Nowadays, having the Internet is a given, and although it’s hard to admit, most of us enjoy surfing the Internet for a large amount of time. But for those living on board a superyacht, having Internet with 24/7 access, a strong signal and fast download speed is a huge bonus — something that has been well-recognized by leading provider Inmarsat.
As a company well-rooted across the entire maritime sector, Inmarsat has been able to pioneer one of the most outstanding products for trustworthy, safe, and high-speed satellite coverage no matter where you are, which, without a doubt, can massively improve life on board. In support of this, Dockwalk approached the team at Inmarsat to find out exactly how a superyacht fitted with the company’s Fleet Xpress service is a happier place to be and worth shouting about to the boss.
Be connected anywhere in the world
Heading for French Polynesia? The Arctic? Or perhaps the Galapagos? There are plenty of out-of-the-way parts of the earth that many superyacht owners and charters want to reach. “Nobody wants to be restricted,” says Peter Broadhurst, Inmarsat’s Senior Vice President for Yachting and Passenger. “This is why we have made Fleet Xpress to run with a network that offers truly global mobility,” he adds. This continuous connectivity is made possible through Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network complemented by the unlimited backup solution, FleetBroadband, which has been purposely designed for superyachts keen to cruise. Because Inmarsat owns and operates the entire network, users unknowingly switch between satellite and beam automatically to receive the perfect high-speed signal no matter where they are in the world.
Use the system to maintain the yacht more easily
Through Inmarsat’s services, crew can access data such as efficiency, performance, weather data, and telemetry information in real-time. This is all information collected by the onboard sensors to help resolve queries, meet regulations, and conduct condition-based maintenance to make running the yacht a lot easier for all those involved. Plus, the owner and management company are able to collect, transfer, and analyze data from the vessel in real-time without the need for multiple hardware devices. “We can give any yacht crew full visibility of what is happening throughout the yacht’s system, with everything underpinned by a great 24/7 support team,” explains Broadhurst. “A yacht can benefit from specifically tailored apps to suit specific needs — whether that be senor readings for the strain on the sails, engine hours, anti-foul indications — it can all be added to the Fleet Xpress package,” he adds.
Extra safety and security
The safety and security of any network should never be compromised — which is something Inmarsat strives for through its well-guarded infrastructure. “The company remains steadfast in our pursuit to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals with our independently audited Fleet Secure service,” says Broadhurst. The added service goes beyond the average anti-virus system and safeguards a superyacht and crew against hostile and malicious threats thanks to its web content filtering capability, application control, intrusion prevention, and remote monitoring.
Discounted training for crew
As another surefire way to keep on top of the yacht’s records and inventory, Fleet Xpress comes with the ability to monitor the crew — not just in terms of Internet usage, but with electronic certificates for any training or professional qualification undertaken. This includes Inmarsat’s discounted cybersecurity training to help crew engage with how attacks could happen and become more aware of how to prevent them. “By sharing our knowledge of the fundamentals of cybersecurity, we have seen crews learn things such as: How to verify suspicious emails, practice good password practices, how to keep the system safe when a crewmember leaves the yacht — all things that are so good to know in this industry,” comments Broadhurst.
Experience better crew life on board
It goes without saying that any crewmember feels happier when there is the opportunity to stay connected to friends and family, unwind with a movie, or watch the latest game after a long shift without affecting the whole yacht’s bandwidth. That’s why Fleet Xpress comes with Fleet Hotspot that works in a similar fashion to a hotel WiFi to allow the crew to surf the net as they please. “Crew welfare is a big topic, and everyone on board is expecting to be connected, even in some of the world’s most remote places. The Fleet Hotspot solution allows crewmembers to come online with a set time or megabyte allowance to help ensure that the crew aren’t on the Internet all night, but are rather resting or sleeping properly — which, with a high-pressure job such as crew work, should be taken advantage of!” explains Broadhurst. “And all this can be done through a simple subscription package to help superyacht owners control their operating costs easily,” he adds.
If you know what you’d like to see happen to your onboard broadband, find some more useful and supporting information on Inmarsat’s website at www.inmarsat.com, including how the 46-meter sailing yacht Ganesha has utilized Inmarsat’s super lightweight antenna to stay race-ready.
Sponsored Content created in collaboration with Inmarsat.