STM inspires yet another global standard – enabling further interoperability
The International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC, has approved a new work item SECOM – Secure Exchange and COMmunication of S-100 based products. What does it mean in practice? SECOM will mean interoperability, since the goal is to standardize how data is exchanged. SECOM aims to support all S-100 products that define what data is exchanged, making it a cornerstone for exchange of maritime information.
IEC has approved a proposal for a new work item based on the experiences with the Voyage Information Service, developed within Sea Traffic Management (STM). The goal with SECOM is a standardized interface and cyber security measures for transfer of S-100 products. The work started May 22-23 with the initial IEC TC80 (Technical Committee 80) workgroup 17 meeting in Stockholm.
“The STM Validation testbed has been an enabler for the new work item. Not only was the interface developed within the project but IEC also expects mature proposals. The extensive testing and high number of partners that are interoperable within STM is an excellent proof of concept. In the standardization work the scope is expanded, from voyage plans and navigational warnings, to include exchange of all S-100 based products”, says Björn Andreasson STM testbed manager.
“SECOM is an exchange layer that guarantees that different services and software exchange data in the exact same way. For manufacturers of maritime systems this eliminates the need to support several different service interfaces for different services and products. If a service or product works with one actor using it, it will work with all actors”, says Hannu Peiponen IEC TC 80 chair.
SECOM, if successful, will be a cornerstone for interoperability of the same magnitude as standard data formats and a common authentication method.