VBH | NEWS

  VBH’s Latest Sea Trial

Kees Groen (Project manager for VBH at Feadship de Vries) reports to the office:

A perfect fusion of AV, IT and Communications in one unified system! Yacht owners and crew make more and more extensive use of multimedia internet services such as FaceBook, Twitter and WebTV on their own devices. Therefore a high-performance, reliable, maintainable and efficient system is of paramount importance.

In the past months, VBH has delivered 8 yachts with a total length of 477 meters. Three of these yachts have been delivered with shipwide Apple Airplay functionality. On those yachts, owner and guests can stream music from their iPhone, iPod or iPad to their TV and sound system from wherever they are on board.

New Brochure Creative Applications

The Creative Applications portfolio is there to create unique experiences. The new brochure presents the various interactive products VBH has to offer and gives an impression of some of the fully custom immersive installations we can design.

The various products range from large multitouch bar surfaces on which you can watch videos, view photos and choose your music, to interactive chart tables that allow you to explore the world around the yacht with your fingers. Also the ceiling projections which rotate along with the heading of the yacht and the interactive fish bowls are presented.

The brochure also gives a brief idea of some projects in which we are involved at the early stages of a refit or complete newbuild. With these projects we can realise one-of-a-kind tailored installations that stimulate our clients’ senses. Together with architects, designers and engineers we are able to create a truly unique and tailored symbiosis of visual poetry and technology; eventually enabling our clients to dream with their eyes open.

Interested to know more about our Creative Applications? Please contact Stefan at stefan@bergehenegouwen.com or +31 6 42 110 694.

TOPiC interactive cocktail table

VBH has recently launched TOPiC, an interactive cocktail table, at several yachting events. Since TOPiC is showcased this week during the Future of Global Superyachts Conference, we’d like to give this product some special attention.

TOPiC can be used by multiple people simultaneously to play around with digital photos, videos and interactive effects, or try to beat each other on interactive games like pinball. Hands and fingertips can be used to navigate through the interactive applications, like an interactive fish tank. TOPiC is a unique social landmark which gives each area a touch of elegance and attraction.

While TOPiC has been designed with the idea of a cocktail table in mind, it can have multiple other applications. It can also be used as a unique tool for presentations or advertising in your showroom, or it can act as a decoration tool for a social meeting area. Uploading your own content is easy, so TOPiC can be customized according to your own personal wishes.

TOPiC is sold by VBH as a product, but can also be used for yachting events. The content that is displayed on the screen can be customized by the host of the event. Think of movies and pictures that have been made earlier during the event, or pictures of yachts during an award show.

Interested in knowing more about TOPiC? Please contact Nathalie van Popering at nathalie@bergehenegouwen.com or +31 6 29 409 811.

Case study: MTN and VBH broadband on M/Y Pestifer

The Dutch-built Feadship 65m M/Y Pestifer was constructed for an experienced yacht owner looking to upgrade his current motor yacht. Launched in 2009 by Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw, the luxury vessel accommodates eight guests with two-dozen crewmembers. For all of those on board, connectivity matters, and that’s why the yacht owners requested a robust and reliable satellite communications system.

Van Berge Henegouwen Installaties (VBH), a MTN Maritime Service Provider, installed and integrated the entertainment and IT systems onboard. As the technology leader and chosen solutions provider for more than half of the world’s largest yachts, MTN was selected to provide a suite of broadband satellite communications solutions for M/Y Pestifer. This also includes quality hardware from reputable technology industry leaders such as SeaTel and Cisco. MTN and VBH delivered customized yacht solutions in order to meet the client’s need for critical communications: Internet browsing, VPN connections, sending/receiving e-mails, making quality voice calls, remote monitoring and troubleshooting, and other critical applications.

Further addressing the owner’s specific request to maximize uptime of the satellite communications system should one of the antennas experience blockage, MTN provided its innovative and reliable Rapid Transfer Switch (RTS) service. RTS is a unique RF technology solution that detects satellite blockage and quickly switches from the online antenna to the backup antenna without breaking communication.

Thanks to the onboard equipment and services that were provided by MTN, the owner, his guests, captain and crew are able to access the Internet, send and receive e-mails and use VoIP telephony no matter where the yacht is sailing. With remote access and maintenance made possible through the satellite communications system, suppliers such as VBH can quickly and efficiently engage with the onboard engineer to troubleshoot remotely. In addition, these features have enabled VBH to remotely change the onboard Crestron touchpanel layouts according to the owner’s request.

Interested to read more? Please click here for the full case study.

VBH | TECHNOVELTIES

 Gesture control: YOU are the controller of your onboard experience

At VBH, we believe that the control of your onboard yachting environment should be as simple and intuitive as possible. During the past years, new ways of control have rapidly followed each other: as an addition to dedicated control panels, many yacht owners now use their iPhones and iPads to control their onboard systems. With the recent launch and increasing popularity of gesture control devices like Kinect and Asus XTION, you can be the controller of your onboard experience. Simply raise your hand, activate the sensor and choose one of your favourite movies from your entertainment system.

VBH has recently been experimenting with gesture control of the onboard entertainment system. The following movie shows how this is done.

