NavSim Equips Great Lakes Pilots with Next-Generation Portable Piloting Systems

St. John’s, NL (April 10, 2012) – NavSim Technology Inc., a leading Canadian developer of  portable marine eNavigation systems, has signed a contract with the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority (Cornwall, Ontario) to equip its marine pilots with NavSim’s new integrated Portable Piloting Units (PPUs). The 4-year contract also includes a comprehensive service and support package as well as major software upgrades customized to address evolving regional requirements and challenges. The Great Lakes Pilotage Authority (GLPA) contract marks the first major order for NavSim’s recently launched integrated Portable Piloting Unit.

“NavSim has a long history of close collaboration and cooperation with Canadian marine pilots—including the Great Lakes and Laurentian pilots whose early input and ongoing feedback have helped us advance the state-of-the-art in terms of navigation system versatility, functionality and performance,” says NavSim’s CEO, Alvin Osmond. “It is this seminal and growing partnership with marine pilots that has allowed us to extend NavSim’s eNavigation capabilities even further, setting new industry standards with this latest integrated PPU.”

“In working with them over the years, we’ve come to appreciate the special expertise and experience of the GLPA pilots—especially given the many difficult navigational challenges they face on a daily basis. So we’re very excited about the prospect of putting NavSim’s new PPU in the hands of navigational professionals who will truly put them to test. And we know that their expert feedback and input will allow us to augment and refine the PPU’s performance even further. This fits perfectly with our commitment to integrate the expert user into the PPU design process itself and produce a navigation system that is smart, flexible and precisely meets the critical requirements of the marine pilot user.”

The NavSim PPU includes NavSim’s new portable Rate of Turn unit, developed initially through a partnership with the British Columbia Coast Pilots and Wheelhouse Solutions Inc. This highly versatile integrated solution provides advanced portable docking system capabilities as well as extremely sensitive and accurate “rate of turn” information used by pilots during close-quarters ship handling. New modules for high-definition bathymetry, dynamic water-level and tide window information, and Vessel Traffic Optimization are currently in development.

According to Robert Lemire, CEO of the Great Lakes Pilotage Authority (GLPA), “Equipping GLPA pilots with NavSim’s new integrated PPUs will help ensure that the Great Lakes-Seaway remains one of the world’s safest and most efficient commercial waterways.”

Marine transportation activities under the GLPA’s regional service mandate contribute $14.5 billion annually to the North American economy, with approximately 200 million metric tons of cargo moving through the region’s lakes, locks and seaway every year. The GLPA has been at the forefront in terms of adopting eNavigation innovations to further enhance the safety, efficiency and commercial competitiveness of marine traffic in the region.

“The new NavSim PPU is an important new decision-support tool for our marine pilots and will serve as a flexible platform and equipment standard on which to build additional e-Navigation and traffic optimization capabilities,” says Mr. Lemire.

“This equipment acquisition signals the GLPA’s commitment to further enhancing the already excellent level of pilotage services currently delivered on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. The GLPA’s safety record and efficiency of service speak for themselves. And the new NavSim PPUs represent a related investment in the continued future growth and competitiveness of North America’s most important inland transportation corridor.”

Recent finalization of NavSim PPU equipment delivery and training means GLPA pilots will be fully equipped with the latest in advanced e-Navigation capabilities for the opening of the 2012 navigation season.