FREEDOM TO CHOOSE Your Choices

®

Operated by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service

PRIMAR PRIMAR is an international collaboration dedicated to providing a consistent and reliable electronic navigational chart (ENC) service, and operated on a non-profit basis by the Norwegian Hydrographic Service (NHS).In pursuing this vision, we focus on giving our partners the freedom to choose between a variety of services and solutions. The primary aim is to make ENCs available to everyone at a reasonable cost in order to enable value creation and safety at sea.

Although the technology is advanced, the idea underlying our service is simple. We gather all ENCs in a single database and create a one-stop-shop for distributors and users of such charts. This has allowed us to acquire a leading role in providing the best navigational solutions for the world’s merchant fleet, navies, marine pilots and government agencies.

Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC)ENCs are the official digital chart data authorised by national hydrographic offices (HOs). ENCs are based on the relevant HO’s source data or official charts, and are compiled, coded and regularly updated in accordance with international standards.ENCs from PRIMAR meet IMO SOLAS charts and carriage requirements when kept up-to-date and used on type approved Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) with appropriate backup.

PartnersSafety and efficiency at sea are all about teamwork and partnership. Our most important partners are our extensive international network of distributors and HOs. Our core aim is to support authorised partners with flexible, user-friendly, efficient and timely solutions. This ensures that end users are provided with an ENC service which is recognised for its quality and for its overall contribution to marine safety and efficiency at a global level.Our commitment is to a diverse marketplace, which provides our partners with a variety of choices and the freedom to optimise their own services through the use of flexible and innovative technology.

ENC provider ENC distributor

Chart Catalogue

Online distribution

Business to Business

CD distribution

Permit distribution

Pay as you sail

Web ChartService

Quality Assurance Tools

Database Management

Quality Assurance Services

ENC providerWe work closely with our

cooperating member states and HOs worldwide.

FREEDOM TO COOPERATE

ENC provider

We work closely with our cooperating member states and HOs worldwide to ensure that ENC data is quality controlled and distributed to the maritime community.

These members deliver a comprehensive selection of ENCs to us, and we offer in return various levels of membership and tailored tools for efficient performance with delivery exchange and assurance of data quality.

Our ENC producer network consists of HOs and other relevant institutions, which provide a wide selection of ENCs worldwide through a number of agreements.

Benefits for our ENC providers

• Innovative tools for ENC distribution • Well-provenserviceforqualitycontrolofENCs• CompleteprovidercontrolovertheirENCs• Around-the-clockaccesstotheENCdatabase• ExtensiveHOcommunitywithcommoninterestsinENCproduction• On-goingsupportservices• SupportforallrelevantIHOdatastandards• Annualupgradesandcontinuoustechnicaldevelopment• Toolswhichpermittheprovisionofnationalservices

ENC Provider Services

The virtual PRIMAR network (VPN) technology is an internet-based front-end service, which provides a set of tools and functionalities for HOs and other relevant institutions. It enables them to manage their own ENC data in an efficient manner and to ensure full control over data upload, download and release operations.

Benefits of the provider services

• ExtensiveENCcollectionandqualityassurancetoolsandservices• Around-the-clockaccesstotheHO’sownENCs• FullreleasecontroloftheHO’sownENCs• Dataexporttonationalencrypted/unencryptedexchangesets• ENCvalidationhistoryanddatareportsavailable• Annualupgradesandcontinuoustechnicaldevelopment

Logging onto our VPN provides access to a number of tools which can be used to detect errors and improve the quality of the HO’s ENC.

The VPN service allows remotely connected computers to use the internet to exchange information securely. We are responsible for all security aspects, and for running the web server which provides the VPN functionality.

Database Management

Our online-based services allow an HO to access its own data at any time, and extensive reports provide full control and overview of usage and sales for its ENCs.

The online-based services make it possible to perform an encrypted transfer of ENCs from an HO directly to our database. These data are then made available for quality control, a set of minimum checks which will be listed after upload.

Before data are quality controlled, they are stored in a “pre-release” database which may be accessed both by us and by the HO in order to carry out quality control.

Once data have successfully passed through quality control and are released, they remain accessible in the database. The HO has complete control there, allowing it to access all the updated ENCs and easily download them in both encrypted and unencrypted form. Options are also available for data transfer between states. As a final test the ENCs are imported and tested in various ECDIS systems.

Quality Assurance Services

ENC overlap

According to international standards, ENCs should not overlap within the same navigational usage band. The ENC overlap checker displays a graphical overview of ENCs overlapping based on the selection criteria chosen.

