Marine leisure industry to benefit from new subscription-free charts and publications portal
by The Oxygen Agency 1 Aug 2020 05:56 UTC
A sophisticated new portal for nautical charts and publications has been launched that has no subscription or minimum contract term, and free updates and corrections.
OpenC247.com responds to the growing demand for digital technologies in the maritime sector. The soft launch of the portal has attracted more than 150 registered users, from captains of super yachts to shipping companies looking to streamline their approach to cost and compliance.
Jenni Bezer, Director at OpenC247.com Limited, which is based at London Stansted Airport in the UK, said: "The pace of maritime digitalisation has hastened during the Covid-19 crisis. We have seen shipping companies implementing new ways of working, including remote working and adopting digital technologies. Our mission has been to respond and create the simplest and most complete e-distribution platform for marine navigation.
"OpenC247.com strikes the perfect balance between cost management and productivity for any vessel or fleet. There is a growing need for captains to regulate costs in a drive for efficiency and maintaining business continuation. Our portal opens the door to vessel and fleet optimisation, with route planning tools that make chart selection intuitive.
"Users can pay for low-cost digital or paper charts and publications online using a credit card or pre-paid balance on their PC or Smartphone. They can download and integrate charts with any ECDIS or order paper delivery. We provide instant AVCS permits along with all relevant base and update files, free corrections and updates, as well as a compliance certificate on demand."
Through the portal, registered users can access ADMIRALTY AVCS instantly on demand 24/7 as well as free AIO for the T&Ps affecting the charts purchased. Free weekly updates for the full term of the licensed AVCS & AIO come as standard. Users can access permits and files at all times and re-apply them to an ECDIS or licensed PC as many times as needed.
Paper charts can be ordered for delivery to the next convenient port of call 24 hours, 7 days a week, and optimised via OpenC247.com instead of the tedious process of consulting NP131.
Weekly corrections and tracings are available online, removing the need for physical copies and referring to ADMIRALTY Notices to Mariners.
The full range of ADP and eNP publication titles as well as IMO e-books can be accessed instantly 24/7. The base files for all e-books are accessible online too, rendering DVDs obsolete. ADMIRALTY publications are available for the life of each edition, with cumulative correction supplements available online and without additional charge.
The portal also provides access to any of the 300+ publications, compatible with the IMO/Witherby e-reader, published by professional bodies such as OCIMF, Nautical Institute, Intertanko, BIMCO, SIGTTO and others together with all relevant files of the base e-book.
Users can access all base files, updates and new editions for licensed digital charts and publications at the click of the button, removing the need for DVDs or back of bridge software.