Shipping, Offshore Industry Demand and New Products
are Driving Record Growth at ABS Nautical Systems
ABS Nautical Systems’ Annual Users Conference, Philadelphia 26-29 September

September 29, 2005

Houston, TX---) ABS Nautical Systems has reported a 20 percent year-on-year growth in its client base as clear evidence that shipowners have identified specialized enterprise management software as the most efficient way of satisfying changing operational and regulatory demands.

Nautical Systems’ President Jack Kitchura cited the new requirements for integrated activity and document control contained in the Oil Companies International Forum (OCIMF) Tanker Management and Self Awareness (TMSA) program as just the latest example of these new demands. “Compliance with TMSA can be greatly simplified by using the recently released NS 5 program from Nautical Systems,” he said.

Kitchura was addressing the more than 120 representatives from existing Nautical Systems shipowning and ship management clients attending the software provider’s Annual Users Conference and workshops that stretched over four days in Philadelphia this week.

“Regulatory overload and commercial, safety and environmental pressures are driving the adoption of more technically advanced and effective management systems and we are providing them,” Kitchura said. “Our most recent product, NS 5, is the most complete fleet management software system that is available to the maritime industries. It is specifically tailored to make fleet operational and technical management more efficient and to provide better overall cost control for the user.”

Some of the important customer driven improvements in NS 5 include: an enhanced user interface, local site adaptability and a full range of customizable reporting capabilities. NS 5’s intuitive architecture encourages use, particularly by those not familiar with software, and reduces the need for familiarization.

With demand for NS products rising fast, Kitchura assured those attending the User Conference that ABS Nautical Systems is expanding it’s staffing to maintain customer service at the highest level. “We have taken on significant additional staff during the last year to manage new projects and prepare for other work already contracted,” he said. “And we are planning to continue this expansion in the coming months, not only in our dominant market in the Americas but also in Europe and Asia where we are experiencing rapid growth.”

User Conferences are a crucial part of the development process for Nautical Systems’ software according to the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Evan Michaelides. “Our clients are our steering committee,” he said. “We listen to their needs and work in partnership with them to develop the tools and systems they need to manage their fleets more efficiently within an increasingly complex regulatory and commercial environment.”

Users participated in open discussions and specialized forums for specific user groups such as tanker operators (for TMSA), offshore, inland and government operators to refine existing products and identify future modules. “By working with our clients, we are able to deliver a product that is very practical, very operationally focused, that addresses their day-to-day needs in the office and aboard the ships in their fleets,” Michaelides said.

Among those attending the conference were representatives from client companies such as Costamare Shipping Company, Canada Steamship Lines, Inc., Crowley Maritime Corporation, Dorchester Maritime Ltd., Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd., Keystone Shipping Co., Matson Navigation Co., Inc., OSG Ship Management, Southern Ship Management, and the US Maritime Administration.

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Editor’s Note
For more recent news of Nautical Systems and client developments please go to: www.abs-ns.com/e-news/index.html

Nautical Systems NS 5 - further details
A complete suite of NS 5 modules handles every aspect of operational management - from regulatory requirements, to payroll, to planned maintenance programs and voyage management. Fully integrated, the modules eliminate the need for repetitive data entry, sharing information and allowing you to move rapidly from one to the other. The integrated architecture makes adding modules simple. Each module is valuable on its own but a complete NS 5 system provides the most powerful, single-source fleet management tool available. NS 5 is an easy-to-use Windows-based program with full replication capability. Underlying NS 5 database technology is the MySQL database manager. NS 5 comprises marine and offshore modules – for full details please go to: www.abs-ns.com/products.html