ROLE OF

INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY IN
MARITIME FIELD
⚫ Maritime transport is an important
aspect of the economy of every
maritime state and this needs safety
and efficiency. It is well known that
one of the major factors of accidents
prevention is perfect theoretical and
practical knowledge, which can help
reduce accidents at sea and in
harbors, ship collisions and sinking
and loss of human lives and protects
the environment.
⚫ Some experts believe that importance of
information exchange somehow becomes
even greater due to the global implications
of information. In marine industry, this can
be done through several ways. Moreover,
there have also been information exchange
events like GMISS (Global Maritime
Information Sharing Symposium) which
aims for efficient exchange of ideas. This is
why an efficient information exchange
system is the key to smooth functioning of
entire marine industry.
GMISS(Global Maritime
Information Sharing Symposium)
is an annual event hosted by
NMCO(National MDA
Coordination Office) to align US
Government outreach to the
maritime industry and improve
and increase industry-government
maritime information sharing
partnerships.
⚫ Roles of information technology exchange in
the maritime field or industry.
⚫ 1.Better coordination
⚫ Information exchange allows a better coordination
between ships which is needed no matter for what
purpose the ship is sailing. It is due to importance of
coordination in marine industry that even more efforts
are being made at developing an information exchange
system that will allow greater coordination.
⚫ Such a system would include features like Virtual
Regional Maritime Traffic center, the Maritime Safety
and Security Information System, the Long Range
Identification and tracking and the Regional
Co-operation Agreement on combating piracy and
armed robbery. Such a system allows coordination in
every situation from planning a transit through a narrow
region to warding off a piracy attack.
⚫ 2.Greater safety of ships
⚫ An effective information exchange system allows
better coordination between the ships, hence
greater safety of ships. In case of maritime
accidents, this efficient system will allow rapid
information exchange which will help reaching the
ship in trouble sooner.
⚫ Especially in case of maritime accidents like
grounding of a ship or a pirate attack where it
becomes difficult for a ship to communicate on its
own, an information exchange system can be very
helpful.
⚫ 3.Improved trade
⚫ A better information exchange system
would improve the scope of trade
globally. The shared information here
could include cargo information about
ships leaving from various ports,
connecting ships scheduling etc. which
will mean ships can communicate
better and trade can improve.
⚫ 4.Sharing information and experiences
⚫ Through maritime information exchange, there is
not only exchange of knowledge but also of
valuable experience. This will allow mariners to
learn from each other’s experience, getting
precious details about expeditions other mariners
have been on like handling various maritime
accidents, running into unexpected situations etc.
and add more to their knowledge.
⚫ Allowing a proper threshold for such information
exchange in maritime industry can open up gates
for better learning experiences for mariners.
⚫ 5.Better trade options
⚫ An information exchange system can be a single
international organization that will regulate
information and make it available to one and all,
making important piece of knowledge known while
keeping the other sensitive bits in safety. The main
idea behind such a system is the scope of better trade
options.
⚫ An internationally maintained organization will be the
centre point of flux of all the information and will
make trading smoother. That way, ships can
communicate directly, sharing their information
through a single body. This can open up a lot of trading
options which sometimes may not be recognized due
to lack of information.
⚫ 6.Discuss problems and views about current
issues
⚫ Information exchange events organized all over the
world are the perfect opportunity for seafarers and
shipping from all over the world to discuss their
problems. At a recent maritime information exchange
vessel operator’s meeting, everything from marine
environment to maritime accidents to specific and
future threats to marine industry was discussed. This
constructive flow of information surely helps all
shipping companies present in terms of their future
planning and present management