Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Vessel Brokerage Software and Chartering Platforms glossary

The brokerage-software vocabulary: the fleet-management and chartering platforms (ABS Nautical Systems rebranded Wavesight), AIS-fed position lists, research arms, and the cargo-matching and recap-management terms. Grounds each term in the named software product or the chartering platform it belongs to.

133 defined terms.

A

ABS Nautical Systems: Fleet management software suite owned by ABS.
ABS Wavesight: ABS subsidiary launched in 2022 offering fleet management, voyage analytics, and compliance software derived from the former Nautical Systems product line.
Affinity Research: London shipbroker and research firm publishing valuations and reports.
AIS: Automatic Identification System, a VHF data broadcast system mandated by SOLAS V/19.2.4.
Alphaliner: Container shipping data and analytics provider widely used by box brokers and operators.
AMOS: Asset Management Operating System maintenance and procurement software by SpecTec.
Argus Bunker: Marine fuel price assessment service from Argus Media covering major bunkering hubs and grades.
Argus Media: London-based energy and commodity price reporting agency publishing oil, LPG, and bunker market intelligence used by tanker charterers.
Asbatankvoy: Standard tanker voyage charter party of the Association of Ship Brokers and Agents.
AWT: Applied Weather Technology, a weather routing provider acquired by StormGeo in 2015 and integrated with Veson IMOS voyage modules.

B

Bahri Ship Management: Ship management arm of Bahri, the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, with associated agency arrangements.
Baltime 1939: A classic BIMCO time charterparty for general trade, revised in 2001.
BARECON 2017: BIMCO standard bareboat charter party.
Barry Rogliano Salles: Former name of BRS Group, the French shipbroking and consultancy firm.
BASS: Norwegian fleet management software vendor offering the bassnet platform for technical management, procurement, and crewing.
Best Oasis: Cash buyer group active in the ship recycling market.
BIMCHEMVOY: BIMCO chemical voyage charter form referenced by tanker agents.
BIMCO: Baltic and International Maritime Council, drafter of standard maritime contracts.
BPVOY 5: BP-issued tanker voyage charter party form, fifth edition, used for crude and product cargoes lifted by BP Shipping.
BRS Group: Paris based shipbroker publishing market reports and valuations.
Bunker Hub: BASS module supporting bunker stem planning, sampling, and reconciliation across managed fleets.
Bunker Index: Marine fuel price index brand later rebranded under the ENGINE Marine Fuel Index following ENGINE's 2022 launch.
Bunkerworld: Marine fuel news and price service published by Petromedia, covering bunker grades at major hubs.

C

Charter party: Contract for the hire of a ship or carriage of cargo.
Clarkson PLC: London-listed shipbroking group founded in 1852, parent of Clarksons Research and the Sea/Net platform.
Clarksons Research: Valuation and market data arm of Clarkson PLC.
ClearVoyage: Voyage execution and demurrage workflow platform marketed to tanker and dry bulk operators.
ClipperData: US-based crude oil flow analytics provider acquired by Kpler in 2021.
CMA CGM EcoLine: Booking and slow-steaming product line offered by the French container carrier CMA CGM.
Container Intelligence Monthly: Clarksons Research subscription publication covering container shipping supply, demand, and rates.
Container Trades Statistics: UK-based container trade data service, abbreviated CTS, supplying carriers and analysts with monthly volume statistics.
CTS: Container Securing Test or Cargo Tank Securing requirements as defined in IACS UR C and CSC.

D

Demurrage Manager: Veson IMOS module that automates laytime statements, time bars, and claim handling for tanker and dry bulk voyages.
Distance Calculator: Standard module inside Veson IMOS computing port-to-port distances using the BP Marine, AtoBviaC, or proprietary distance tables.
Drewry: London-based maritime research firm publishing the World Container Index used as a benchmark for container freight derivatives.

E

E2open: US supply chain software vendor that acquired the INTTRA container booking platform in 2018.
ENGINE: Marine fuel intelligence platform launched in 2022 by the former Bunker Index team, publishing the ENGINE Marine Fuel Index.
ENGINE Marine Fuel Index: Daily marine fuel benchmark series published by ENGINE covering VLSFO, HSFO, MGO, and biofuel blends.
EU ETS: European Union Emissions Trading System, extended to maritime shipping from 2024, generating demand for allowance trading tools.
EU MRV: EU Regulation 2015/757 on monitoring, reporting, and verification of CO2 emissions from shipping.

