Bergen-based Utkilen, Wilson Ship Management, Seatrans and Solstad Offshore will all go live with the ability to receive e-invoices from connected suppliers.

In addition to the Norwegian owners,  a further five major ship suppliers including leading ship chandlers EMS and HMS have recently also signed up to use the e-invoicing service.

Over the last few months, thousands of invoices have been successfully transferred through the platform using an MTML translation service, with many more suppliers and buyers set to come on stream over the next few months.

By using e-invoicing, buyers are able to process invoices quicker into their back-office system, and align with purchase orders and eliminate manual errors.

It gives buyers the ability to replace a paper or PDF invoice sent from their supplier with an electronic document capable of loading directly into their purchasing/accounting system.

One of the key benefits of the e-invoicing solution for a buyer is that it provides 24/7 visibility on all its received invoices so a purchasing manager can see exactly when an invoice has entered the system and its progress through the system.

“It makes real sense for us to offer e-invoicing as we can seamlessly integrate it with all our other services such as the KPI reporting dashboard so it gives clients complete transaction visibility, and means that they no longer have to use a stand-alone electronic scanning solution,” said Kim Skaarup, Chief Operating Officer of ShipServ.

Copyright © 2012 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Mark Warner mwarner@shipserv.com +44 203 0510256.

ShipServ and IMPA have been collaborating since 2001, when the e-commerce provider started offering the IMPA Marine Stores Guide to use in its onboard electronic Catalogue tool and this relationship was strengthened last year, when the use of the IMPA Code was extended to online supplier directory ShipServ Pages to simplify and speed up product sourcing even further.

Under the agreement officially signed at the IMPA conference in London in September, IMPA product codes are now displayed automatically to purchasing managers using ShipServ Pages to source suppliers.

“The fact that we see continued growth in the use of IMPA codes on both TradeNet and Pages illustrates the importance of data quality when sourcing products by using the industry’s recognised standard. We will continue to work closely with IMPA to ensure that purchasing managers see the full benefits of using the IMPA code,” said Kim Skaarup, Chief Operating Officer of ShipServ.

Buyers save time in locating specific parts or products when using either Pages or TradeNet by automatically-suggesting IMPA codes for product searches. Buyers can also use the IMPA code where known, to search for specific products directly.

The use of ShipServ Pages continued to grow dramatically in 2011 with over one million visitors coming to the site to source supplies from over 38,000 ship suppliers – a 72% rise in traffic from 2010.

Over the last few months, thousands of invoices have been successfully transferred through the platform using an MTML translation service, with many more suppliers set to come on stream over the next few months.

By using e-invoicing, buyers will be able to process invoices quicker into their back-office system, and align with purchase orders and eliminate manual errors. It gives buyers the ability to replace a paper or PDF invoice sent from their supplier with an electronic document capable of loading directly into their purchasing/accounting system.

German ship supplier HMS signed up in November for both its Singapore and Germany offices after a full presentation.

“We are delighted to be the first general ship supplier to sign up to the service and hope that it will reduce the steps in processing invoices for both us and the buyer. Being a fully integrated ShipServ supplier, we feel this to further strengthen our relationship with our customers,” said Rene Heim, managing director of Hanseatic Marine Services.

“We are working with our software partners whose systems contain invoice matching or vouchering so that in the near future e-invoicing will be as easy to plug-and-play as order management,” said Mikael Weis, Senior VP of Client Relations for ShipServ.

One of the key benefits of the e-invoicing solution for a buyer is that it provides 24/7 visibility on all its received invoices so a purchasing manager can see exactly when an invoice has entered the system and its progress through the system.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Mark Warner mwarner@shipserv.com +44 203 0510256.

London, UK, 30 November, 2011. ShipServ, the leading marine and offshore e-marketplace, has strengthened its penetration of the cruise shipping sector with the signing of Crystal Cruises to the TradeNet platform.

Crystal Cruises is a luxury segment cruise operator owned by Japan’s NYK Line and operates independently out of Los Angeles, California. It has won numerous awards and accolades, including Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards for Large Ship Cruise Line” for the past two years running.

The agreement covers two ships [Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity] using SpecTec’s Amos maintenance and purchasing system.

