Ship manager to upgrade bulker fleet to Fleet Xpress

FEBRUARY 1, 2018 — Nassau, Bahamas, headquartered ship management company Campbell Shipping has reached an agreement with satcom services provider Inmarsat to migrate its fleet of dry bulk carriers from Inmarsat’s Xpress Link services to Fleet Xpress.

“This upgrade will mean our ships will benefit from faster connections to the Internet, available through a single cost-effective package,” said Capt. Anindya Dasgupta, VP Human Capital, Campbell Shipping. “It will enable us to accelerate improvements in other areas of vessel IT infrastructure, allowing more activities and functions to be supported and carried out on board. Fleet Xpress will help us to stay ahead of the game.”

Campbell Shipping regards resilient and high-performance IT and communications infrastructure as essential in enabling its management system, the Campbell Target Operating Model (C-TOM), to perform to its full potential; ensuring vessel productivity and safety, and alleviating the isolation sometimes felt by those working at sea.

“Our success is directly attributed to the company’s philosophy of building better lives for the people we employ,” said Capt. Dasgupta. “Although we are in the business of moving cargo, we never forget our commitment to our team members. Today’s seafarers want to stay in touch with their families and remain connected to the rest of the world. Reliable connectivity is therefore crucial. Faster on-board Internet and low-cost calling options will result in improved morale, contributing to productivity and the retention of talent in the company.

“We expect the additional bandwidth provided by Fleet Xpress will also facilitate closer monitoring of day-to-day vessel operation, which, over the longer term, will lead to gains in operational efficiency and cost savings.”

Gert-Jan Panken, Inmarsat Maritime’s Vice President for Merchant Marine emphasized Inmarsat’s longstanding relationship with Campbell Shipping, describing the ship manager as “a keen early-adopter of our latest maritime connectivity solutions.”

“The willingness of Campbell Shipping to invest in Fleet Xpress stems from its sincere commitment to delivering improved levels of crew welfare,” said Panken. “It also reflects the belief that high-throughput broadband at sea will open new opportunities for enhanced vessel and fleet operation.”

Campbell Shipping is the ship management branch of the Campbell Group of Companies. It was originally founded and established by Scottish naval architect, George T. R. Campbell. The company maintains its principal office in Nassau, The Bahamas, and operates an office in Mumbai, India. It currently operates a fleet of 13 dry bulk carriers.