The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has launched two innovative Mobile Commerce (or m-Commerce) services called 'Vessel Movement Alerts' and 'Vessel Mobile' for the maritime industry. Both services allow subscribers of MARINET, an e-Commerce system of the MPA, to access vessel-related information from anywhere and at anytime through handphones and memo pagers.

2.There are over 2,100 MARINET users from 585 subscribers including shipping lines, shipping agencies, freight forwarders, bunker suppliers, ferry operators and towage service providers.

3.Said Mr Yap Cheng Hua, Director, Information Technology (IT), MPA, "Handphones and wireless communications are very common in everyday life. The MPA has thus leveraged on these wireless communications technologies to develop two innovative mobile services for the shipping community. They are part of our efforts to tap the power of InfoComm Technology (ICT) to provide more value added services to port users."

4.Given Singapore's extensive shipping network and high-sailing frequencies from its port, shipping personnel increasingly require real-time and up-to-date ship information. The information will enable them to perform their day-to-day operations efficiently in order to provide prompt and reliable service to the ships. As these shipping personnel are always on the move, the ability to access shipping details such as where their vessels are located in port and their estimated date, time of arrival or departure through wireless means is an added advantage to their operations.

Vessel Movement Alerts

5.MARINET 1 users indicate the names of their vessels and the nature of events that are of interest to them. They can also choose whether they want to be alerted through SMS or memo pagers. All alert requests made by the users are stored in MARINET.

The system provides four types of event alerts for users to select. They are as follows:

• when there is an update on vessel's ETA;

• when a vessel has arrived;

• when a vessel has berthed or anchored;

• and when the vessel has departed Singapore.

Hard at work is the MPA's Port Traffic Management System (PTMS), a system which captures these vessel activities in real time through the use of vessel traffic radars or ship reporting. The PTMS matches the request of MARINET customers and sends them the relevant information through SMS or pager automatically. The information includes the vessel's status, i.e. whether it is due to arrive, in port or has departed, the latest ship's Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) or Departure (ETD), actual reported arrival time, the ship's current location in port. To cater for different needs of the users, the service is customised to allow users to change their vessel profile as and when they require. They can even indicate whether they want to be alerted only during working hours or at any time of the day.

Vessel Mobile

6.MARINET users need to register for this service. Whenever they need information on a specific vessel, they simply send an SMS message to the MPA's computer system with the vessel's full name. Within 20 seconds, the users will receive a SMS message giving them the latest information on the vessel. For example, if the vessel is arriving in Port of Singapore soon, the users will receive a SMS message informing them that the vessel is due to arrive with an up-to-date ETA.

7.On the launch of the 'Vessel Movement Alerts' and 'Vessel Mobile' services, MARINET user Mr David Lew of the Gulf Agency has this to say, "In the past, I need to make many calls to the Telephone Vessel Enquiry Service to get the information. The new services have dispensed with the need to call. The information reaches me automatically through the new services, bringing me greater convenience".

8.Also recently launched are 24 services housed under MARINET, bringing the total number of online services now available to the maritime community to 32. The new services cover a wide spectrum of business areas that the MPA has established with the shipping industry. They are grouped under 10 categories, namely, e-Declarations, e-Shipping, e-Approval, e-Permits, e-Licences, e-MarineServices, e-BunkeringServices, e-Enquiries, e-VesselInfo and M-Services.

9.Of the 32 e-services offered, 30 are transactional in nature, that is, users are able to complete the entire transaction online without the need to visit the MPA office. Among the services that fall under this category are e-Permits covering the application of temporary harbour craft permit and application of Cleaning and Disposal Slops/Sludge/Residue permit; and e-Approval, which allows port users to obtain electronic approval for application of ship-to-ship transfer of bunkers between licensed port limit tankers, and application for bunkering at shipyard. The e-Licences provide online booking of inspection dates by harbour/pleasure craft owners.

10.Also, in the pipeline is an e-Payment facility that the MPA is developing for MARINET. When implemented, port users will be able to make payments to MPA through credit cards, Internet banking and cash cards.

End of Release.