This tool allows ENCs from one country in the database to be chosen, and will then display a list of overlapping ENC cells if an overlap exist for the chosen country.

We will always perform an overlap check against our database on any new ENC cells uploaded to our service. Should any overlap be discovered, a report will be produced and sent to the relevant HO.

Quality Assurance Tools

Validation reportAll ENCs delivered to us undergoes a set of validity checks. The main tool used for ENC quality control is the validation report checker (VRC), which gives access to a whole range of different tools for checking the quality and consistency of the ENC product. If any errors are detected from the approved validation tools used, the ENCs will be rejected. All messages reported are categorised with guidance on how to proceed with the validation of the ENCs.

ENC consistencyThe ENC consistency tool checks for vertical and horizontal inconsistencies in the uploaded ENCs, and comparing them with each other. ENCs can be compared vertically, so that the content of two ENC cells can be viewed simultaneously. At the same time, the ENC display will provide access to object/-attribute information for the ENC cells being checked. When choosing to check for horizontal inconsistency, the ENC border areas of two neighbour countries can be compared.

S-57 AdvisorThe S-57 Advisor facilitates searching for ENC quality information, and contains errors/warnings discovered when ENCs have been validated by the approved validation tools. It also contains error messages from ECDIS systems discovered during our quality reviewofENCs.Theerrors/warningsarelistedwithadescriptionandreferencestointernational standards. Allerrors/warningsareclassifiedaseither“HOtocheck”,“Failed”or“Accepted”.TheS-57 Advisor database is kept continuously updated.

FREEDOM TO SHARE

PRIMAR Governmental Services

A basic requirement for secure and effective communication and infrastructure on land or at sea is that everyone operates with the same geographical references.

To achieve this, PRIMAR has made services available to our member states for ENCs distribution, chart viewing over the web and vessel inspection information.

Our services allow everyone in the network to access the same quality ENCs as well as information about vessels using these charts. That improves the safe and efficient management of operations across separate but interlinked environments.

Our governmental services make a strong contribution to safe navigation and to increased maritime safety for marine operations and traffic management in near-shore waters.

Benefits for governments• Services for national maritime use• Officialupdatedcharts• Compliancewithinternationalregulations• User-friendlytools• Flexiblesolutions• On-goingsupportservices• Cost-effectivetoolsforgovernmentusers

ENC services for Pilots, Vessel Traffic Service and Naval ForcesOur tools ensure efficient and simple ENC distribution to national and naval users. The technology enables the distribution of ENCs around the clock through:

Benefits of ENC Services• AnENCcataloguefororder,distributeandadministrateENCsandcustomers• ENCCDandonlinedistributionincludingENCdecryptionkeys

Web chart service Our web chart service uses the internet to deliver chart images derived from the content of updated ENCs made available by ENC providers. This service generates an actual image of the geographic information, and sends it as images directly to the end user’s mapping application. Any application or web browser supporting the web map service (WMS) standard can easily access and use the service.

Benefits of PRIMAR Web Chart service• Flexibleviewingofchartinformation• Chartcontentqueryfunctionality• Predefinedandself-definedpresentationstyles• Integrationwithothergeographicalinformation• Around-the-clockavailability

Inspector service for port state control Inspector is an internet-based service. This service gives port-state-control inspectors real-time access to a wide pool of ENC information for a vessel.

Benefits of Inspector service• TheadequacyofENCcoveragefortheintendedvoyage• Efficientverificationthattheofficialelectronicchartsisused• Costefficiencyduetopreparation• Focusonofficialchartsandsafetyatsea• Freeofchargeandavailablearoundtheclock

ENC distributorWe work in close cooperation

with authorised distributors all over the world.

FREEDOM TO INNOVATE

ENC distributor

Our core aim is to make ENCs available to everyone.We work in close cooperation with authorised distributors all over the world. This allows us not only to distribute smart and innovative solutions, but also to supply our distributors with an automated ENC service which ensures safety and efficiency.

Our ENC distributors are carefully selected on the basis of their experience and expertise in dealing with the maritime community and in supplying navigational products and services.

Our ENC distributors have the option to choose the tools and services they need to create customized solutions which suit their own business.

Benefits for our distributors

• Global ENC coverage• Customermanagementtools• SimpleENCordering• Effectiveandinnovativedistributionsolutions• Around-the-clockonlineaccesstoallservices• On-goingsupportservices• Marketingandsalessupport• Collaborationoverdevelopinginnovativesolutions

ENC Distributor Services

Ensuring that ENCs can be accessed through simple and reliable supply arrangements is often cited as crucial for increasing the take-up of ENCs amongst seafarers. We provide a variety of methods for ordering and distributing ENCs, so that our distributors can choose the most appropriate solution for their business and customers.

