An Intelligent Maritime Workplace using IT technologies

IT technologies over the past years have shown a rapid growth, on the contrary this increase of e-commerce and e-work in the maritime industry is not as intense as in any other field. E-commerce and e-work is still at its embryonic stages, however, the annual rate of increase suggest that in very few years this share will have grown dramatically. Thus, it is time to get prepared. The aim of the present paper is to present a new maritime intelligent workplace based weather information system and decision support for high-speed maritime transport. It has been achieved by linking fixed/mobile communications with navigation/positioning, efficient transmission and delivery over the geo-information network. These services will allow the shipmaster to have seamless access to, and interaction with intelligent, customised (route based) rich content multimedia information on the efficient and safe navigation passage for passengers, freights and the environment both on board ship and inland.