Marine navigation tech specialist C-MAP has announced a new CEO of Digital Marine Solutions Holding AS and the C-MAP group. Previously CEO of open platform locations company HERE (formerly a part of Nokia), Sean Fernback has a solid background in the navigation field have also previously led the engineering and product development departments for the consumer division of satnav specialists TomTom.

“Sean comes to C-MAP with an impressive and very relevant background,” says Hugo Maurstad, chairman of the board of C-Map Group AS. “His past experience demonstrates a natural ability to build and lead technical professionals towards effective product development and facilitate strategic execution of profitable sales initiatives. We are confident Sean will help us capitalise on the C-MAP platform to win the digital battle for recreational and commercial shipping market share."

“C-MAP has demonstrated exceptional development as a brand and has shown it is well positioned for continued expansion,” Fernback comments. “I welcome the opportunity to guide the professional and dedicated C-MAP team to break new ground in product innovation.”

The announcement comes off the back of the launch of C-MAP’s new Integrated Maritime Suite (IMS), an onboard application platform that employs machine learning and customised ship performance models to deliver unmatched voyage optimisation. While primarily aimed at the commercial industry where efficient shipping routes, fuel economy and safety are paramount, it is not hard to see how the platform could be utilised in a superyacht environment, particularly when planning extending cruising or ocean crossings.

IMS integrates with intuitive one-click weather routing and voyage planning along with official navigation charts and publications as well as seamlessly integrating with C-MAP’s shoreside fleet management tools. According to C-MAP, advanced predictive analysis within the Suite combines with sophisticated hydrodynamic ship modelling and high-res 15-day forecasts to recommend speed and heading changes to manage ship performance and avoid heavy weather, as well as predicting ship motion, engine and propeller characteristics to identify the most efficient routes. Further, IMS automatically updates and re-optimises passage plans as weather information changes or operational requirements change.

“Over the past 30 years, C-MAP’s navigation, weather and route optimisation products have been a favourite of ship masters around the world who depend on advanced and proven tools,” says Joel Meltzner, commercial sales leader. “IMS brings shipping a step closer towards the future of navigation, employing breakthrough technology to empower the bridge team.”

Routes created onboard or by the C-MAP shoreside routing team can be viewed within IMS and the fleet management web portal, and can be exported seamlessly into the vessel’s ECDIS in more than 30 compatible formats. “Our solution fully integrates onboard route optimisation with shoreside fleet management portals to provide predictive analytics based upon ship-specific performance data,” adds Meltzner. “This enables a completely new level of fleet performance management."

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