Pole Star is pleased to be working with Hamburg based shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg via their German based distributor, European Satellite Link (ESL).

A spokesman for Leonhardt & Blumberg commented that they "have employed the Pole Star Fleet Management services to provide an independent back up system to our existing operation. The functionality of the service also allows us to provide our shareholders with easy access to the positions of their ships."

For further information on Pole Star's Fleet Management service, or for further information on any of the Pole Star suite of products, please contact sales@polestarglobal.com

Pole Star has teamed up with satellite communications company NSSL to offer new security and asset-monitoring services to offshore rig operators. The demand for the service comes in the wake of events such as Hurricane Katrina and Rita that caused substantial damage to offshore rigs. The new service facilitates constant monitoring of offshore oil rigs, manned or unmanned, and their precise location.

The system means position reports are constantly available to designated personnel ashore and operate automatically; whether or not a rig is manned. Should a rig be evacuated, as it sits in the path of a hurricane for example, extra back-up batteries provides power for up to 15 days. Should a rig break loose from its moorings, shore-based personnel can continuously monitor its position and a rescue plan can then be implemented.

The new rig-monitoring service has already been taken up by leading offshore operators.

After extensive development, Aberdeen based OceanTools Ltd has delivered OceanTRAK - a new, cost-effective, surface tracking and recovery system for lost remotely operated vehicles or autonomously underwater vehicles.

Should a ROV detach from its umbilical and float to the surface, the OceanTRAK unit will automatically power itself up. The latest Pole Star technology inside the unit allows for the tracking of the precise location of the ROV or AUV within a few moments of it coming to the surface. Pole Star technology will then transmit this GPS data ashore and represent it on a secure map via the OceanTools website.

Managing Director of OceanTools Ltd, Kevin Parker said:

"We've spent several years researching the market and the various technologies on offer. The Pole Star tracking system along with its superb website became the obvious choice. We have now delivered the first 8 systems, have ordered an additional 20 and shortly expect to receive an order for 40 more systems. We're confident that a large percentage of the world's ROV and AUV operators will adopt the OceanTools / Pole Star tracking technology over the coming years".

For more information on OceanTRAK, please contact Kevin Parker on 01224 709 606 or click here to visit the OceanTools website.

Designed for use with Pole Star's professional Fleet Management system, the FM2 unit can be used to track and monitor any marine asset.

Pole Star has an FM1 unit designed for permanent fitting to powered vessels. The transportable FM2 hardware has been designed for use on un-powered vessels, such as deep sea tows, and for applications where the unit needs to be removable, such as ship and yacht deliveries. Quick release bolts allow for the unit to be fitted and removed easily.

The FM2 is a self-contained, rechargeable battery powered unit available with a number of additional options to extend the life of the unit between charges. The internal batteries power the self-contained unit. To extend the life of the unit between recharges additional rechargeable battery packs can be linked to the unit along with a solar panel option.

To enquire about FM2 hardware options to manage your unpowered vessels, or alternative options for your vessels with power on board, please contact our team at sales@polestarglobal.com

Pole Star is delighted once again to have its technology help power an innovative product into the final list for a prestigious industry award. SmartSafe, a compact bilge water monitor from Rivertrace Engineering Limited (RTE), powered by Pole Star's Purplefinder™ satellite communications module, was announced as a finalist in the Lloyd's List Clean Seas Award 2007.

RTE has developed SmartSafe at the request of the shipping industry to produce a reliable, robust and cost-effective bilge water monitor to not only meet but exceed today's demanding environmental regulatory requirements. SmartSafe indentifies the cause of the problem and, when configured with all options, prevents the discharge from occurring. Critically, via the communications module, the system informs the designated persons ashore of the pre-alarm and main-alarm exception events via email, SMS, fax and intuitive graphical user interface - thus providing increased assurance and, as a result, enhanced corporate responsibility.

Julian Longson, Director of Business Development at Pole Star, said: "Pole Star is proud of its contribution to RTE's SmartSafe product in helping secure its place as a finalist in the prestigious Lloyd's List Clean Seas Award 2007. We are particularly pleased that the mantra that 'what gets monitored gets managed' is being demonstrated." He commented further: "If the shipping industry is to become corporately responible it must implement environment compliance measures and to this end implement remote equipment monitoring and geo-verification using satellite communications of this kind."

Growing demand for Pole Star's popular Fleet Management service and its new Marine Asset Tracker service have led to the appointment of two new distributors servicing India, Lebanon and Syria.

Pole Star's newest distributor, Selcom Marine, will be offering Fleet Management and the new Marine Asset Tracker products, powered by Purplefinder™, to the Lebanese and Syrian markets.

Having already experienced success in selling Pole Star's Fleet Management and Marine Asset Tracker services in India, Pole Star is pleased to announce Elektronik Lab as a full distributor of these services.

Web View, the latest feature release from Pole Star, is not only a powerful marketing tool but can also be used to provide owners with access to vessel information.

Already used by some of the world's leading shipping companies; Web View enables users to display their fleet on to any public website with a fully customizable and professional map. Quick and easy to set up, it also incorporates features that allow users to hide sensitive information.