Crystal Cruises joins a global ShipServ community of over 170 shipowners, managers, shipyards and drilling contractors trading with 37,000 suppliers servicing over 6,000 ships.

Sector leaders Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Norwegian Cruise Line, Star Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania are among active members of the growing cruise community.

Peder Arstorp, VP Sales, Americas, ShipServ said:

“The cruise sector is already among the most active users of TradeNet and we are delighted to welcome Crystal Cruises to the ShipServ community. The cruise industry has unique requirements that complement ShipServ’s core services platform. The sheer volume and need for a fast and hands free processing of their supply chain needs means that we can shorten lead times, improve competitiveness and automate a broad spectrum of parts and services deliverables.“

Bob Koven, Vice President of Procurement, Crystal Cruises, said:

“As we look to increase the efficiencies of our worldwide operation, we expect the new system to streamline our purchasing processes. We would like to thank ShipServ for making the implementation process so smooth and seamless.”

Because cruiseships work to tight itineraries in numerous ports, the volume and urgency of turnaround requirements for spares and consumables makes e-commerce a vital tool for buyers.

ShipServ helps buyers to do business with new suppliers using tools like TradeRank, which enables buyers to look at what their peers are saying about supplier service and deliverability.

ShipServ’s Reviews and Ratings function enables buyers to leave comments on supplier performance and encourages suppliers to seek reviews on their service levels.

Peder Arstorp adds;

“Buyers can also see the total volume of transactions taking place over TradeNet, enabling them to easily see which suppliers are doing a lot of volume. Brand owners and OEMs can also use TradeRank to certify authorised suppliers, adding a further level of assurance to buyer decisions.”

Ends

About Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises is owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) of Tokyo, Japan, one of the largest and most successful shipping companies in the world. Crystal Cruises was launched in 1988 and its first ship, Crystal Harmony entered service in 1990, joining NYK’s cruise division in 2005. Sistership Crystal Symphony was launched in 1995 and a third ship, Crystal Serenity, was introduced in July 2003. For more information visit www.crystalcruises.com.

About ShipServ
ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person.The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Mark Warner mwarner@shipserv.com +44 203 0510256.

To see all ShipServ’s recent media releases in one place, please see: http://www.pitchengine.com/newsroom.php?id=1997

London, UK, 31 October, 2011

THE current economic climate means that smart shipping practices will continue to thrive, but corporate inertia is the biggest obstacle to the success of any initiative in the coming months, the inaugural SmartShipping conference in Singapore was told this month.

The event co-hosted by ShipServ and NHST Events/Tradewinds saw over 170 delegates listen to a stellar cast of visionaries from the shipping industry on how the sector can become more efficient, reduce and control costs, improve performance and stay compliant.

The speakers and panellists were quick to agree that smart shipping is not a single, revolutionary idea or concept that is going to transform the industry – but is a combination of innovative thinking, technologies and processes combined with a greater understanding of the human element.

But the biggest stumbling block to any implementation is the internal culture of shipping companies and their suppliers.

Rajaish Bajpaee, CEO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, said:

“Smart Shipping is about driving innovation and creating value for customers. Technology, processes, people are enablers, but the real driver is the mindset of creating value for customers and driving innovation.”

“Too many companies go down just the basic compliance to regulations route, but these only meet minimum standards and do not provide the required value for customers. Corporate leadership must drive a corporate ‘Smart DNA’ to add value,” he added.

Evidence of smart initiatives in practice were given by a variety of speakers in the  ‘Drivers of SmartShipping’ session including how container giant Seaspan has changed its vessel design through its SAVER programme and how shipbuilder Oshima Shipyard has developed its ECO-ship strategy.

Peter Jackson, Head of Newbuilding and Technology at Seaspan Ship Management said:

“The development of an internal capacity to think in an innovative way is more important than the product itself and it is vital that you build a good team to foster this.”

The importance of the humanware aspect and in particular the vital role of seafarers in any new step change was enforced in presentations by Doris Ho, CEO of A.Magsaysay Inc and Capt. Rajalingam Subramaniam, VP of Fleet Management at MISC.

“The most important element is ensuring that the HR strategy and corporate business strategy are aligned from conception,” said Ms Ho.

