Insights & Updates

Industry news, product updates, and expert commentary on vessel tracking, maritime risk, and data intelligence.

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August 26, 2026

BigOceanData upgrades terrestrial AIS coverage worldwide, more than doubling vessel visibility in coastal waters

Denser terrestrial coverage strengthens the coastal half of BigOceanData’s combined terrestrial & satellite AIS feed, with an Asia-Pacific sample showing 2.5 times more vessels tracked & position updates arriving 43% sooner. London, 26 August 2026, BigOceanData today announced a significant upgrade to the terrestrial component behind its vessel tracking platform, substantially increasing the number of vesselsContinue reading “BigOceanData upgrades terrestrial AIS coverage worldwide, more than doubling vessel visibility in coastal waters “

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Insights

September 5, 2026

Bab el-Mandeb Shipping: How Houthi Threats Changed Vessel Behaviour

Reseach conducted by BigOceanData for TradeWinds Among the months sampled, traffic through Bab el-Mandeb was highest in July 2026, then fell 18% in August after the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi shipping. Compared with October 2023, the fleet using the route is markedly older, ships have almost stopped declaring Saudi Red Sea ports, andContinue reading “Bab el-Mandeb Shipping: How Houthi Threats Changed Vessel Behaviour”

Insights

September 1, 2026

Ship Security Alert System (SSAS): a practical guide for operators

What an SSAS actually does, which ships must carry one, where the alert goes when it is pressed, and why most operators discover their weak point during a test rather than an incident. Most SSAS documentation describes a button. That is accurate and almost entirely useless, because the button is the part that works. WhatContinue reading “Ship Security Alert System (SSAS): a practical guide for operators”

Insights

August 17, 2026

Vessel Geofencing: How to Build AIS Alerts Your Team Will Actually Act On

Defining maritime zones, writing alert rules that earn attention, and avoiding the alert fatigue that quietly kills most monitoring set-ups. Vessel geofencing lets a maritime team draw a boundary around a port, anchorage, terminal, coastal region, offshore asset or sensitive area, and be told when a vessel interacts with it. Instead of checking a mapContinue reading “Vessel Geofencing: How to Build AIS Alerts Your Team Will Actually Act On”

How to Choose an AIS Platform for Vessel Movement Monitoring

Insights

August 12, 2026

How to Evaluate a Vessel Tracking Platform

Most tracking platforms look identical in a demo. Here is what actually separates them, what “satellite AIS” means in practice, and the questions to take into a vendor call. Every vessel tracking platform shows ships on a map. In a demo, they all look capable, they all have alerts, they all have history, and theyContinue reading “How to Evaluate a Vessel Tracking Platform”

Insights

August 3, 2026

What Happens When a Vessel Disappears From AIS?

AIS is the foundation of vessel tracking, but it was never designed for uninterrupted global coverage. When a vessel stops reporting, AIS Continuity maintains visibility using independent position sources already available on many ships.

Insights

July 22, 2026

We watched every large cargo Ship and Tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for 30 Days

BigOceanData monitored Strait of Hormuz vessel traffic for 30 days, analysing every qualifying cargo ship and tanker observed across the strait and its approaches. The results reveal a maritime corridor operating far outside its normal patterns. On a normal day, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest energy corridors. In January, ourContinue reading “We watched every large cargo Ship and Tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for 30 Days”

Insights

July 9, 2026

Which vessel tracking platform is right for your team? MarineTraffic, VesselFinder, or BigOceanData?

“Should we use you, MarineTraffic or VesselFinder? “ It is a question we are asked directly, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch. The short version: if you are an individual who needs vessel positions, or a business looking for standalone AIS data feeds, VesselFinder is a sensible place to start. If you are a large organisationContinue reading “Which vessel tracking platform is right for your team? MarineTraffic, VesselFinder, or BigOceanData?”

News, Press

April 21, 2026

BigOceanData launches Route Optimisation as part of its connected maritime operations platform

New capability combines weather-aware routing, vessel-specific logic and operational constraints to support better voyage decisions London, 21 April 2026 — BigOceanData today announced the launch of Route Optimisation, a new capability within the BigOceanData platform designed to help shipowners, operators and managers make better voyage decisions by connecting route planning with live operational visibility. BuiltContinue reading “BigOceanData launches Route Optimisation as part of its connected maritime operations platform”

Insights

April 11, 2026

From Live Positions to Better Decisions: The Real Value of Vessel Tracking

Vessel tracking is often reduced to a simple visual: a ship moving across a map. That is useful, but it is not where the real value sits. In practice, the value comes from what a team can decide once that movement is visible, interpretable, and connected to the operational picture around it. In shipping, timingContinue reading “From Live Positions to Better Decisions: The Real Value of Vessel Tracking”

News

March 27, 2026

Bulgarian Shipping Company Renews Agreement

A leading Bulgarian shipping company has renewed its partnership with BigOceanData following a highly successful initial term. Operating a fleet of 36 bulk carriers worldwide, the company requires reliable vessel tracking — even in regions where AIS coverage is limited. To address this, we implemented scheduled Inmarsat-C reporting alongside AIS data, ensuring continuous and accurateContinue reading “Bulgarian Shipping Company Renews Agreement”

News, Press

March 13, 2026

International Maritime Security Provider Extends 15-Year Partnership with BigOceanData

A leading international maritime security provider has renewed its long-standing relationship with BigOceanData, continuing to use a white-labelled version of the platform to support its global client base.

News

February 12, 2026

Diaplous Maritime Services Agreement Renewal Strengthens Maritime Security Capabilities

BigOceanData’s long-running partnership with Diaplous Maritime Services has been extended, building on collaboration that began in 2020. The agreement provides core vessel tracking services and enhanced area monitoring solutions, delivering real-time intelligence on marine traffic within designated regions. The extension reflects growing demand for integrated maritime security and situational awareness, particularly as global shipping routesContinue reading “Diaplous Maritime Services Agreement Renewal Strengthens Maritime Security Capabilities”