Alternatively, Web View can also be integrated in to company intranet sites. Users can customize the information displayed on the secure map to share vessel information - helping to better manage operational demands.

Coming soon from Pole Star will be further valuable marketing tools. Integrating the popular Google Earth and NASA's World Wind technology will allow customers to zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth.

Web View is exclusive to Pole Star's FM, MAT and YM products. If you would like further information on how your company can benefit from Web view please contact sales@polestarglobal.com

The new leading-edge RCM Marine Voyager product has won the Seatrade award for innovation in the category "New IT Applications for the Marine Industry". The product, developed by RCM Marine, monitors key parameters (such as speed, vibration, etc.) on turbochargers, turbines, pumps and gearboxes to enable operators to predict impending failure as well as notification of an actual failure.

While the RCM Marine Voyager technology monitors machinery status in real-time for engineers on board, Pole Star's remote equipment monitoring system allows shore-based experts to have access to critical diagnostic and warning information.

In addition, a daily health check confirms that all monitoring systems are in order. Exceptional events trigger fault diagnostics that will send either a pre-alarm or main-alarm dependant on the level of vibrations. All data is then displayed in the customised web-based user interface and can be configured to generate email or SMS notifications.

Bob Hargreaves, Managing Director of RCM Marine, commented: "We are delighted to have won this prestigious award from Seatrade. We are already receiving a steady stream of enquiries from major ship operators and managers. This will raise our profile further still." He continued: "The Pole Star system is an integral part of our product. It enables faults identified by our new product to be monitored not only aboard ship, but also on shore, thus providing a new level of support to shipboard personnel. It also makes possible the shore-sided monitoring of an entire fleet of ships."

Published in the Feb/March issue of Bunkerspot - Julian Longson, a Director of Pole Star / Purplefinder, argues that if the shipping industry is to become corporately responsible it must urgently establish fleet-wide Environmental Compliance Plans and to this end implement remote equipment monitoring and geo-verification using satellite communications.

Oil spills are synonymous with corporate irresponsibility and the authorities that regulate and monitor the shipping industry are adopting a zero tolerance approach to ship operators that are not fully MARPOL compliant. Port State Control (PSC) attention is focussed on the strict adherence to requirements concerning the use of Oily Water Separator systems. International, Regional and National laws now treat oil pollution discharge from ships as criminal acts punishable by heavy fines and possibly imprisonment. In several recent high-profile pollution cases, courts have imposed very severe penalties and these cases have demonstrated that a minimum compliance mentality is not enough to protect the environmental credentials of ship operators.

Please click here to read the full article.

Pole Star is pleased to announce the launch of its new Yacht Manager service. This service offers the yacht manager and chartering companies the ability to track and monitor their fleets movements. Benefiting from Pole Star's new credit based payment system - Yacht Manager is as flexible and easy to use as you would expect. Based on the established and respected Purplefinder system, Yacht Manager is controlled from the shore, via an internet enabled PC or mobile phone.

Yacht Manager includes features including C-Map charts with zoom and pan functionality, weather forecasting information, and new exciting features include: Zones - allowing the user to monitor vessels sailing near sensitive and/or dangerous areas; Groups - allowing the user to arrange and view yachts by type, size, owner or any other group of their choice.

Yacht Manager is compatible with an existing Inmarsat C transceiver or with a cost effective and discreet Pole Star D+ kit.

Regular postion reports are sent automatically by either email or SMS to ensure users always know where their yachts are. Instant polling is also available should the customer need to know where a yacht is in between position reports. The frequency of automatic position reports can be changed by the user whenever they need and can vary from yacht to yacht.

Pole Star Space Applications Ltd, the leading fleet management, asset tracking and ship security specialist, has launched Marine Asset Tracker (MAT), a new product designed to improve the operating efficiency of tug and barge, offshore supply, coastal and other workboat operations. MAT enables operators of powered and unpowered marine assets to monitor and manage their fleets from their desktop.

The MAT system incorporates much of the functionality of Pole Star's well-tried and tested Purplefinder™ product, originally designed for the tracking of deep sea vessels. The user can set an automatic position reporting frequency - from once a day to every ten minutes; can poll a vessel to receive an immediate position report in real time and display position on sophisticated C-Map™ electronic charts with zoom and pan functionality. Forecast weather data, together with storm, cyclone and hurricane information is available to view as a geographical overlay on the charts. The view can be customised to show an entire fleeet, or catergories within a fleet. The system can be accessed from any internet enabled PC.

The MAT system works in conjuction with dedicated transceiver units which are easily installed on the operator's fleet. There are two hardware options: a MAT1 unit, for assets with their own power supply, is a small GPS enabled satellite transceiver that simply plugs in to the ship's 24V power circuit; a MAT2 unit is designed for unpowered vessels and incorporates a rechargeable battery pack. In normal use the MAT2 unit will last 7 days between recharges. For voyages longer than 7 days extra battery packs and/or solar panels can be linked to a MAT2 unit.