One important aspect of implementing smarter initiatives is that the measurement metrics must be clearly defined and explained to all internal stakeholders.

Case studies of fuel efficiency programmes recently undertaken were given by Rune Steen, president and CEO of Masterbulk and Jan Øivind Svardal, VP of project development for Grieg Shipping.

Providing all stakeholders with key metrics and full analysis is vital to get full management buy-in and keep project momentum,” said Mr Svardal.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority provided a subsidy to the Masterbulk fuel efficiency project under its Green Technology program and is working hard to foster an innovative culture.

Cheong Keng Soon, Director of the MPA’s maritime division, said:

“It is innovation that drives improvements in shipping and it is the catalyst for Smart Shipping.  The MPA strongly believes that innovation is crucial for the continued growth of the maritime industry.”The conference was preceded by a Gala dinner at the Asian Civilizations Museum attended by all the delegates.

“Being ‘smart’ is already part of the language of telecoms, IT and sourcing and we felt it was time to ask ‘in today’s business climate, what is smart shipping?’ What was clear from the conference sessions was that a wide cross section of owners and operators are now serious about smart shipping – putting real money and resources behind energy efficiency, smarter crews and technical innovation,” said conference director, Banu Kannu of NHST Events.

Paul Østergaard, CEO of co-hosts ShipServ concluded:

“The quality of speakers and the surrounding debate at dinner and during the conference highlights the value of a forum for discussing new initiatives and innovation aligned to business practice. It has been very clear over the course of the event that Smart Shipping is here to stay as companies look to gain advantages in the current climate.”

Ends

About SmartShipping

The SmartShipping event was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore on October 17th and 18th.  Delegates to the conference included representatives from over 40 of the world’s leading shipowners, shipmanagers and shipyards.
Lloyd’s Register acted as strategic event partner and presented the findings of their SmartSurvey during the conference. Sponsors of the event included Atlas Ship Supply, RightShip, Bernard Schulte, MAN Diesel, Princeton Pharmacy, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Satellite Phone Store, AXS Marine, Eniram, HMS, New Course Shipping, Roodhart Marine Services, Ship Equip, Keppel Shipyard, Keppel Singmarine, Keppel Philippines Marine and World Ship Supplies.

About NHST Events

NHST Events produces lively, independent and interactive conferences where knowledge is gained, experiences shared and vital connections made. We consider the ability to adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances to be a vital component for every business today and our events offer crucial insight into interpreting market trends. Our clients are high-level company executives and expect a rewarding mixture of intelligent thought-leadership, practical guidance and all-important top level networking from each and every event.

We operate across a number of industry sectors closely aligned to our group publishing interests in shipping, energy and seafood. NHST Events AS was established in 2006 and is part of the Norwegian news organisation NHST Media Group. We operate in London, Oslo, Shanghai and Singapore.

About ShipServ

ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.
Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries

Mark Warner mwarner@shipserv.com +44 203 051 0256
Banu Kannu banu.kannu@nhstevents.com +86 186 2136 0996

To see all ShipServ’s recent media releases in one place, please see: http://www.pitchengine.com/newsroom.php?id=1997

London, UK, 19 October, 2011. ShipServ, the leading marine and offshore e-marketplace, has released the findings of its 2011 Internet Use in Shipping Survey, the results of which were presented this week at the SmartShipping conference in Singapore.

ShipServ carries out an annual survey into the use of the internet and e-commerce in the shipping industry with the aim of building an understanding of how trends in business-to-business e-commerce are impacting the maritime sector.

The results of this year’s survey show a quickening of observable trends in internet use, with many respondents adopting new tools and working methods to adapt to challenging shipping market conditions.

The survey’s key findings were as follows:

• Many more marine buyers and suppliers are using internet to source and transact, with significant (15%) increase in usage between 2010 and 2011;

• Users consider peer reviews on suppliers and the selection of trusted websites as the two most important factors in influencing a purchasing decision from an internet provider;

• Respondents said faster transaction speed was greatest benefit of doing business over internet;

• The use of social media applications is here to stay. In the biggest shift since 2010, the survey found that 75% of respondents said they would increase their use of social media in a business context;

• Over 50% of respondents said they use the mobile internet or a mobile application every day.

