Kongsberg Norcontrol IT has been chosen to upgrade the existing VTMIS (Vessel traffic Management and Information Service) at Bintulu Port, Sarawak, East Malaysia. The contract was won by Kongsberg Norcontrol IT Singapore in July 2008 and is for the delivery and commissioning of new VOC5060 computer hardware and software, extensive user training, and maintenance until 2013.
The upgrade package also includes three sophisticated C-Scope Radar Extractor & Trackers, which are able to improve the port's radar performance without upgrading radar hardware. This is achieved through the use of advanced signal processing techniques to extrapolate an even clearer image from the raw radar signal and is the most effective method of ensuring all targets in the domain can be clearly defined.
VOC5060 is a VTS operator workstation and is used as the primary interface to a VTMIS. In addition to providing VTS operators with access to all the information available in the system, together with the ability to control system functions, it also allows for sharing of VTS related data with other applications such as a PMIS (Port Management Information System). This helps to meet the requirement to share VTMIS data as the focus on port security continues to grow around the world.
Bintulu Port first chose Kongsberg Norcontrol IT systems over twenty five years ago with the delivery of a VOC80 package in 1982/83. This was followed up by a VOC5000 solution in 1994 with the latest contract awarded to upgrade the existing system from another manufacturer that was installed in 2003. The Factory Acceptance Test of the new VOC5060 solution takes place in October and installation is planned for November 2008.
"The VOC5060 solution with C-Scope Extractor & Tracker represents superb value for the Bintulu VTMIS upgrade as it offers a wealth of extra operator functionality in addition to improving radar performance without the expense of replacing radar hardware," says Inge Flaten, President, Kongsberg Norcontrol IT. "We are particularly pleased to be back as the main VTMIS supplier at Bintulu, considering the long history we have with supplying domain awareness solutions to this, one of the busiest ports in South East Asia."