Harvards on flight line at dawn

Established in 1993, Melbourne based Ocean Software utilises Microsoft Corporation technologies to create programs that provide command and support solutions for customers with complex operating environments.

The small to medium enterprise employs about 50 personnel including software engineers, business analysts and quality assurance staff.

Its flag ship product FlightPro was developed in the early nineties as a solution to managing the daily running and long term planning of two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flight training bases.

The RAAF has now used the product for over a decade to manage the training of Australian pilots.

FlightPro is also being utilised by the international defence market with the Canadian and United Kingdom Defence Forces purchasing the off-the-shelf program. Australian based Ocean has established an international presence, with five staff in Manchester, United Kingdom; two in eastern Canada; and representatives in Asia and the Middle East to meet international demand.

The Canadian Air Force is using the product to manage scheduling, personnel coordination and mission outcome data for its pilot’s real-time simulation training, with pilots participating in joint missions from different geographic locations.

And application of the product within United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadrons has lead to 15 per cent increases in their operational capability according to feedback provided to Ocean Software Director Products, Richard Broome.

‘We are here to help solve the different day-to-day data gathering and processing requirements of our clients. Solving complex operations management problems is what Ocean does best,’ Mr Broome said.

In the spirit of solving problems, Ocean adapted its FlightPro program for Australian Coastwatch to create the world’s first, real-time, web driven command and control system, CoastPro, a maritime surveillance command support system tool.

Australian Coastwatch conducts surveillance operations across 37,000 kilometres of Australian coastline, coordinating aircraft, ships, people and information distribution to clients.

The Coastwatch client list includes Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Australian Federal Police, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and Environment Australia; organisations that require timely and accurate information.

CoastPro looks after the full information flow from client tasking, planning, route management, airborne data gathering, post mission data amalgamation and ultimately reporting back to the originating client agencies.

Mr Broome said Ocean has experience in real-time operations management products and management approaches, and has fielded proven systems to dramatically improve how clients conduct their operations.

‘Having optimised operations for Squadrons in three countries and having been exposed to current operations in a number of our other projects, Ocean has developed a core competency in managing operational data. We blend this operational understanding with innovative technology,’ he said.