Mark Warner, Business Development Director, ShipServ, who presented the results at the SmartShipping event in Singapore, said:

“This survey is unique in the shipping industry and it highlights not just the increasing usage of the internet but also the tangible benefits it brings to end-users. While we expected to see the uptake of e-commerce grow, there were some welcome new developments. For example, there has been a fundamental shift in attitudes over the last 12 months as shipping industry users adopt the tools and methods of social media – such as mobile apps, reviews and ratings – into their daily business practices online.”

The survey collected opinions both online and offline from purchasing managers and suppliers from the world’s leading shipowners, managers and suppliers during the IMPA 2011 exhibition and conference.

In other key findings, the survey noted that internet search plays an increasing role in buying decisions. Around 50 per cent of purchasers begin the majority of their buying processes on the internet by using sourcing tools such as Google or ShipServ Pages.

One of the biggest obstacles to adoption of e-commerce remains a lack of trust, but it is noticeable that the issue of lack of understanding has decreased substantially since 2010.

“We have seen a very noticeable shift in attitude in the understanding of the benefits associated with e-commerce.” added Mr Warner. “People are no longer asking why they should use it but asking how they can use it to gain the biggest advantage. This is a seismic change. ”

The full results of the survey can be downloaded here.

About ShipServ
ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.
Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

London, UK, 27 September, 2011. ShipServ, the marine and offshore e-marketplace has joined forces with the International Maritime Purchasing Association (IMPA) to simplify and speed up product sourcing through its online supplier directory ShipServ Pages.

Under the agreement officially signed at the IMPA conference in London this month, IMPA product codes will be displayed automatically to purchasing managers using ShipServ Pages to source suppliers.

By automatically-suggesting IMPA codes for product searches, buyers will save time in locating specific parts or products. Buyers can also use the IMPA code where known, to search for specific products directly.

Kim Skaarup, Chief Operating Officer of ShipServ said:

“This partnership between ShipServ and IMPA delivers a lot of benefits for buyers and suppliers alike, with even more precise matching on searched products.

We have previously worked with IMPA to licence their Marine Stores Guide through our Catalog Management tool so this is a natural extension of our relationship.

We expect to see a huge increase in catalogues uploaded to Pages with IMPA codes as a result of this enhancement and this will lead to an increase in number of transactions carrying IMPA codes for the benefit of a fast and effcient sourcing process”.

Stephen Alexander, Chief Operating Officer of IMPA, said:

“IMPA has a reputation for quality, innovation and the pursuit of best practice. Providing our product codes in the ShipServ search is a great way to provide added value and improve the purchasing process.”

ShipServ users can take advantage of the integrated IMPA codes free of charge from this month.

Ends

About ShipServ

ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.

About IMPA

IMPA was formed in 1978 by a group of senior purchasing executives who wanted to create an industry ‘voice’ to represent the interests of the purchasing profession within shipping and promote close co-operation and understanding between buyer and supplier. The association now represents over 450 members from across the world, including shipowners, operators and managers as well as manufacturers and ship suppliers. For more information visit www.impa.net.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

For Media enquiries please contact mwarner@shipserv.com or call +44 203 0510256.

To see all ShipServ’s recent media releases in one place, please see: http://www.pitchengine.com/newsroom.php?id=1997

London, UK, 14 September, 2011. ShipServ, the leading marine and offshore e-marketplace, has won a further endorsement from the German shipping community with the signing of Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement to the TradeNet platform.

Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement was founded in 2008 and today operates a fleet of seven vessels, which will expand to 18 by the end of 2012, all of which will connect to TradeNet for sourcing ship supplies.

Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement is a company within the Nordic Hamburg Group, which consists of shipowning and shipmanagement operations and offers a complete range of services to clients, from initial development phase through project management, financing and corporate, commercial, technical and crew management.

ShipServ will use its deep integration with the fleet’s onboard BASS maintenance and purchasing software to link to Nordic Hamburg’s suppliers. The contract win included close co-operation between BASS Germany, ShipServ and Nordic Hamburg’s purchasing department.

