Monday, November 24, 2008, Dubai, UAE: A one day seminar organized by Elcome International LLC, a leader in sales and service of world class marine electronics, was held at the Ramada Hotel on Monday, November 24, 2008. The event titled Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS), carried out in cooperation with The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) was aimed to explore the regulations and developments in electronic chart services and the immediate implication in introducing Electronic Chart Display System (ECDIS) enabled navigation on board of deep sea vessels. The seminar brought together ship owners, ship managers, ship builders and technical experts in the maritime industry and offered an opportunity for information exchange and discussion of future developments.

Mr. Ross Kingdon, OEM Manager of UKHO was the chief guest speaker who presented the latest International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and IMO approved electronic chart services. IMO is set to introduce later this year mandatory carriage requirements for all ocean going vessels of ECDIS to be phased in as of July 2012, stipulating the use of Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC). ECDIS aims to bring in enhanced safety measures and operational benefits for ship owners and contributes to safer navigation at sea in busy shipping routes by introducing digital navigation.

UKHO has initiated a proactive product development in line with upcoming IMO regulations and introduced the all new Admiralty Vector Chart Service early in 2008. AVCS is widely preferred over other digital chart products since it uses only official ENCs, approved by Hydrographic Offices. In addition AVCS has currently ENC coverage of more than 2000 ports worldwide, including all major ports. AVCS provides combined ENC folios of UKHO and other Hydrographic Offices, weekly updates and flexible licensing, available in transit, coastal and port folios and for 3, 6 or 12 month subscription periods. "AVCS is already being used by over 200 vessels since it was introduced, which exceeded our initial sales forecasts, and shows that our customers understand the true operational benefits of AVCS" Ross Kingdon said.

He emphasized that "the types of commercial vessels now choosing AVCS is varied and early adopters include oil & chemical tankers, container vessels, bulkers, general cargo vessels, offshore workboats, cruise ships and even ferry services. Some of them take up a 3 month trial and convert quickly or opt straight for a full license." UAE ship owners can apply for a free UKHO AVCS 3 month's trial through their local agent Elcome International Dubai.

Elcome recommends ship owners to plan their ECDIS requirements carefully to make sure that compatibility with other bridge systems is maintained including interfacing with key navigational instruments on board. Participants of the seminar said "it was informative and interesting business intelligence for carrying out the shipping operations efficiently"

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About The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
UKHO, which is part of the Ministry of Defense, has been charting the world's oceans for more than 200 years with the primary aim of providing navigational services for the Royal Navy and merchant mariners to save and protect lives at sea. Nearly 70 per cent of the international shipping uses these charts in satisfaction of United Nations Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) mandatory carriage requirements. The UKHO is the power behind the world-renowned Admiralty brand of products and services. The Admiralty portfolio includes more than 3,300 Standard Navigational Charts and over 220 Navigational Publications. There are also a growing range of digital products and services. The Admiralty brand provides specialized products and services across four areas: Marine, Defense, Leisure and Consultancy.

About Elcome International LLC
Elcome International is a Middle East market leader in the sales and service of integrated marine solutions. World-class products marketed include automation, charts & publications, communication, life safety & fire-detection and navigation systems. The company was established in 1969 and currently employs over 145 employees at offices in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

For further information, please contact:
Dani Gorgon,

Marketing Officer,
Elcome International LLC
Tel +971 4 4049100
www.elcome.ae

© Press Release 2008