Shipping companies require more data than ever before, with the maritime industry using 45% more data than it was in 2021 — with year-on-year demand for data more than doubling in some sectors [1]. As maritime businesses transform, they are also seeing more diverse data requirements than those that existed before the pandemic.
As this need for connectivity accelerates, so does the need for high-quality broadband to keep vessels connected wherever and whenever necessary. For maritime businesses, digitalization, decarbonization, and crew welfare will always be priorities, and all three rely on high quality, constant connectivity.
To meet these demands, Inmarsat, is launching its new Fleet Xpress product portfolio, to help shipping companies focus on the future. These additions to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress will help customers ensure they do not pay for more bandwidth than they need, increase transparency around the data that they consume and give business leaders more control over their data usage, helping future-proof their businesses through high-quality connectivity.
Ben Palmer OBE, President, Maritime at Inmarsat, “Launching our all-new Fleet Xpress portfolio to the market has been a long time coming. We have been working hard to create a portfolio that offers what every single maritime business could need. We can help new customers meet their individual vessel’s unique connectivity needs, ensuring that their data is as flexible as their business. For our valued existing customers, the high-quality, global coverage that they already enjoy won’t change — and neither will the 99.9% up-time that they’ve been accustomed to — but they will also benefit from additional insights into their data and more control over their spend and usage. After all, we don’t want any customer paying for data they don’t use.
“For our network of partners, the new Fleet Xpress portfolio offers more accessible entry points for a wider range of new customers, a more linear and iterative upgrade path, and more flexibility to tailor data usage to individual customers’ needs — so they can be the ultimate business partner to their customers. We’re excited to roll out the new additions to Fleet Xpress and to continue delivering the best-in-class connectivity every shipping company needs to navigate their digitalization journeys in the years ahead.”
As technological innovation in the maritime industry continues to grow, demand for real-time insights, the increasing cost of operations as well as supply chain and geopolitical uncertainty all create challenges for sector leaders.
To address these challenges, the redesigned Fleet Xpress portfolio will offer a modular approach on top of a base connectivity package for businesses of all sizes, across all segments, can have data requirements to suit their strategy – without spending more than necessary.
Shipping companies will pay only for what they use, with service plans tailored to specific needs such as some businesses need the ability to use massive amounts of data with superfast speeds so that crew members can stream and video call 24/7 – putting their welfare front and center. While others require an entry package enabling email server connectivity with the ability to introduce new features as the business evolves.
The new Fleet Xpress portfolio will also introduce a fair access policy and reliable data monitoring via a self-service portal.