Lars Bratshaug , VP Sales for EMEA said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement to the ShipServ community in Germany. The fact that we were chosen by the Nordic Hamburg management on the back of previous experience with our solutions, indicates that the efficiencies gained from our trading platform far exceed manual purchasing processes and are a straight forward option for owners keen to maximise returns. We look forward to working closely with Nordic Hamburg as they continue to grow in the future.”

Henrik Jensen, Managing Director of Nordic Hamburg Shipmanagement said:

“The Nordic Hamburg Group has made its reputation by being innovative in its projects and operations and we also understand that shipping depends on relationships. Implementing ShipServ on our vessels means we can trade faster and more efficiently with our suppliers and when necessary work with new partners to achieve the best prices and service.”

Germany is now one of the fastest-growing markets for ShipServ which is already the preferred platform of choice for 11 shipowners and operators.

Major German clients include AJ Shipmanagement, Alpha Shipmanagement, Bernhardt Schulte Shipmanagement (Deutschland), Carsten Rehder, ER Schiffahrt, Reederei F Laeisz, Shipcare Management and trans Mar-Supply.

About Nordic Hamburg

The Nordic Hamburg Group of companies was founded by Rowil Ponta and Richard Grube, both seasoned shipping experts with many years of experience. The two partners managed over a relative short period to develop the company to a successful one-stop-partner through a strategy of combining the company’s high level of competence and experience with a unique network of well-known shipyards, fund houses, banks, shipbrokers, charterers and shipowners.

About ShipServ

ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Neville Smith: neville.smith@live.co.uk +44 7909 960 182.

London, July 29, 2011 – SmartShipping 2011 is a strategic conference grounded in the commercial realities of today’s shipping markets. It has been developed on the premise that shipowners can and will engage with innovation when it results in greater efficiencies, simplified compliance and correspondingly lower operational costs.

Mr Cheong Keng Soon, Director – Shipping Division, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), will open the SmartShipping conference, which is supported by the MPA and its Maritime Cluster Fund (MCF). The MCF aims to facilitate the growth of Singapore’s maritime cluster by supporting the industry’s manpower and business development efforts – Singapore and Singapore PR attendees can therefore apply for a subsidy to attend the conference.

Mr Østergaard will make two presentations to SmartShipping 2011. On the first day his theme will be ‘Staying ahead of the game’ considering the tools and processes that companies can adopt to achieve market-beating performance in their day to day operations.

On the second day, Østergaard will speak on ‘Breaking frontiers: the impact of the digital revolution’, placing digital economy trends into a broader shipping industry perspective.

ShipServ founder and CEO Paul Østergaard, said:
“We are hearing more and more often that the shipping industry needs to fundamentally reshape its business priorities and its approach to innovation and the use of technology. SmartShipping is an opportunity to hear from the companies and organisations leading that innovation how those ideas can be put into practice.”

SmartShipping speakers and attendees will be drawn from among naval architects, ship designers and optimisation specialists, sustainability and environmental compliance experts and managers responsible for strategic decisions on innovation and technology.

Already confirmed to participate as speakers are representatives from BW Ventures, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, DNV, AP Møller-Maersk, Grieg Shipping and Anglo-Eastern Maritime Services with more to be announced.

SmartShipping 2011 incorporates Connect11, the ShipServ buyer and supplier community event, which brings shipowners and managers together with major supply side brand owners to hear about how ShipServ is working with its customers and partner network to develop the TradeNet platform and its specialist maritime trade services.

Find out what shipping’s innovation leaders think about SmartShipping on the dedicated YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ShipServYT

SmartShipping 2011 will be held October 17-18 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore and is co-organised by ShipServ and Tradewinds. For more information and to register, visit www.smartshipping2011.com.

Sponsors signed up to the event include RightShip, Bernard Schulte, MAN Diesel, Princeton Pharmacy, Eniram, HMS, New Course Shipping, Roodhart Marine Services, Ship Equip, Wilhemsen Ships Services and World Ship Supplies.

For enquiries about the conference, please contact:

Eva Fiorenzoni
ShipServ
efiorenzoni@shipserv.com
Cell +44 7530 187 753

or

Banu Kannu
TradeWinds/NHST Events
banu.kannu@nhstevents.com
Cell +65 9015 7323 or +86 186 2136 0996

About ShipServ
ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com.

