Dubai-based Topaz Energy and Marine has signed an agreement with Orange Business Services for a Maritime Connect solution that connects its fleet at sea and supports the corporate network. Topaz is a leading offshore support vessel company for the global energy industry. The Orange integrated communications platform increases the efficiency of the fleet, lowers cost and improves the onboard experience for crew.

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Orange's integrated solution enables Topaz to manage its fleet efficiently in real time (Photo: Oran ...

Orange's integrated solution enables Topaz to manage its fleet efficiently in real time (Photo: Orange Business Services)

Under a three-year agreement Orange is initially connecting 39 vessels from the Topaz fleet, and by the end of 2018, Orange will roll out Maritime Connect across the entire fleet of more than 110 vessels.

The Orange Maritime Connect platform incorporates multiple connections including VSAT, L-Band terminals, 3G/4G and Wi-Fi. It routes traffic depending on the availability of the link and with the appropriate quality of service. This allows Topaz to integrate its fleet into the corporate network as “offices at sea” and rollout business-critical applications.

A key application for Topaz is fleet management, which manages ships at sea and provides invaluable business intelligence. This includes dashboards that can detect vessels deviating from the average standard in terms of fuel consumption, speed or maintenance issues, for example.

Maritime Connect also delivers innovative maritime bandwidth management and optimization features. It manages voice, video and data in limited bandwidth and challenging weather conditions and prevents cyberattacks thanks to an integrated suite of security features.

Orange is uniquely able to support maritime digital transformation by combining many different technologies and networks – both onshore and offshore – with end-to-end integration and in-house satellite connectivity. Shipping companies, IT managers, captains and the crew can control access to data and voice services on board vessels or remotely from the shore.

Luc Serviant, vice president, Middle East and Africa at Orange Business Services, commented: “Today Orange is working across all sectors to help enterprises to respond to the demands of digital transformation. Historically in the maritime sector, limited connectivity and the need for multiple communications providers has meant the exclusion of fleets from the centralized business processes, ultimately resulting in reduced productivity. With Maritime Connect, Topaz can integrate its ships with the shore and is able to transform them into branch offices at sea.”

René Kofod-Olsen, Chief Executive Officer, Topaz commented: ”The maritime industry is undergoing its own digital transformation, from digital ports to vessel management. We operate in a unique context spanning ship to shore operations, with the majority of our people based offshore. By enhancing the communications capabilities of our vessels, we are able to synchronize and manage our integrated business operations more effectively and ensure our crew can easily access the internet for all their business communication needs, as well as connecting them to family and friends and transforming the onboard experience.”

About Topaz Energy and Marine
Topaz Energy and Marine is a leading offshore support vessel company providing marine solutions to the global energy industry with primary focus on the Caspian, Middle East, West Africa and Subsea operations. Headquartered in Dubai, Topaz operates a fleet of about 100 offshore support vessels of an average age of 8 years. Topaz is a subsidiary of Renaissance Services SAOG, a publicly traded company on the Muscat Securities Market, Oman.

About Orange Business Services
Orange Business Services, the Orange branch dedicated to B2B services, is not only a telecom operator, but also an IT solutions integrator and applications developer in France and around the world. Its 20,000 employees support companies in all areas of their digital transformation: mobile and collaborative workspaces; IT/cloud infrastructure; fixed and mobile connectivity; private and hybrid networks; applications for Internet of Things, 360° customer experience and Big Data analytics; and cybersecurity thanks to dedicated experts and infrastructure to protect information systems. More than 3,000 multinational organizations and 2 million SOHOs, enterprises and local authorities in France rely on Orange Business Services as their trusted partner.

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Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with annual sales of 40.9 billion euros in 2016 and 269 million customers worldwide at 30 June 2017. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.