Döhle Schifffahrts, Rigel, Atlantic Lloyd and UASC already use Cloud Fleet Manager – a software suite to manage and organise an entire fleet, including inspections, crew management, purchasing and more.
The investment, for which no figure was released, is part of LR’s bid to become a “leader in supporting clients through the digital transformation of the marine and offshore industries, building a portfolio of investments and partnerships to tackle the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0”, the class society said in a release yesterday.
LR recently acquired the Seasafe portfolio of software solutions, which specialises in real-time data management of onboard loading and stability for vessels and offshore structures.
LR has also formed a strategic partnership with QiO, a fast- growing Industry 4.0 company, whose data platform and cloud enabled solutions are transforming how big data analytics improve clients’ operational effectiveness and reduce risks.
Nial McCollum, LR’s chief technology officer, said: “This combination of ship management software, risk modelling, and cyber physical solutions, underpinned by the value which big data analytics brings are the building blocks of the marine and offshore Industry 4.0.
“The sophistication and scope of modern fleet management software has dramatically evolved to cover almost every aspect of vessel operations. We see shipmanagement software as the portal through which we can provide additional integrated solutions for clients, providing a single platform for managing the optimal operation of their fleet, and ultimately their business – reducing costs, increasing return on investment and driving economies of scale from single ship to fleet. We chose Hanseaticsoft simply because it is the most intuitive and integrated platform on the market and because of our shared vision for the future.”
Hanseaticsoft will remain an independent open platform but will leverage LR’s global network to build its capability, with three new Hanseaticsoft sales offices in Athens, Copenhagen and Singapore planned for 2017, and at least five other branches to follow in 2018.
