Sun! Sea! Sand!

Fruitful Exhibition in SEAJapan 2012

Increase Efficiencies in the Tough Times

news @ BASSnet2.2012

TAking The MAriTiMe SofTwAre world By STorM

The BASSnet 2.8 release:

ceo’s statement

staying ahead in tough times

Fortunately for BASS, our mainstay revolves around cutting costs and increasing efficiency, a recipe for making businesses thrive. Ironically, our expertise is especially in demand in tough economic conditions, when businesses are seeking to curb expenditure but still improve efficiencies, thus perking up their bottom lines.

It seems like only yesterday that we ushered in the New Year, yet we are now midway through 2012.

What a tumultuous first half it has been. We have seen crises in Europe and the Middle East and the American economy is at a low ebb. China’s imports are slowing, hurting the shipping industry badly.

Analysts expect a long downturn to weigh on growth prospects.

Despite the adverse scenario, however, there are plenty of opportunities for versatile businesses to utilise.

Fortunately for BASS, our mainstay revolves around cutting costs and increasing efficiency, a recipe for making businesses thrive. Ironically, our expertise is especially in demand in tough economic conditions, when businesses are seeking to curb expenditure but still improve efficiencies, thus perking up their bottom lines.

Cutting corners generally only becomes a priority when economic conditions dampen, and when companies have difficulty chalking up profits. Thus, this year we have seen strong growth, securing several contracts which

have generated much interest in BASS – Business Application and Solutions for shipping. At shipping conferences, including the recent Sea Japan event, visitors thronged to the BASS booths, inquiring about our products and services. This was again confirmed during our recent European Customer held in Nice, France which was met with overwhelming response.

Our sales people have also been busier than the norm, meeting prospective clients who have heard of BASS’ ability to trim costs and at the same time boost efficiencies.

However much of the publicity has come from the adoption of BASSnet by renowned shipping lines. Some of the biggest names in the shipping industry have sought us out to improve their processes and systems. They include Singapore’s APL (formerly American President Lines), South Africa’s Grindrod Shipping, German giant Oldendorff Carriers, Negros Navigation of the Philippines and Singapore’s Cheng Xin Ship Management, Malaysia’s Jasa Merin, just to name a few.

Late last year, Hapag Lloyd signed on the dotted line as well, marking a coup for BASS.

The rapid increase in our client base in the span of a few months is a strong endorsement of the many benefits that come with BASSnet™. The savings that shipping lines achieve by switching to BASS is in the region of 15% to 25%. Shipping companies can start reaping the benefits of BASS software right from the very beginning.

Seeing the rate at which BASS’ sales have soared in the first few months of the year, we are very hopeful that the upward momentum will continue this year and beyond.

Per Steinar Upsaker,

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

2 2.2012

BAss news

Over the past six months, BASS has shown a strong growth trajectory driven by the

signing up of several new clients and expanding the company’s market share.

The growing business volume has been matched by organisational growth, with the opening of a third BASS office at end-March. Setting up shop in Hamburg, Germany, gives BASS a strategic presence in the heart of a top-ranking shipping nation. This will yield strong dividends and see BASS maintain its splendid momentum from last year.

“I am elated with the growth shown by BASS. Its performance is stellar considering the challenging environment we are navigating,” said BASS CEO Per Steinar Upsaker.

“The growth in this first half of 2012 has been pace-setting and surpassed all expectations. It has been a busy but very rewarding period,” he said.

The good showing means that BASS is right on course to strengthen its global presence and extend its market dominance, seen in the chart here.

Positively, the new office in Hamburg positions BASS for further strong growth. Already, two German giants, Hapag Lloyd and Oldendorff Carriers, have signed up to equip their fleets with BASS software solutions.

“The path ahead is very exciting and expectations are high for our new base in Germany. We are gearing up for a dynamic growth in business,” said Upsaker.

Recent additions to the BASS customer family are certainly

harbingers of a growing business volume. The momentum picked up late last year, when Hapag Lloyd opted for the BASSnet™ software suite. Shortly afterwards, Philippine shipping outfit Negros Navigation signed on too. The latter, which operates inter-island ferry services, opens a new segment for BASS to develop.

The new year started with a bang, with APL (formerly American President Line) picking BASS’ award-winning solutions to future-proof its operations. APL, which is a unit of Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines, has adopted BASS’ integrated HR and payroll systems, and safety and risk management packages, among others.

For BASS, growth was not just in terms of numbers but also distributed geographically, with the signing up of Grindrod Shipping, which is headquartered in Durban, South Africa. Our tie up with Grindrod kicked off in May this year, entailing the installation of BASS’ proven productivity-enhancing suites, namely the maintenance, procurement, HR management, safety management, vetting and management reporting dashboard applications.

