Survey reveals up to 30% of maritime market ready for VSAT trials in 2 years

 
Stark Moore
Macmillan released the results from the largest and most comprehensive maritime
VSAT survey ever undertaken. The survey revealed that up to 30% of current
non-VSAT users planned to conduct trials of VSAT within the next 24 months.
Among other key findings was an indication that establishing a clear business
case for VSAT would encourage greater adoption among shipping operators.

 

The survey
measured the drivers and barriers of VSAT’s expansion in the commercial
shipping sector by interviewing IT Managers, Fleet and Technical Managers,
CIOs, and CTOs at 60 shipping companies, representing approximately 5,500
vessels, or 13% of the world’s commercial trading fleet of 1,000GT or over.

 

 

Commissioned by
iDirect, the survey
was conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the commercial
maritime market’s perception and adoption of VSAT.

 

 

Approximately
30% of the available market is considering VSAT within the next 24 months. Demand
for VSAT services in the commercial maritime sector has increased significantly
in the last five years and the survey indicates that this trend will continue.

 

 

The survey provided insight into
ship owners and operators’ weaknesses in quantifying the cross-business
benefits that VSAT has brought, and can bring, to their organizations. The
survey indicates that, if provided with the necessary tools and methodology to
accurately evaluate cost savings and efficiencies derived from improved
communications, a business case for VSAT can clearly be found and ship
operators are prepared to make substantial investments in VSAT technology.

 

 

Nearly 80% of
participants believe that VSAT enables access to new enterprise software
applications that improve operational efficiency and business processes.The
most popular applications being implemented or considered include enterprise
resource planning, remote IT solutions, Sharepoint/Citrix collaboration tools,
weather routing and video conferencing.

 

 

With nearly 30%
of the market considering, or are ready to implement VSAT, the survey results
indicate an immediate opportunity for VSAT in the commercial shipping sector.
Sharing the findings will be of benefit to the maritime community as a whole by
encouraging ship owners, operators and suppliers to focus on how they may go
about quantifying the value of VSAT and its potential to improve maritime
businesses,” said Christian Bergan, director, Vertical Marketing Maritime,
iDirect.

 

 

By
Telecomlead.com Team

[email protected]