Allseas’ Pieter Schelte vessel during sea trials. Photo: Speedcast

Speedcast International and Danaos Peripherals announced a strategic alliance agreement under which the two companies will combine maritime communications with advanced application management developed by Danaos. Within 2017, the two companies will jointly release a remote and autonomous IT system on board a vessel, leveraging technologies such as Big Data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity. According to the two companies, the system will enable the remote deployment of third party services and applications, allowing for swift implementation of new capabilities on a ship.

Tim Bailey, Speedcast executive vice president of products, marketing and business development, said the alliance represents a new direction for the sector, as it will help “accelerate the digitalization of the maritime business.”

Speedcast currently offers managed network services and connectivity to more than 10,000 vessels, while Danaos provides software support for more than 6,000 vessels and 500 shipping companies worldwide.