Thuraya, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE’s Al Yah Satellite Communication Company (Yahsat), is collaborating with FrontM to launch Thuraya SatTrack, a cloud-based tracking and monitoring service that significantly increases operational efficiencies on board fishing vessels. Designed for the top-selling Thuraya MarineStar voice, tracking and monitoring solution, SatTrack will be available to users very soon.
In spite of digitalization and increased influx of information, the high cost of integrating third-party services and solutions is limiting the growth of the fishing industry. Thuraya SatTrack is a low-cost turnkey subscription service that provides interactive, real-time fleet tracking to monitor vessels. It enables operations with detailed maps, up-to-date weather layers and customized alerts with position reporting. Thuraya SatTrack helps MarineStar users stay in command, gain vital market advantage and contribute to sustainable fisheries by improving compliance with national and international regulations.
Shawkat Ahmed, Chief Commercial Officer of Thuraya stated: “Thuraya SatTrack is an integral part of our SeaLite service portfolio that provides fishing operators a competitive edge within the maritime industry. As the demand for compliance and access to information soars, satellite connectivity and smart applications are the only realistic and affordable means of ship-to-shore and inter-ship communications. By packaging SatTrack with Thuraya MarineStar, our aim is to provide partners and customers a multifunctional, reliable and affordable end-to-end solution that delivers significant cost savings from improved onboard safety and efficiencies.”
Thuraya SatTrack provides critical updates about vessels anywhere within Thuraya’s network that covers 80% of the world’s fishing hubs. Subscribers can also use it to remotely exchange data, establish and monitor geofences as well as access fish-catch reports in real-time, thereby reassuring regulatory bodies and buyers that the catch brought ashore is both legally caught and fresh. Besides guaranteeing crew safety, the SatTrack’s alert mechanism makes it ideal for search and rescue operations. Key beneficiaries include civil defense agencies and organizations with varied maritime interests such as police, port authorities, coast guards, transport authorities, coastal surveillance bodies, agriculture and fisheries ministries.
Lisa Moore, Vice President, Commercial Product Management of FrontM said: “Our vision is to connect shore and ship teams with highly efficient operational and productivity applications maximizing on satellite connectivity technologies. We have been researching sustainable fisheries ecosystem requirements and offering tracking with situational awareness and shore-ship collaboration as of our marketplace apps. When the Thuraya MarineStar device was unveiled last year, the synergies were compelling. Our partnership with Thuraya to power the SatTrack solution enabling a seamless service for the channel and the end customers, we believe is a game changer. We are proud to be bringing this service in collaboration with Thuraya to the market!”
Thuraya SatTrack can be accessed through smart devices including PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets. Ensuring a seamless user experience, its dashboard features the required data on the MarineStar terminal. Third-party integrators can further exploit Thuraya MarineStar’s physical integration capabilities such as GPIO and Serial Port for optimized operations through fuel monitoring, minimized siphoning of fuel, dispatch of critical onboard information for condition based monitoring, with all activities reflected on the SatTrack console.
