As part of its drive to continuously improve its rig and vessel management solutions to meet the future demands of the shipping and offshore industries, Norwegian software supplier Star Information Systems (STAR) has launched STAR Suite – comprising its STAR enterprise asset management (EAM) system and apps but now featuring an advanced technological platform that combines the best web and native functionality and performance.
STAR Suite uses game-changing onboard software technology to enable enhanced planning and preparation of onboard work in a safe old EAM but with additional targeted functionality and enhanced configuration capabilities.
“User-friendliness is vital for busy seafarers,” says Product Director Per Anders Koien (pictured). “With STAR Suite we’ve worked hard to modernise the desktop interface compared to the existing EAM. We’ve also improved the entire installation process. First-time installation onboard a vessel will take an hour at most, but after that every new user can be up and running in a minute. The software is also continuously and seamlessly upgraded so you always have the latest version.”
Being cloud-based the STAR Suite platform enables SaaS (software as a service) even for onboard applications/users. “You can use live cloud-based systems on vessels like ferries that sail close to shore but it’s not practical for oceangoing tonnage that spend a lot of time in areas with limited bandwidth,” says Koien. “You really need to have the software onboard.
“A key part of our solution is to install a web server on the ship that runs in the same way as a cloud solution but locally. Data exchange between the web server and our centralized cloud is very fast and takes up minimal bandwidth versus a bandwidth-heavy live connection.”