  Various infotainment upgrades available for Oculus YachtEye

VBH is is pleased to introduce the latest infotainment developments and upgrades available for Oculus YachtEye, offering an enhanced user experience, an improved management system plus several new “add on” modules. With new dynamic Yacht and Tender animations, a more detailed RoutePlanner and an interactive and customisable Logbook, YachtEye can be fully tailored to ensure you receive the exact version of the product you require. Track your yachts and tenders from the comfort of your office or home and upgrade your onboard experience to cover your entire fleet and aircrafts. Integrate YachtEye to your onboard Crestron, AMX, Savant or other control system for the ultimate in control of latest technology. YachtEye offers the latest in realtime onboard infotainment technology and with the new interactive touch screen application one can explore all that Yachting has to offer. For more information on YachtEye and all modules and options available, please contact us at info@bergehenegouwen.com or check www.oculustechnologies.nl

Over the last 2 years, VBH installed multiple YachtEye applications on various superyachts varying from 46 - 140 metres across a selection of new build and refit projects.

  Leverage the onboard IP telephone system

VBH is offering her clients a feature-rich notification system which provides text and audio notifications onboard the yacht. The notifications can be real-time, such as emergency alerts and paging, or they can be scheduled. Mass notifications to selected groups can be communicated in many different ways, like text, sms, email, speakers and web services like Facebook and Twitter. For example, text messages can be sent to guests to inform them about the departure time of their tender or indicate that dinner is ready. VBH integrates functionalities like these with Cisco’s IP phone system.

Features of this new paging application are:

Emergency Notification and Alert Solutions: triggered by user and system activated events, everyone onboard is instantly informed of critical events. Find the benefits below:

• Easy to add IP phones to notification groups
• Activate/deactivate emergency alert groups via iPhone application or web service
• Activity logging
• Integration with fire and alarm systems
• Weather alerts
• Monitor user-activated triggers and events based on buttons pressed from any phone, discrete panic buttons, nurse call button

• Steward call with a simple button press
• Real-time audio and text messages to IP phones
• Centrally broadcast to all or specific zones
• Record and play instant broadcasting

• Background music services: music can be streamed to the Cisco IP phone speakers
• Send out polls to determine e.g. guest satisfaction
• Customization of ring tones

For more information please contact Susanne Mensink on susanne@bergehenegouwen.com or +31 6 29069144.

VBH | EVENTS & PRESS

VBH @ The Future of Global Superyachts Conference

On the 22nd of June, Arjan Kleinveld, managing director of VBH has presented his vision on the challenge of AVIT system integrators during the Future of Global Superyacht Conference in Palma de Mallorca. AVIT system integrators have to fulfill the wishes of the future superyacht Owners, in a yacht build process that starts today.

In the presence of around 100 superyacht industry professionals Arjan gave the audience insight in the development of new technologies. And not only the quick succession of new technologies and consumer electronics, but also the speed at which people are adopting these and the intensiveness of their media consumption poses challenges and sets new expectations.

Future superyacht Owners, mainly originating from the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) expect continuous access to their preferred web-services (like Facebook and WebTV) to interact with each other and down- and upload their favorite content. Further they want to take onboard their own user devices to control their onboard Entertainment and IT systems, which should deliver ultimate comfort and luxury by fitting their cultural needs. The Chinese Owner prefers a complete karaoke set, Chinese social media web services and neon blue light scenes, while the Russian owner wants to record all global soccer matches and watch the images of his CCTV cameras real-time.

AVIT system integrators have to integrate these to-be future-proof systems in a yacht build process that has to take place smooth, cost effective and efficient, within the shortest possible timeframe. VBH’s vision is to make a demarcation between the parts of the system that can be physically installed without Owner input, the so-called backbone, and the parts of the system that really determine the personalization, luxury and comfort of the system for the Owner. E.g. choice for TV brands, level of integration, use of own smart phone etc. This way, the AVIT system does not influence the yacht build process.

So, with logical thinking this can be realized. The real challenge for the superyacht industry when it comes to the AVIT system is the limited and extremely bandwidth onboard, which Owners are used to have on the shore and has become part of their life.

Download the full presentation here.

For more information you can contact Susanne at susanne@bergehenegouwen.com or +31629069144.

VBH sponsors the Diamonds & White Party at the Monaco Rendezvous 2011

From June 22nd – 26th, a select group of superyacht owners came to Monaco for the Monaco Rendezvous. The yearly Rendezvous in Monaco is an invitation only event for private superyachts with a length of 30 meters and above, designed exclusively for superyacht owners, their family & friends. The event was full of on the water activities like cruising in company and watersports as well as shoreside activities like chefs competitions and luxury shopping. VBH sponsored the Diamonds & White party that took place on Saturday June 25th. At the Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel, 200 guests appeared in white outfits and enjoyed cocktails, delicious food courtesy of the Michelin-starred restaurant, and swinging music. The party went on till the early hours…

Want to know more about the involvement of VBH during the Monaco Rendezvous? Contact Nathalie van Popering at nathalie@bergehenegouwen.com or +31 6 29 40 9811.

VBH on speed date with industry journalists

In the early morning on the 25th of May VBH has participated in the speed date session that was part of the Yacht Valley Press Tour event, organized by Holland Yachting Group. During 12 sessions of 10 minutes with journalists of yachting magazines from all over the world, VBH presented her company, products and services. Special attention was given to the way VBH deals with future technologies, something that most journalists found really interesting. Besides that, most journalists were impressed by the Creative Applications portfolio of VBH, showing an extensive range of possibilities to create unique yachting experiences by applying interactive and innovative technologies like multitouch, interactive surfaces and projection.

For more information please contact Susanne Mensink on susanne@bergehenegouwen.com or +31 6 29069144.

©2011 Van Berge Henegouwen Installaties – De Lasso Zuid 3F - 2371 EV Roelofarendsveen, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 71 331 11 40 – Web: www.bergehenegouwen.com – Email: info@bergehenegouwen.com