The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology

Dualog’s helps seafarers manage time online

(Posted on 24/04/18)

Delivering quality internet connectivity to the world’s vessels is a ‘must have’ in our fast-changing shipping industry,y but helping today’s seafarer manage the way he or she accesses this internet capacity is essential if this valuable resource is to be used effectively and efficiently.

Dualog is meeting this need head on with its own App for mobile devices which promises this and much more for the near 100,000 seafarers who benefit from using our own Dualog Connection Suite.

Dualog’s ‘Crew Connection’ App can be downloaded free from Google Play or the Apple Store and works on any personal mobile device or tablet. Once onboard, the crewmember can sign in and will immediately be able to manage those devices linked to the internet and control how much allocated data they use during each visit online.

An important feature of the App is its crew-based company email facility where crew members joining a ship receive a corporate email account. Not only will they receive email correspondence from the company on joining the ship, but they can continue to receive important company information at sea or while on leave – something we all take for granted when working ashore.

As Walter Hannemann, Product Manager at Dualog, points out, while the signing in process for the App is very simple, it puts control of internet capacity back where it belongs. Not in airtime provider’s but in the hands of those who use it and, as importantly, in the hands of those who must ensure it is shared equally and used in the most effective way possible for the entire crew. “We all know that internet bandwidth is limited onboard ship, so it is particularly critical to manage this capacity. “But seafarers are no different to any other industry workforce in that they want to be able to use their own devices to access apps through the internet while at sea. Helping them manage their individual capacity usage by logging onto to the crew’s Wi-Fi connection through the Dualog app is a win-win for the seafarer and for the ship owner,” he said.

Thomas Dinter, IT Manager at Dualog customer TB Marine Shipmanagement, added to the debate: “Embracing app technology to reduce workload and maximise operational efficiency is a natural development for the shipping industry. The Dualog Crew Connection App surely hits the mark. “Anything which increases crew awareness, simplicity in use and management of the bandwidth has to be applauded," he added.