About NHST Events
NHST Events AS is part of the Norwegian news organisation NHST Media Group, and operates in London, Oslo, Shanghai and New Delhi. Its aim is to produce critical, independent, lively conferences within the fields of shipping, energy and seafood.  Responding to market appetite for serious debate often lacking in traditional industry conferences, NHST Events has built on the success of Shipping China 2004 and now organises, either independently or as joint ventures, seven world class international events. Recognising that executive time has become a rare commodity NHST’s overriding ambition to offer its delegates exceptional value for their time. NHST Events shares the brand values of our sister companies, TradeWinds, Upstream and Intrafish, each one the market leader in their given field.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Neville Smith: neville.smith@live.co.uk +44 7909 960 182.

Oslo, Norway, 24 May, 2011 – ShipServ, the leading marine and offshore e-marketplace, has cemented its position as the leading provider of maritime e-commerce services in the Norwegian market with the signing of Seatrans AS.

Seatrans AS will use the ShipServ TradeNet platform to source ship supplies on 16 ships in its diversified fleet operating in the chemicals, forest products, offshore and liner segments. The Seatrans ships will connect to shore and to their suppliers through the ShipNet SNAPS Maintenance and Purchasing system.

Pictured from left: Leif Larsen Technical Director, Seatrans, Atle Sommer, Director of Ship Management, Seatrans, Ane Fosseng, Business Development Director, ShipServ [Click image for large version]

Paul Østergaard, chief executive officer, ShipServ, said:

“This latest signing demonstrates the strength of our fast-growing presence in the Norwegian market and our ability to work seamlessly with M&P software partners to the benefit of shipowners and managers. We are delighted to be working with an innovator like Seatrans and we will continue to offer all Norwegian shipowners and operators the ability to improve their processes and reduce their costs, just as we do for customers across the globe.”

Leif Larsen, Technical Director of Seatrans AS said:

“Seatrans runs its chartering and operations, management and crewing in-house, servicing a diversified fleet so we are always concerned to be as efficient and flexible as possible. ShipServ TradeNet will give us the ability to better manage our procurement and use the built-in KPI functionality to review the performance of our suppliers.”

ShipServ is already the preferred platform of choice for 17 Norwegian shipowners and operators, including BW Gas, DOF Management, Green Management, Hoegh Fleet Services, Westfal-Larsen, Wilhelmsen Ship Management, OSM Ship Management, Grieg Shipping and Solstad ASA.

One of the world’s largest commercial fleet managers, OSM Ship Management went live with ShipServ last year and has reported not just improved prices and performance but also added value, since its purchasing managers are released from administration and can spend more time on sourcing and contracting.

ShipServ has worked very closely with both Norwegian-based and international marine software providers to ensure that the owner and their suppliers benefit from implementing ShipServ.

This has included ensuring that all the leading M&P software systems can connect to ShipServ for the greatest efficiency. Current software integration partners include ABS Nautical Systems, Bass, Consultas, Danaos, GL Maritime Software, Logimatic, SBNT, ShipNet, SpecTec, Star Information Systems, Teomaki, TeroMarine, Ulysses and Vertex.

About ShipServ

ShipServ helps marine and offshore buyers to find the best suppliers easily, trade efficiently and build trusted relationships. Our products and services bring buyers and suppliers together online, in print, on ship and in person. We offer the largest online trading platform, the most used supplier search engine, the leading ordering guide and the first online ad network. The high volumes of sourcing, trading and search data our community shares every day helps us deliver better results and more accurate information to both buyers and suppliers. No one facilitates the intelligent, trustworthy matching of demand and supply better than ShipServ. For more information visit www.shipserv.com

About Seatrans

The Seatrans Group is a fully integrated shipowning company with in-house chartering and operations, ship management and crewing, serving the chemicals, forestry, offshore and liner segments. Seatrans manage 20 vessels + 3 newbuildings, the annual trading volume at Seatrans is about NOK 70 mill. Seatrans has a shore staff of 130, and employs about 520 shipping personnel from Norway, Poland, Croatia and Romania.

Copyright © 2011 ShipServ Limited. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media enquiries – Neville Smith: neville.smith@live.co.uk +44 7909 960 182.