{mprestriction ids="1,2"}“We have chosen to install the new Fleet Media service as we wish to provide our employees with an entertainment system which is up-to-date, with the most recent content and frequently refreshed,” said Maersk Tankers head of vessel IT, Henning Madsen.

“We expect that our crew will welcome this new service and it will increase their level of satisfaction onboard.”

The service uses Inmarsat’s satellite network to download movies, sports and TV shows to a Fleet Media server on a merchant vessel anywhere in the world, without charging for the bandwidth used. From that server crew members can access on-demand content that can be watched on a laptop, computer, or an iOS or Android smart device via Wi-Fi or a physical network connection.

Implementation of the 12 month pilot scheme will commence immediately across 30 of Maersk Tankers’ 80 strong fleet. After evaluation of the pilot, Maersk Tankers will consider if they will continue with Fleet Media and whether they want to extend the service to cover the entire fleet.

The 30 vessels to be equipped were selected as the company was already in the process of updating communications equipment onboard and identified an opportunity to also upgrade the crew’s entertainment service.

“We are extremely pleased that Inmarsat has been selected by Maersk Tankers to deliver entertainment content to their crew,” said Ronald Spithout, president Inmarsat Maritime.

“By offering the latest catalogue of Hollywood and international blockbusters, news and sport, we anticipate that crew motivation will see a boost and as a result they could see a rise in efficiency.”

“It is a privilege for us to be working with such a leading maritime company and to enable their crews to benefit from the most advanced technology available. We look forward to extending Fleet Media across the entire Maersk Tankers fleet in due course.”

The Fleet Media service will be powered initially by XpressLink and eventually by Fleet Xpress, the maritime broadband service on Inmarsat’s newly launched Global Xpress network.{/mprestriction}