Successful technology simplifies logistics, ease of use and accessibility. Our services have a high level of quality and dependability combined with user- friendliness. This simplifies such processes as customer management, ENC purchasing and ENC distribution.

Benefits of the distributor services

• Intuitive ENC chart catalogue for customer management• Simplecustomerandvesselmanagement• EfficientonlineENCandpermitdistribution• Businesssystemintegration• On-goingsupportservices• Customersalesreportsavailable• Annualupgrades and continuous technical development

Chart Catalogue

The chart catalogue is a user-friendly and efficient ENC ordering tool available around the clock at www.primar.org.

Its main functionalities include:

• VisualisationofthecurrentENC coverage available• ENCproductinformation• Customerandvesselmanagement• Salesreports• ENCquotationandorderingprocesses• Directpermitaccess• OnlineupdatingofENCs

Business to Business

Our business-to-business (B2B) solution integrates a distributor's business systems with our ENC service. The secure interface is designed to support online customer and vessel registration and management, which facilitates online quotations, ENC ordering and the delivery of cell permits.

This ensures that customer sale transactions and associated ordering processes can be integrated into a single service system controlled by the distributor.

That in turn supports the distributor’s freedom to choose optimum solutions for their own business environment.

Permit Distribution

An ENC permit is a unique key produced to decrypt an ENC in a specified hardware system.

New ENCs and permits are continuously and promptly available. All our distribution solutions support ENC permit delivery, which can be achieved by:

E-mail services

Permit delivery via e-mail is an automated service when using the Chart Catalogue. Permits delivered are in conjunction with the CD service.

Permit Generator

UserfriendlywebinterfaceforindependentdownloadofENCpermitsinconjunctionwith the CD service.

Online services

By using the online services, permits are downloaded together with the licensed ENCs.

CD Distribution

We deliver a weekly cumulative ENC CD service to our distributors for further distribution to their ENC end users. The ENCs on these CDs are encrypted according to international standard, and can only be viewed by a compatible system and with a valid ENC permit.

The base CD set, issued approximately four times per year, contains an encrypted copy of all ENCs available from our service (base and update files) at the time of production.

The weekly update CD contains an encrypted copy of all ENCs (base and update files) issued since the base CD set was produced. All files are provided on a single CD.

CD download

Our distributors have secure access for downloading the weekly CD content (image) toanFTPserverthroughourFTPservice.

We inform distributors when the weekly CD content is published. If end users require a download of the CD content, our open web service at www.primar.org is available andprovidesthesamedataastheFTPservice.

TheECDIS/ECSsystemshouldbesuppliedwiththelatestfullbaseCDandthelatestweekly update CD to ensure that the user has the latest updated ENCs.

Online Distribution Solutions

Our online services can be used instead of or as a supplement to our CD service. It is intended to facilitate automated processes and provide flexible and efficient methods for ENC distribution. Our online services are available as follows:

Online using the Chart CataloguePRIMAR online is an integrated part of the Chart Catalogue for downloading of ENCs and permits.SupportedmedialikememorystickorCDisusedtotransfertheENCsintotheECDIS/ECS for updating the portfolio of ENCs.

Online using e-mail PRIMAR online e-mail notification is an independent web service for downloading of ENCs and permits.The customer will regularly receive an e-mail including a link to a web page where licensed ENCs and permits are available for download. Supported media like memory stickorCDisusedtotransfertheENCsintotheECDIS/ECSforupdatingtheportfolioof ENCs.

Online using ECDISECDIS online is an internet-based service for maintaining a vessel's ENC portfolio. In thisservicethecustomerhasfunctionalityintheirECDIS/ECStodirectlyinterfaceanddownload ENCs and permits from PRIMAR. Distributors can contact PRIMAR to receive copies of relevant interface protocols. The protocols support deliveries using http and e-mail communication.

Pay As You Sail Service

Our innovative distribution solution, Pay as you sail service (PAYS), allows PRIMAR ENCs to be passively installed on a navigation system.

The service will ensure that the user has immediate access to worldwide ENC coverage in the event of re-routing for operational or contingency reasons. The ENCs can also be freely viewed and accessed for planning purposes.

Distributors are required to establish a mechanism which accurately registers all use of ENCs accessed during navigation, and which transmits this information auto- matically to PRIMAR.

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OPERATED BY THE NORWEGIAN HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE

www.primar.org