We’re pleased to share the experiences of Stödig Ship Management, one of our customers who recently implemented Dualog Quota across their fleet. This has significantly improved the crew's ability to stay connected with family and friends, even when they are far out at sea.
Stödig Ship Management, a Norwegian company based in Bergen, has subsidiaries in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. They manage a wide range of vessels and provide crew management, crew services, and technical services.
Why Stödig Ship Management chose Starlink?
Stödig invested in Starlink for their vessels as soon as the maritime version became available. Some employees had already tested the land-based version onboard in 2022, and it was clear this technology would be a game changer for both business operations and crew welfare.
How has Starlink changed life onboard?
For Stödig Ship Management, Starlink has revolutionised life at sea. "Starlink is a game changer," says Jan Eide, Head of IT at Stödig Ship Management. "We now have reliable internet with enough bandwidth and low latency to do almost anything. This has not only made it easier to stay in touch with family and friends, but it has also improved work efficiency onboard."
What challenges did you face with Starlink?
Despite the many benefits, Starlink also brought some challenges, particularly concerning cost control and fair distribution of internet access. "How could we ensure that everyone onboard had a good experience without skyrocketing costs?" was a key question Stödig Ship Management needed to address.
How has Dualog Quota helped you?
The solution to these challenges was Dualog Quota, which gives Stödig Ship Management full control over data usage. Each crew member now receives 5 GB of data per week, which totals around 20 GB per month. "Without a quota system, it wouldn’t have been possible to offer this kind of freedom to the crew. We would have had to implement other technical limitations, like throttling speeds, which would have seriously affected the user experience,” says Jan Eide, Head of IT.
What feedback have you received from the crew?
The crew has responded positively to the system. "Although it takes a bit of extra effort to use the app and log in, it's worth it to have access to a reliable and fair service," says one of the crew members.
In Dualog Quota crew can access internet either through an app or they can set up a username and password to access internet from any device.
Why did you choose Dualog Quota over other solutions on the market?
"The market is fragmented, with few providers focused on our sector. When we saw that Dualog was willing to collaborate with our onboard IT provider, UniSea, the choice was easy," says the company. Stödig Ship Management chose Dualog Quota because of Dualog’s strong reputation and ability to meet the specific needs of the maritime industry.
“Another success factor was the ability to provide internet quota to external clients staying on-board our off shore vessels. The Internet is now offered as part of the hotel- and service-offering they receive. That means we can offer a good bed, first-class food - and now a Starlink quota. All with full cost control”, says Jan Eide Head of IT.
Could you share your experience with the installation and management of this service?
"The installation was relatively straightforward, and the solution is easy to manage. It gives us the control we need without compromising the crew's experience onboard. Simple technical installation, centralised oversight and management of ships and users have been key advantages for Stödig Ship Management."
A future of control and flexibility
Based on valuable feedback from Stödig, Dualog is now enhancing the digital experience onboard for all users of Dualog Quota. In the near future, crew members will be able to manage their internet quota and speed directly in the app. “We also aim to help crew optimise their data usage by reducing background activity on their devices and offering the option to stream movies and videos in lower resolution”, says Vidar Berg, product manager in Dualog.