Other notable additions to the substantial list of clients include Oldendorff Carriers, Singapore-based

Cheng Xin Ship Management, and Malaysian offshore support company Jasa Merin.

A point to celebrate is that Oldendorff Carriers opted for BASS’ complete software suite, including all ten modules covering maintenance, procurement, dry-docking, safety, risk management, operations, crewing, payroll and services like database building and conversion. Significantly, Oldendorff Carriers has opted for the latest integrated BASSnet™ suite, which enables users to access new and enhanced features.

Cheng Xin, the latest client, has opted for BASS’ maintenance, procurement, KPI dashboard and reporting tools, among others, to be installed on 12 of the Singaporean company’s ships.

Jasa Merin has contracted BASS for the supply of planned maintenance, procurement and HR management systems onboard all 16 vessels.

Further, judging by the amount of interest that BASS has generated at SeaJapan, more signing ceremonies could be in the pipeline.

According to Mark Ravi, BASS Head of Sales in Asia, “We had a successful showing at SeaJapan and many shipping stalwarts visited the BASS booth to check out our software, since our name has become established as the IT partner of the top 10 shipping companies,” he said. A fuller account of the SeaJapan expo is carried inside.

Truly, BASS has not only become the pace setter, but continues to exhibit remarkable growth, bucking the trend for the sector.

Growing from strength to strength, BASS continues to be the leader in fleet management solutions, delivering cost-effective, reliable and advanced software to meet the needs and challenges of ship owners, managers and FPSO operators.

Growing from strength to strength

32.2012

2.2012

Smart solutions for shipping operations are in high demand, as the BASS experience showed at the

Sea Japan exhibition from April 18 to 20.

Among some 400 booths showcasing marine engineering, shipbuilding technology and related activities, the BASS booth drew much interest, with visitors eager to learn how ship management software can take their business to new heights of efficiency and productivity.

“The turnout was outstanding. We were among the shining stars at Sea Japan thanks to the reputation we have built for delivering exceptional value through innovation and service quality,” said BASS chief executive Per Steinar Upsaker.

Visitors’ queries were focused on BASSnet™ perennial favourites, including its modules for Maintenance, Procurement, Operations, Document Management, Safety Management, Risk Management, Self Assessment, Crew Management, Accounting, Payroll and KPI Dashboard

BASS’ business partners who were at the event included giants such as K-Line, its unit TNKC and NYK, among others.

On hand at Sea Japan, conducting both demonstrations and presentations and attending to inquiries were BASS’ Derrick Lee and Mark Ravi from the BASS Sales Team.

“We are a hundred per cent behind the Japanese shipping companies. We believe that the efficiency gains from the BASSnet™ systems will give them a distinct advantage to weather the current storm that has descended on the industry,” said Mark Ravi.

“They have the discipline, the know-how, and many have the BASSnet™ solutions in their corner as well. Others are coming on stream in the near future,” he added.

BASS’ success at Sea Japan comes on the back of a similarly fruitful Asia Pacific Maritime exhibition in Singapore in March this year.

Shipping companies and ship owners are now keenly aware that efficiency gains through information technology is the key to achieving sustainable business growth.

BASS’ complete suite of maritime software that is built on its continuous investments in research and technology, is bearing fruit for major shipping companies the world over. Its superior performance is an outcome of the BASS commitment to excellence, which ensures that its software solutions surpass the requirements of global shipping standards.

BASS shines at Sea Japan

One for the album: BASS’ Management Team at dinner with NYK’s senior executives. NYK, a key customer of BASS, utilises BASSnet™ on 140 of its ships, and has been utilising our Maintenance, Procurement and Accounting solutions since 2006.

Sharing insights: BASS Vice President, Research & Development, Martin Bjoernebye (left) demonstrates BASSnet™’s versatile solutions to an interested visitor.

Getting updated: BASS’ Mark Ravi explaining the merits of upgrading to BASSnet™ 2.8 to Nubuo Ichinose, President K-Line Systems. K-Line is a major customer of BASS.

Deep in conversation: BASS’ Mark Ravi (left) with A. Muranaka of tanker outfit Nakata Mac. Looking on is Yusuke Hayashi. Nakata Mac has adopted BASSnet™ solutions since September 2005, and is currently looking at upgrading its software solutions.

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The release of BASSnet™ 2.8 marks a major milestone on the roadmap towards “One

Complete Solution” for the maritime and offshore industries.

