Maritime software and communications start-up SnakeWays has signed East African based Coastal International Shipping Line (CISL) to its ship-to-shore communications service, SnakeBox.

CISL will deploy the SnakeBox on board the company vessels to manage communication services over satellite and cellular networks. The SnakeBox will also host the advanced SnakeMail application as an upgrade to the vessels’ current email service.

The vessels will have the SnakeSwitch function enabled on the SnakeBox to intelligently manage routing between cellular and satellite networks based on availability, price and quota. SnakeMail will be available to officers and crew via the ship’s business network and the inbuilt Wi-Fi of the SnakeBox.  The SnakeBox manages different access rules depending on the ship-to-shore network connection and the different user on board.

 “We needed to upgrade our vessel connectivity and from the outset we were impressed with the capabilities of the SnakeWays team and the way they have adapted state-of the-art technology to meet the specific requirements of the modern ship manager,” said Spyridon Tzamtzis, technical director of CISL. “Particularly important to us was the ease of deployment on board with minimal disruption to the existing IT network of the vessels. “

 Peter Schulze, CEO of SnakeWays commented: “The extension of our customer base to four continents within a year of SnakeWays commercial launch is a very significant milestone for the company. It validates our concept of an independent, free-standing communication platform that hosts critical communications applications such as SnakeMail and SnakeSwitch. Based on smartphone technology the SnakeBox is a light, cool-running, alternative to the traditional shipboard setup of a “Smart Box” twinned with a PC based email application. ”