TSTT, SOGET partner to make port operations more efficient

THE majority state-owned telecommunications company TSTT has partnered with an international ports service provider to make Trinidad and Tobago's port operations more efficient.

In a news release on September 3, TSTT said its business-to-business arm bmobile Business will provide all infrastructure-as-a-service (IAAS) needs for the implementation and maintenance of the port community system (PCS) recently announced by the Trade and Industry Ministry (MTI).

The services, it said, will be provided in partnership with global PCS leader SOGET.

TSTT said SOGET was chosen by MTI to implement the PCS deployment over the next 24 months at all major air and sea ports, as the company has strong expertise in Europe, Africa, the Far East and the Caribbean.

The PCS is a single open electronic platform that enables faster and more secure exchanges of information between public and private stakeholders in the port community.

The current port, airport, shipping, logistics and trade operations in the country comprise the MTI's TTBizLink (the Single Electronic Window or SEW for Trade and Business Facilitation), the Border Management System (AYSCUDA World) utilised by the Customs and Excise Division and the NAVIS Terminal Operating System used by all major ports.

The release said the PCS complements these systems, neither replacing nor competing with them, but will usher in a new aspect of interoperability and data sharing, resulting in several significant benefits to TT's trade operations.

It said bmobile Business will offer virtualisation, storage, redundancy, and overall computing needs to make the project a reality, with TSTT’s Mausica Data Centre being critical to the process.

The release said the state-of-the-art facility is TIA-942-B Rated 3 certified and boasts a SOC Type 2 designation, making it the only data centre in the area with such a comprehensive certification for facilities and operations. It also has ISO27001 certification – the world's best-known standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It covers the needs of the PCS implementation, including management of risks related to the security of data owned or handled by the company on behalf of SOGET and all the government services that will be centralised through the PCS.

TSTT said with the PCS project through SOGET, with the facilitation of technology, data and telecommunications support by bmobile Business, the resulting interoperability between current port management systems will be noticeable to all clients and users of the ports through reduced wait times, improved technological facilitation and less paperwork and faster, streamlined processes.

With a more significant reduction in bottlenecks and inefficiencies at the ports, the overall attractiveness of the ports across TT will benefit those stakeholders directly and the broader national community through greater trade facilitation.

It said, "The importance of the PCS is underscored by a 2018 Inter-American Development Bank study, which identified deficiencies in local port operations that increase costs along the supply chain. With the PCS, TT aims to improve its global competitiveness, reducing the time and cost for imports and exports, and enhancing the overall efficiency of port operations."

SOGET CEO Hervé Cornède said he was enthusiastic about the partnership with bmobile Business.

“We are pleased to sign this strategic partnership with bmobile Business, the country's largest communications solutions provider. This collaboration allows us to place our collaborative platform at the heart of cutting-edge digital solutions for TT's port and logistics communities, reinforcing our commitment to delivering industry-leading technological innovation.”

TSTT business sales assistant vice president Darryl Duke said he was pleased that bmobile Business remains at the forefront of T&T's digital initiatives.

"Implementing the PCS will herald a new era of trade facilitation for every stakeholder that interacts in any way with any of our ports. While there will be increased speed, greater efficiency, improved data and metrics and a leaner supply chain when this project comes on-stream, there are countless other benefits, including reduced cost of operations for state entities and greater environmental impacts from going paperless to lower carbon emissions from improved port operations."

He said bmobile business is the only company in the region that could facilitate this partnership with SOGET.

"Our Data Centre is a beacon of operational excellence in TT, providing world-class data services attuned to the highest global certifications and standards and serviced by incredibly talented operations and management teams that are a testament to the capabilities that we’ve developed with our own people."