Article

Maritime Big Data in Demand - Vessels on a Map Is No Longer Cutting It


by GateHouse Maritime A/S - published on 30 October 2019 175 -

photo and article by GateHouse Maritime A/S

In the last couple of years several paid as well as free tools have made it easier than ever to access vessels on a map. Although vessels shown on a map have their place, authorities and industry are understanding the greater potential and value of the underlying AIS data.

The volume of AIS data available for collection continues to grow with the expansion of both satellite AIS and terrestrial AIS networks. Today, more than 250,000 vessels are equipped with AIS transponders and being tracked in real-time. Each vessel transmits both static information (e.g. vessel name, MMSI, dimensions, etc) and dynamic information (e.g. location, speed over ground, heading, etc), providing a rich dataset from which sophisticated analytics can be extracted. There is significant value in displaying this vessel information on a map and providing skilled operators with situational awareness. However, much additional value can be extracted from the data if it is stored and structured appropriately. Tools for automating this data analysis are available, and the resulting information can be disseminated via standardized APIs.

Structuring and Storage of Data
The structuring and storage of data is critical to support analytics. GateHouse Maritime is continuously evaluating its temporal-spatial database structure and incorporating the latest GIS database tools to support the reliable and efficient creation of valuable information from either live or historical AIS data.

User-Defined Analytic Reports
One of the biggest challenges today is an overflow of data and information, which targeted analytic reports is a way to mitigate. Actionable information is user-driven, meaning that each user may require different information parsed from the same data. Information that is valuable to one user, may have limited or no value to another user. As an example, in the same geographic area:

An authority may want to receive an automatically generated message if a tugboat transits an environmentally sensitive area.
A tugboat operations group may be interested in the speed of the tugboat for a set period to ensure that it is operating at the most efficient speed to conserve fuel or minimize pollution.
A tugboat accounting group may only want to know each tugboat’s location at a specified time to confirm billing for a job.
A pilot may need a precise estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the tugboat to a meeting location.
It is important that the analytics solution is easily configurable so that the user can define exactly what information is of importance to them.

Configurable and Easily Integrated into Any Maritime Operation
GateHouse Maritime’s solution can be configured to provide information parsed from AIS to support operations in:

Logistics
Regulatory monitoring
Search and Rescue
Statistical analysis of waterways performance
Fisheries monitoring
Commodity movements supporting investment strategies
Dispatch
Billing

Deployment of standalone systems has become less and less desirable for both small and large organizations. Organizations are looking to be able to incorporate information from a variety of sources to provide insight into their business processes. Once the information is generated, it needs to be made easily available to users in a standardized fashion – no matter the source of data. GateHouse Maritime understands the importance of providing access to information in a standardized, non-proprietary fashion to facilitate easy integration with other systems.

Available as a Web Service
To facilitate information dissemination, GateHouse Maritime has designed its platform to support Data as a Service (DaaS) through the use of web services. This means that a user can simply login to the solution from any standard web browser. Web services enable an easy integration between a client system and the GateHouse Maritime System. The web services use the standard REST (REpresentational State Transfer) protocol. In effect the GateHouse Maritime web service is a number of web services that cater to different parts of the GateHouse system. Most of the web services use the CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) standard for managing objects and their state between a client system and the GateHouse system.
What's your opinion on this?
Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Read more...

Video How an AIS MOB Personal Emergency Transmitter works

published on 10 September 2020

Within seconds after the AIS MOB personal locator beacon easyONE-DSC is submerged into the water, the unit activates automatically and starts trasnmitting AIS and DSC alerts into vicinity of up to 7 nauticval miles.
You can also see the bright and strong red LED flare flashing which increases visibility of the victim in darkness drastically.
More product information

1

Article How AIS Works - Operation of AIS

published on 25 July 2019

The term Automatic Identification System (AIS) refers to a radio system that improves the safety and guidance of vessel traffic by exchanging navigation and other vessel data.

0

Article Ship ahoy! Using AIS data

by LuxSpace Sàrl - published on 30 January 2019

How LUXSPACE uses AIS messages to monitor worldwide shipping traffic

0

Video Baltic Workboats Steams into the U.S. Pilot Boat Market

published on 29 January 2026

Based in Estonia, Baltic Workboats is a long-tenured boatbuilder for multiple markets, including the demanding pilot boat sector. Late in 2025 in New Orleans BWB debuted a new hybrid electric 17m model, a boat that leans on more than 15 years of accrued experience building larger hybrid electric vessels. Carl Mahler, BWB’s North American sales lead and a harbor pilot himself, discussed with Maritime Reporter TV the value proposition offered by the shipyard, from manufacturing process to...

0

Article Finnpilot Pilotage Orders Sixth Watercat 160 Pilot from Marine Alutech

published on 29 April 2025

Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd has reinforced its long-standing partnership with Marine Alutech by placing an order for another Watercat 160 Pilot vessel. This latest acquisition marks the sixth vessel of the new 160 Pilot Series for the Finnish Pilotage organisation’s fleet.

0

Opinion AIMPA Journal Issue III - October 2020 for download here

by AIMPA - All India Marine Pilots' Association - published on 24 October 2020

The All India Maritime Pilots' Association has released its new journal for October.

1

Video MV Arvin 17.01.21 - Moment of breaking of the ship

published on 7 February 2021

On 17.01.2021, at 12:35 pm, the research conducted by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure based on the distress signal received from the Satellite Assisted Search and Rescue System (Cospas-Sarsat system), it was found that the Palau flagged Arvin ship was sunk, and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center Search and rescue elements were immediately dispatched to the region. Due to adverse weather conditions, the ship anchored in the...

0

Article A Guide to the Career of a Maritime Pilot

published on 30 June 2021

A maritime pilot, also known as harbor pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or ongested waters, such as harbors or river mouths.

1

Article Pilots Corner – A perspective from New Zealand

by Chirp Maritime - published on 25 August 2020

The next step for NZMPA is to issue a set of regulator-endorsed guidance notes. The first version will focus on accommodation ladders used in conjunction with pilot ladders.

1