F

Fairplay: Historical shipping publication acquired by Lloyd's Register and later integrated into IHS Fairplay and subsequently S&P Global Maritime & Trade.
FERTIVOY: BIMCO fertilizer voyage charter party form used in fertilizer trades.
Fixture: Concluded charter party agreement.
FleetMon: Hamburg-based vessel tracking platform operated by JAKOTA Cruise Systems.

G

GASVOY: BIMCO liquefied gas voyage charter party form used in LPG and certain LNG spot trades.
GENCON 1994: BIMCO uniform general charter, the most widely used dry bulk voyage form.
GMS: One of the largest international cash buyers of end-of-life vessels, headquartered in Dubai with offices in Hamburg, New York, and Singapore.
GTNexus: Cloud-based supply chain platform acquired by Infor in 2015 and rebranded into Infor Nexus.

H

Heavycon: BIMCO standard form for the carriage of heavy lift cargoes.
Hellenic Shipping News: Piraeus-based shipping news portal publishing daily market reports, position lists, and bunker prices.
Helm CONNECT: Fleet management software from Helm Operations, a Victoria, British Columbia vendor focused on tug, barge, and workboat operators.
Helm Operations: Canadian maritime software company acquired by ABB in 2017 and operating Helm CONNECT.
Howe Robinson Partners: London-headquartered shipbroker with major offices in Singapore and Hong Kong.

I

IHS Markit Maritime & Trade: Maritime data division formed from the integration of Lloyd's Register Fairplay and IHS, absorbed by S&P Global in 2022.
IMOS: Integrated Maritime Operations System, the Veson Nautical chartering and operations platform first released in the early 2000s.
IMOS X: Cloud-native generation of the Veson IMOS platform announced by Veson Nautical in 2023.
Infor Nexus: Cloud-based supply chain network developed from the GTNexus acquisition by Infor.
Informa: London-listed information group that owns Lloyd's List and Lloyd's List Intelligence.
INFOSHIP: SpecTec ship management software platform covering maintenance, procurement, safety, and crewing.
INTANKVOY: Intertanko-sponsored tanker voyage charter party form for independent tanker owners.
INTTRA: Former carrier EDI network, integrated into E2open.

K

Kpler: Paris-based commodity intelligence firm that acquired MarineTraffic in 2023.

L

Laytime: Time allowed for loading or discharging under a voyage charter.
Lloyd's List: Maritime trade newspaper, founded 1734.
Lloyd's List Intelligence: Maritime intelligence service used for compliance screening.
Lloyd's Register Fairplay: Joint venture between Lloyd's Register and Fairplay, later folded into IHS Maritime and ultimately S&P Global Maritime & Trade.

M

Maersk Spot: Container booking product launched by A.P. Moller-Maersk in 2019 offering fixed rates and loading guarantees.
Marine Money International: New York-based maritime finance publication and conference organizer founded in 1988.
MarineTraffic: Commercial AIS data and tracking platform headquartered in Athens.
Maritime Optima: Oslo-based shipbroker workflow platform combining position lists, vessel data, and chat tools.
MyShipTracking: Web-based vessel tracking service offering free AIS coastal coverage and paid premium features.

N

NAPA Voyage Reporting: Voyage performance and reporting module from NAPA, the Helsinki-based naval architecture and operations software firm.
Nautical Systems 5: Final ABS Nautical Systems version released before the rebrand to ABS Wavesight in 2022.
NORGRAIN: North American Grain Charter Party form used for grain shipments from US and Canadian ports.
NUVOY: BIMCO chemical voyage charter party form designed for parcel and specialty chemical cargoes.
NYPE 93: New York Produce Exchange time charter party form revised in 1993 and later updated as NYPE 2015.

O

OceanScore: Hamburg based fleet emissions and management analytics provider.
OPIS: Oil Price Information Service, a US energy price reporting agency owned by News Corp's Dow Jones since 2022.

P

Platts: S&P Global Platts, commodity pricing service informing tanker and dry chartering decisions.
Pole Star Global: UK provider of LRIT services and the PurpleTRAC compliance platform.
PositionFix: Position-list and chartering workflow tool used by dry bulk and tanker brokers.
PRIME: Family of shipping ERP and chartering products including PRIME 96 and PRIME Plus.

Q

Q88: The standard vessel particulars questionnaire format used industry-wide for tanker chartering and vetting.
Q88 Compliance: Q88 module supporting vetting, inspections, and incident tracking for tanker operators.
Q88 Connector: Vessel data API offered by Q88 enabling integration of tanker particulars and questionnaires into customer systems.
Q88 Marketplace: Q88 fixtures and market data product aggregating tanker fixture reports.
Q88 Questionnaire: Industry-standard tanker vessel particulars questionnaire originating in the late 1990s and named after its 88 data sections.
Q88 Voyager: Voyage management product offered by Q88 covering tanker chartering, operations, and post-fixture workflows.
Q88.com: The commercial platform operated by Q88 LLC that hosts vessel particulars and integrates with charterer workflows.

