Lilley & Gillie and DPM to market the Meteo Consult Ship Performance Optimisation System

Lilley & Gillie and DPM, two of the world's largest international Admiralty chart agents, have teamed up with leading weather company Meteo Consult to provide state of the art weather forecasting data to their customers worldwide. All three companies are renowned for the highest levels of quality and service and this new arrangement, enabling Lilley & Gillie and DPM to supply Meteo Consult's Ship Performance Optimisation System (SPOS), will bring both economic and safety benefits to their many customers around the world.

Lilley & Gillie and DPM are both members of the Charente Group.

SPOS is a powerful onboard weather advisory software tool that puts greater control in the hands of the ship's master and officers when planning a voyage. It provides detailed wind, sea and swell forecasts, and ocean current, hurricane/typhoon and ice formation data twice daily. This enables the master to evaluate the weather conditions that will be encountered so that he can determine the optimum route.

Alternative routes can also be provided, allowing the master to use his expert knowledge to make his final decision.

SPOS saves time, reduces fuel consumption and minimises risk to vessels, cargoes and crew. The consequent reduction in delays, allowing more accurate projections of speed and ETA, make a significant contribution to vessel operator performance.

Glenn Heathcote, who is managing director of both Lilley & Gillie and DPM, commented:

"We are always looking to expand our range of products and services which bring benefit to our customers. The Meteo Consult SPOS system is just such a product. SPOS can have a major impact on the efficiency of vessel operations. Coming from a major player in the meteorological world, having an excellent reputation for innovation and accuracy in advanced forecasting techniques, we are confident that SPOS will enhance our range and enable us to offer both an easy-to-use and highly reliable weather forecasting service."

Note to editors:

A selection of photographs to accompany this release are available on the Dunelm Public Relations website at http://www.dunelmpr.co.uk/Charente-Photogallery.htm. The caption for the photograph reads:

"Meteo Consult's Ship Performance Optimisation System (SPOS) is a powerful onboard weather advisory software tool that puts greater control in the hands of the ship's master and officers when planning a voyage. It provides detailed wind, sea and swell forecasts, and ocean current, hurricane/typhoon and ice formation data twice daily. This enables the master to evaluate the weather conditions that will be encountered so that he can determine the optimum route."

Background information

Lilley & Gillie

Founded in 1812, Lilley & Gillie Limited (Lillie & Gillie) is based on the River Tyne in the North East of England. Since 1999 the company has been a member of the Charente Group.

As an International Admiralty Chart Agent (IACA), Lilley & Gillie offers an outfit management service covering all British Admiralty and US charts, all nautical publications and ISM auditing documentation. It also provides a supply and updating service for Admiralty Raster Chart Services (ARCS) and Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC), ensuring that vessels always have on board the most up-to-date charts, publications and data for the areas in which they operate.

Lilley & Gillie is one of the few remaining magnetic compass manufacturers in Europe and provides a full repair and on-board adjusting service. Its considerable product range also includes nautical instruments and equipment including Walker Marine range of wind equipment, speed logs and autopilot systems and the Chernikeeff range of naval speed log equipment.

The company also distributes and where applicable provides service for a full range of marine products such as gyros, searchlights, navigation and signalling lights, navigation light switch panels, ships' bells, foghorns, fog gongs, day shapes, hydrometers, hygrometers, chart room instruments and lead lines.

Lilley & Gillie's sales, marketing and all administrative functions are managed from the North Shields head office near Newcastle upon Tyne.

DPM UK

DPM (UK) Ltd., formerly known as Dubois Phillips & McCallum Ltd, is one of the world's leading international Admiralty chart agents and has supplied the commercial shipping industry with navigational charts and publications for over 100 years. In 1990, DPM (Singapore) Pte Ltd was formed so that the company could operate effectively from both sides of the world. This global service has proved of great benefit to ship owners and managers.

In 1996, along with its Singapore affiliate, DPM was one of the first chart agents to be granted international Admiralty chart agent status. As the UK Hydrographic Office's highest classification, this award recognises the quality of service that DPM provides to the SOLAS - regulated shipping market.

DPM has a total commitment to quality, safety and new technologies, ensuring that customer needs and expectations are met both quickly and effectively. DPM is QA accredited to ISO 9001: 2000 standard.

Meteo Consult

Meteo Consult is Europe's leading private weather company and is owned by The Press Association - the national news agency of the UK. With its headquarters in The Netherlands, Meteo Consult operates throughout Europe with sister companies in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Spain and the US. The company has a staff of more than 230, of which 85 are in the Dutch headquarters.

Meteo Consult has extensive broadcast experience, supplying weather graphics and text to more than a dozen major television stations throughout Europe including RTL & NTV in Germany, RTL in The Netherlands, SFDRS in Switzerland, VTM in Belgium, TF1 and Canal + in France. The company provides weather services to a variety of European radio stations and 70% of the Dutch newspaper industry. More than 1700 ships worldwide are equipped with Meteo Consult's Ship Performance Optimization System (SPOS), calculating the fastest and safest shipping routes.

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