Pole Star's Chief Executive David Plumer explains why MAT provides a powerful new management tool for workboat operators. "Whether you are running a fleet of offshore supply vessels or a tug and barge operation, knowing exactly where your assets are at any one time is a real benefit. Perhaps you are concerned about the impact of weather, or maybe you want to track valuable assets through a high-risk area. Using MAT will make workboat operations more efficient, safer and more secure."

A key feature of the new product is the ability to set your own "geo-zones" and receive automatic notifications by SMS or email if assets enter or leave these zones. For example, a geo-zone could be set around an environmentally sensistive area and the operator on shore will be alerted if the tug or tow enters the zone. To use MAT each asset is registered on the system for an intial fee and thereafter use of the services is charged on a pay-as-you-go credit system, with credits purchased in advance in packs of 1000, 2000 or 3000. Credit consumption depends on usage; on the basis of four position reports a day, 1000 credits could last 4-5 months.

Operators can check their account balance on-line at any time. They will also receive a warning by email when credits are running low. "We have purposely kept the pricing of the service as competitive as possible", says David Plumer, "because we realise that many offshore operators and workboat companies operate large fleets. However the flexibility ofthe system and the potential improvements to operating efficiency it brings make an investment in MAT money well spent".

Pole Star and Skywave Mobile Communications were delighted to team up and sponsor up-to-the minute tracking of the yachts participating in this year's San Fernando race between Hong Kong and the Philippines, organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC). Yacht racing enthusiasts from all around the globe were able to watch the progress on the RHKYC website as the competing boats raced across the South China Sea.

Pole Star's new Leisure Marine products are designed for Yacht Clubs. The clubs themselves provide day-to-day tracking, safety and security and race tracking services to their members.

The race tracking capability makes positions of the yachts competing in the race available on a web-based marine chart. As well as providing regular position reports, race officials can poll individual yachts at will for virtually real time position reporting. The charts can also display prevailing wind and wave and other meteorlogical conditions.

Feedback from web spectators has been hugely positive. "Thanks for keeping us updated," said one enthusiast. "It's been amazing to see the yachts' positions by satellite. You have made the world smaller and the fun greater!"

Yacht Clubs and their members will soon be able to benefit on a permanent basis from Pole Star's latest products. The new Leisure Marine range will enable the Yacht Club and the owner to monitor their yachts when racing, cruising, moored or at anchor. The new equipment is portable and easily carried ashore for storage when a yacht is not in use. Primarily designed to enhance safety and security, a "geo-zoning" capability generates an alert, on screen and sent by text or email, to the Yacht Club, safety officer, owner, or other designated person if the yacht crosses the user-defined zone boundaries.

Pole Star and Skywave have joined forces previously to sponsor the tracking of yachts in the Vietnam Race and the China Sea Race last year.

Pole Star is pleased to annouce their agreement with Saigon Maritime Services (Samaser) who will distribute and service the Pole Star suite of Commercial Marine products in Vietnam. Samaser is already a respected supplier of services to a large number of Commercial Marine operators in the country. The company, led by Do Binh Duong, is well placed to raise the profile of Pole Star in the region. Pole Star is delighted to bring its suite of products to the Vietnamese market with Saigon Maritime Services.

Pole Star is also happy to annouce the appointment of Fleet Automation Services of Singapore as a Commercial Marine distributor in the Singapore/Indonesia region. Fleet Automation Services will predominantly market our Marine Asset Tracker and Fleet Management services as they have been involved with tugs and barge operation through their sister company SMC Marine. Their wealth of knowledge and reputation amongst the region's owners and operators has them well placed to extend Pole Star's reach in the South East Asian market.

Pole Star is pleased to announce their Distributor agreement with Aage Hempel of Spain to distribute and service the Pole Star suite of Commercial Marine products. With Aage Hempel's national presence in Spain, preceding reputation, and with a new proactive sales team led by Pepe Bris, Pole Star is delighted to bring its product to the Spanish market with Aage Hempel.

Pole Star is also happy to announce the appointment of Aeoliki Marine as its Commercial Marine distributor in Norway. Aeoliki Marine is also Pole Star's UK distributor for its Commerical Marine products and has had great success in selling Pole Star's SSAS services to the UK market. With Aeoliki already counting a number of Norwegian shipping companies in their SSAS customer base, it is a welcomed and natural progression to increase their territory and the range of Pole Star products they will distribute.

Pole Star will be promoting its new product range at key industry gatherings in the coming weeks, including the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) from March 19th - 21st and Sea Asia in Singapore, from April 2nd - 4th. On show will be the company's Fleet Management products which provide a constant fleet-tracking capability; weather forecasting, storm, cyclone and hurricane information; email or SMS alerts; voyage history and ship polling capability. The company will also be demonstrating how its technology enables different Ship Security and Alert Systems (SSAS) to be intergrated across a whole fleet, enabling ship operators to view and track their ships, and manage potential alerts and message traffic across an entire fleet on screen. Pole Star will also be demonstrating its newly launched Marine Asset Tracker (MAT), a highly versatile device for powered and unpowered craft including offshore support vessels, tugs, barges and other work boats.