R

Refinitiv Eikon: Market data and analytics terminal from Refinitiv, now part of the London Stock Exchange Group, with tanker and freight analytics modules.
RINA: Royal Institution of Naval Architects, London, founded 1860.

S

S&P Global: New York-listed information group that absorbed IHS Markit, including the Maritime & Trade division, in 2022.
S&P Global Maritime & Trade: Division of S&P Global housing Sea-web and related vessel databases, formerly IHS Markit Maritime & Trade.
Saleform 1993: A revision of the Norwegian Sale Form (Memorandum of Agreement) widely used in secondhand sales.
Saleform 2012: The 2012 revision of the Norwegian Saleform.
Sea-web: Vessel database product from S&P Global Maritime & Trade, descended from the Lloyd's Register Fairplay World Shipping Encyclopaedia.
Sea-web Casualties: Sea-web module recording vessel casualties, total losses, and incident histories.
Sea-web Movements: Sea-web module recording AIS-derived vessel port calls and movements.
Sea-web Ships: Core Sea-web module providing particulars, ownership, classification, and history for the global fleet.
Sea/Net: Vessel database and intelligence platform marketed by Clarksons Research, covering particulars, ownership, and S&P history.
SeaIntelligence: Container shipping consultancy founded by Lars Jensen in 2011 and rebranded as Vespucci Maritime in 2021.
Seasearcher: Lloyd's List Intelligence flagship platform combining vessel tracking, ownership, casualty, and risk data.
SHELLTIME 4: Shell standard time charter party for tankers.
SHELLVOY 6: Shell standard tanker voyage charter party.
ShipFix: London-based freight workflow platform founded in 2017, structuring fixture and cargo email flows for chartering desks.
ShipNet: Norwegian fleet management software provider.
Shipping Intelligence Network: Subscription database produced by Clarksons Research.
Shipping Intelligence Weekly: Weekly market publication from Clarksons Research covering rates, fleet, and orderbook data.
SHIPSALE 22: BIMCO sale and purchase form 2022.
ShipServ: Marine procurement marketplace founded in 1999 connecting shipowners with chandlers and equipment suppliers.
ShipSure 2.0: V.Group's ship management ERP suite serving V.Ships and third-party managed fleets.
SignalOcean: Athens-based maritime analytics platform offering position lists, market intelligence, and AIS-based analytics.
SIN: Common abbreviation for the Clarksons Research Shipping Intelligence Network.
SIRE: The Ship Inspection Report Programme, established by OCIMF in 1993.
Spectec: Maritime software supplier offering AMOS planned maintenance and fleet management.
Spire Maritime: AIS, weather and dynamic vessel data service from Spire Global.
SSY: Simpson Spence Young, one of the world's largest independent shipbrokers.
StormGeo: Norwegian weather services provider that acquired Applied Weather Technology in 2015 and supplies routing data to Veson IMOS.
SUPPLYTIME 2017: BIMCO standard offshore time charter party.

T

Time Charter: Charter for a defined period at hire per day.
Trading Hub: Veslink Trading Hub, the Veson Nautical communication layer connecting owners, charterers, and brokers around IMOS data.

V

Veslink: Veson Nautical reporting and connectivity platform extending IMOS to vessels and external counterparties.
Veson IMOS Platform: Commercial name for the integrated Veson Nautical product suite combining chartering, operations, accounting, and analytics.
Veson Nautical: Charter and voyage management software that ingests AIS positions for voyage estimation.
VesselFinder: Commercial AIS tracking provider based in Varna, Bulgaria.
VesselsValue: Vessel valuation and data provider widely used by lenders and owners.
Vortexa: London-based commodity intelligence firm founded in 2016 specializing in oil and gas flow analytics from AIS.
Voyage Estimator: Veson IMOS module used by chartering desks to compute time charter equivalent earnings for prospective voyages.
Voyage Manager: Commercial role coordinating voyage logistics.

W

Wartsila Voyage: Business unit of Wartsila that integrates the former Transas portfolio, including NTPRO 5000 simulators and ECDIS products.
Wirana Shipping: Singapore-headquartered ship recycling cash buyer, one of the largest by purchased tonnage.
World Fleet Register: Vessel and ownership database produced by Clarksons Research.
World Shipping Encyclopaedia: Historic vessel database published by Lloyd's Register Fairplay, succeeded by IHS Sea-web and now S&P Global Sea-web.