ATHENS, 3rd July 2013. Cisco has announced that the Diamlemos Shipping Corp. has decided to implement a unique telecommunications solution that is specifically designed for the shipping industry: SmartBox-V.

 The SmartBox-V is an integrated bundle of Software and quality Services from Setel running on a Cisco blade server which is hosted within a Cisco modular 2900 series router. This solution will allow Diamlemos to reduce the complexity of on-vessel communications equipment. SmartBox-V will simplify and optimize the vessel’s communications, reduce the costs of managing the equipment, and offer a comprehensive set of crew welfare applications. 

 The project implementation is focused on consolidating the IT infrastructure. First, the network will be redesigned to replace the existing PBX with Cisco® Unified Communications Manager to interconnect offices in Piraeus, London, Arizona and Monaco. Second, SmartBox-V, as the Cisco Cloud Connector, will be hosted on a Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Service Router (ISR) with the Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) E-Series  blade server.

 

Key points of the announcement

•  Diamlemos Shipping chose an integrated solution for a manageable and highly secure gateway onboard commercial vessels by consolidating all the available communications devices (Inmarsat FBB, VSAT, 3G/4G, Wi-Fi), providing a high-performance and highly reliable platform to develop advanced and customized communication features for the access of private and public cloud services.

 

• SmartBox-V, as the Cisco Cloud Connector, is able to handle Ethernet ports in a versatile way by enabling WAN/LAN/VLAN architecture on demand. At the same time, the Cisco ISR multiservice capabilities offer bandwidth management, optimized firewall, VPN, proxy and mail server, an Internet gateway and embedded high-quality IP telephony through Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express with advanced crew welfare features – all on a single Cisco ISR platform.

  

The business benefits are:

 

• Improved maritime communications and business transactions for highly reliable and consistent user experiences.

• TCO optimized as a result of vessels being part of the office network, which helps ensure interoperability, responsiveness and remote support.

• VoIP connections that practically eliminate vessel-to-office communication costs, thus providing free ship-to-shore phone communication and a measurable and significant ROI.

• Improved crew moral and a significant increase in crew-retention rates
  
  
  
  Statements in support

 Capt. G. Balabanos, managing director, Diamlemos Shipping: “Cisco Cloud Connector helped us increase productivity both at sea and ashore through comprehensive unified communications, mobility, flexibility, redundancy and high availability. High performance is very important in our business, because a short delay in making a trade can lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of euros.”

 Antonis Tsiboukis, Greece, Cyprus and Malta general manager, Cisco: "The value and the dynamics of Greek commercial maritime is recognized worldwide. Cisco in collaboration with Setel Hellas implemented the SmartBox-V Cloud Connector with features especially for the shipping market. We will continue working hard towards this target: to help organizations in the shipping industry operate more efficiently through innovative Cisco technologies."

  

Supporting Resources

• Download the whole of this success story about the project.
• To learn more about Cisco Cloud Connectors and Setel Hellas Shipping Connector visit: www.cisco.com/go/cloudconnectors
• To learn more about Cisco Collaboration Solutions visit: www.cisco.com/go/collaboration
• To learn more about SmartBox-V visit: https://marketplace.cisco.com/catalog/products/3283
• RSS feed news from Cisco

   

Diamlemos Shipping Corp.

Diamlemos Shipping Corp. is one of the oldest and most esteemed Hellenic Shipping Companies. It manages deep sea commercial vessels and owns two offices in Piraeus and London. With 60 office employees, 9 deep sea commercial vessels, 200 seamen onboard and 10 superintendents travelling the globe, Diamlemos Shipping Corp. needed to focus on renovating their entire infrastructure to respond to the ever growing needs for responsiveness, efficiency, security and availability.

 

 About Setel

Setel Hellas is an international provider of market leading ICT solutions specially designed for the marine and offshore vertical businesses. Being a key partner of Harris CapRock Communications, HP, and Cisco Systems among others, Setel is currently operating in Piraeus, Cyprus, Fujairah, China, Singapore, USA covering the International Shipping Industry and serving more than 150 Shipping companies worldwide. With emphasis on low-cost and high-value solutions as the key to both short and long term economical sustainability, Setel has designed and developed a wide range of solutions that enable organizations to expand the possibilities for competitive advantage and reach their full potential.

 

 About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.