A full-fledged revamp of BASSnet™ - Fleet Management Systems, which enables users to ‘go live’ with BASSnet™ applications, was officially released during our recent European Customer forum in June. It looks set to take the market by storm.

Highlights include:• An improved user experience,

giving users complete control to configure the software’s user interface and menus.

• One Integrated Suite for a better overview and control of your fleet.

• A streamlined workflow for improved performance and compliance, through smooth document management.

• One Complete Solution for all ship management needs, with third party integration.

BASSnet™ 2.8 – a major milestone is reached

• Better decision support for Key Performance Indicators by facilitating inputs from stakeholders and analysis of feedback.BASSnet™ 2.8 is an evolution

from the highly acclaimed BASSnet™ 2.7SP1, and has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the shipping fraternity.

“Constant improvement is a core value of BASS,” said Rajesh Purkar, Vice President, Product Management and Marketing. “Applying this value to our customer focus has led us to climb the next peak in delivering solutions.”

Notable changes include new features in the Safety, Quality and Risk modules, and in the Human Resource, Crewing and Payroll system. Here is a sampling:

The HRM Crewing and Payroll, web-based BASSnet™ module has been enhanced with new features such as Onboard Training & Drills, a Crew Embarkation process and checklist, Payroll enhancements covering very complex scenarios; are few to list.

Additionally, with enhanced integration, the HRM system can now receive completed crew training details from the Seagull system.

The upgraded safety management module, SAFIR, features a new application, Training & Drills, which enables the tracking of training and drills undertaken, and creates a template for a comprehensive view of crew training requirements.

The new Review & Improvements module has a Change Management feature which enables users to set up templates to facilitate change management within the company that can then be distributed to vessels to ensure systematic implementation fleet-wide.

BASSnet™ 2.8 also features an improved Project Planner section under the Projects module, to provide a better user experience.

“Our modules ensure regulatory compliance, meet industry needs and improve operational workflow and results. We certainly want our clients to maximise the benefits of BASSnet™ for long-term solutions,” says Purkar.

BASSnet™ is built on the stable Microsoft.Net platform to suit the harsh maritime environment.

With such enhancements aimed at improving operational efficiency and productivity, ship owners and managers now have an even better incentive to invest in the state of the art BASSnet™ software.

52.2012

2.2012

The French Riviera played host to our BASS European Customer Forum this year, which

was attended by more than 40 professionals representing various shipping and offshore support companies.

The European forum provided a good opportunity for all participants to get an inside look at BASS’ latest software releases and future roadmap. It also provided a platform for non-users to see the value that BASSnet™ solutions could add to their businesses.

The forum kicked-off with ‘Welcome’ and ‘Opening’ keynotes from BASS CEO and Managing Director, Per Steinar Upsaker. He also announced the much-anticipated release of BASSnet™ version 2.8 – the much anticipated and improved version of the previous 2.7 SP1. He

was then followed by other speakers from BASS management, providing insight into BASSnet™ 2.8 and the roadmap ahead.

The 2-day forum proceeded smoothly with round-table discussions that were met with exciting feedback from participants. Everyone enjoyed the social aspect of the event as well as the opportunity to network with fellow shipping professionals. We are glad to announce that the screening of BASSnet™ 2.8 was very well-received by customers and prospects.

During the 2-day forum, participants were treated to drinks and lunches at the rooftop terrace at Radisson BLU Nice, with breath-taking panoramic view of the beautiful Nice coastline, against the backdrop of the remarkable French Alps.

SMM 2012- Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology Trade FairDate: 4-7 September 2012Venue: International Trade Fair, Hamburg, GermanyBooth No: B6-518For more event information, visit: http://smm-hamburg.de/en/  BASS Customer Forum (Asia)Date: November 2012For more information, please contact bee-lin.lee@bassnet.no  Please visit www.bassnet.no for the latest details.

�Europe/Americas: BASS AS Lysaker Torg 8, P.O. Box 68, 1324 Lysaker, Norway • Tel: +47 67 10 55 20

�Asia/Pacific: BASS Sdn Bhd 19th Floor Menara Atlan • 161B Jalan Ampang • 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Tel: +603 2173 6488 • Support tel: +603 2173 6422

�HQ: Bass Software Ltd. Aralanti House, 6th Floor • 203 Christodoulou Chatzipavlou • 3035 Limassol, Cyprus sales@bassnet.no • www.bassnet.no

� Germany: BASS Software GmbH • Grosse Elbstrasse 141b • 22767 Hamburg, Germany • Tel: +49 40 94 79 0058

� sales@bassnet.no • www.bassnet.no

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