Staying Connected - Cruise company Carnival Corporation has agreed a partnership with Neuron, formerly ESpace Networks, to implement Neuron’s vendor-neutral connectivity management platform to optimize internet access on its ships. The move is part of Carnival Corporation’s wider connectivity optimization strategy, which is focused on providing the best available connection at sea. The Neuron 360 platform provides an end-to-end view of connectivity operations and real-time data to proactively pinpoint any issues and opportunities for improvement. In addition, Carnival has also deployed Neuron Grid, a connectivity management system including multi-vendor integrations and AI-powered traffic routing to dynamically route applications over the right network for improved performance. “We want to continue providing the best available connection at sea and our partnership with Neuron allows us to have full visibility and control over our connectivity,” said the Director of Global Connectivity and Destination Technology for Carnival Corporation. “By investing in new and emerging technologies, we can push the boundaries of connectivity innovation with a fresh approach that will accelerate the future of connected cruising and transform the guest experience.”[1]
“For things that move, like cruise ships, seamless connectivity is a uniquely tough challenge to solve,” said the founder and CEO of Neuron. “In partnership with Neuron, Carnival Corporation has demonstrated that with the right data and technologies at their fingertips, they can drive more flexible and agile connectivity operations – and as a result, make connectivity experiences even better for their guests and crew, at all times, in all places.”
Port Technology - In a time defined by rapid technological progress and an increasing emphasis on sustainability, the maritime sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Ports and terminals are evolving into intelligent, digital hubs, harnessing the potential of data, automation, and connectivity to meet the demands of the 21st century. Our journey across the Atlantic serves as a meeting point for industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries worldwide to navigate the path forward.
Port Technology International provides a journal that offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise from thought leaders, practitioners, and pioneers in the field. The papers and reports featured in the footnote shows a panoramic view of the latest developments in port operations, terminal management, digitalization, sustainability, and much more.[2]
Cyber strategy looks beyond cybersecurity to digital operations - The US Navy must embrace cyber and information warfare as “core competencies” of its strategic mission moving forward, according to the military branch’s inaugural cyber strategy released last week. The 14-page document, which was released on Nov. 21, warned that the Navy and Marine Corps “cannot rely exclusively on traditional naval power in future maritime conflicts” and must “fully account for new realities presented by cyberspace and the information environment.”[3]
The strategy said, in part, that “the side that most effectively sequences and synchronizes non-kinetic effects will have a decisive advantage” in future military confrontations. “We are focused on aggressively enhancing our cyber enterprise, while fostering cooperation and collaboration with our allies and partners,” Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in a statement.
The document outlined seven lines of effort to enhance the military branch’s cyber posture, including improving and supporting its cyber workforce; defending enterprise IT, data and networks; securing defense critical infrastructure and weapon systems; conducting and facilitating cyber operations; partnering with the private sector to secure the defense industrial base; and fostering cooperation and collaboration across the Navy and Marine Corps.
While the strategy cited efforts to bolster the branch’s IT systems and networks, such as developing “more robust threat hunting capabilities,” it centered cyber and information warfare as key components of the Navy’s push to maintain a competitive advantage over global adversaries. The guidance, in part, highlighted the Navy’s need to “focus time and resources” on training its workforce for cyberspace operations, including by providing personnel with cyber capabilities “for use in crisis and conflict” and contributing “to the development of emerging cyber warfighting platforms.”
“Our strategy reaffirms our commitment to warfighting excellence within cyberspace,” said the Navy’s principal cyber advisor. “We are prioritizing the defense of our cyber enterprise and data while conducting and facilitating cyber operations across the globe.” The advisor stressed the difference between cyber and cybersecurity in the document. "I can't overemphasize that this is not a cybersecurity strategy. This is a cyber strategy. This is a strategy that, when you look at the different lines of effort within it, goes well beyond the blocking and tackling of what the [chief information officer] is responsible for," he said. “Once we embrace cyber as a core competency alongside surface warfare, subsurface warfare, Marine expeditionary warfare, Navy special warfare, once cyber is seen in that lens as equal to the rest of these, things will then naturally begin to fall into place,” he added. “All indications are we're moving in that direction.”
The release of the Navy’s cyber strategy comes after the Pentagon submitted its classified cyber strategy to Congress in May. An unclassified summary of the department’s strategy was publicly released in September 2023.
Training – The Iridium company has announced the launch of the Iridium Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Academy (GMDSS Academy), providing courses specific to GMDSS and related safety services to ensure that maritime students receive the required safety instruction for working aboard Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) class vessels. The courses, taught by Iridium Service Providers (SPs), are available free-of-charge, with training packs downloadable by visiting the Iridium GMDSS Academy online. Students will also find educational videos and background information including case studies and installation tutorials, with the program to additionally be made available to maritime colleges around the world for integration with existing coursework.[4]
“The GMDSS Academy is instrumental to improving safety at sea by providing critical GMDSS updates and communicating Iridium processes and procedures,” said a Vice President and General Manager of Iridium’s Maritime Line of Business. “Offering thorough educational curricula gives us the opportunity to distribute life-saving information and answer common questions before mariners set out to sea. Any maritime school, association or government agency can contact us to become trained as expert instructors for their constituents.”
In 2020, Iridium became the second GMDSS network provider alongside Inmarsat, allowing Iridium users with approved equipment to make emergency phone calls, initiate an SOS with the distress alert button, and transmit Maritime Safety Information (MSI) such as the location of dangerous debris, navigational warnings, and other anomalies.
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[1] https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2023/12/06/carnival-to-deploy-neuron-platform-to-manage-onboard-connectivity/
[2] https://www.porttechnology.org/editions/sdp-north-america-2023/
[3] https://www.metrostar.com/solutions-digital-services/comet-design-tool/
[4] https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2023/12/06/iridium-creates-online-gmdss-academy/
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