FAQ
Vessel traffic services (VTS)
What is VTS?
VTS stands for vessel traffic services: shore-based services that monitor and manage ship traffic in ports, waterways, and coastal areas, comparable to air traffic control for shipping. VTS operators use AIS, radar, cameras (if fitted), and VHF communication to maintain situational awareness, provide information and navigational assistance to vessels, and organize traffic to keep waterways safe and efficient. For the full picture, see our VTS reference.
What is a VTS system in maritime operations?
A VTS system is the integrated software and sensor platform that vessel traffic service operators work with. It fuses AIS, radar, camera, and hydro-meteorological data. AIS, radar and camera build the real-time traffic image, while hydro-meteorological data adds to the operator’s wider situational awareness. The system applies alerting rules to detect dangerous situations, provides decision support tools (DST) that give VTS operators the means to do their work, and records everything for incident review. VTS systems such as Tidalis MaritimeControl add configurable alerting and decision support to flag risks before they become critical.
Is VTS mandatory?
A VTS is a risk-mitigation measure and a navigational aid, operated only by a competent authority: where the navigational risk in an area becomes too high, establishing a VTS can be the solution. SOLAS Chapter V recognizes vessel traffic services as a measure contributing to safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment, and individual coastal and inland waterway states decide where VTS is established. Within a declared VTS area, participation is typically mandatory for commercial vessels. The IALA standards, guidelines and recommendations define how VTS should be organized and operated worldwide.
What is the difference between VTS and VTMS?
VTS (vessel traffic services) refers to the service provided to shipping, while VTMS (vessel traffic management system) usually refers to the technical system the service runs on. In practice the terms overlap, and vendors use vessel traffic management system, VTS software, and VTMS software interchangeably for the same category of maritime software.
Port management information system (PMIS)
What does PMIS stand for?
In the maritime industry, PMIS stands for port management information system: the software platform a port authority or harbor master organization uses to manage port calls, berth planning, nautical services, dangerous goods, billing, and statistics. Many ports are also landlords, which is often where they earn most of their revenue, so a PMIS can extend to managing leases, property, warehouses and cargo control alongside the nautical operation. In other industries the same acronym refers to project management information systems, which are unrelated. Read our full PMIS guide for how to choose one.
What is a port management information system?
A port management information system (PMIS) is the operational backbone of a port. It manages the full lifecycle of a vessel visit, from pre-arrival notification through berth allocation, pilot and tug planning, and departure, to invoicing of port dues. By acting as a single source of truth for the port community, a PMIS such as Tidalis PortControl eliminates the miscommunication, delays, and errors of coordinating by phone, email, and spreadsheet. A PMIS typically connects to the port’s ERP and financial systems, so that operational data such as recorded port calls and services feeds invoicing and reporting without re-keying.
What is a port call?
A port call is a vessel’s visit to a port: the arrival, stay (at anchorage and berth), and departure, together with all services and formalities involved. The related phrase port of call refers to a port a vessel visits during its voyage. Optimizing port calls through shared planning data is one of the main levers ports have to cut waiting times, fuel consumption, and emissions; see what is a port call and why timing matters.
What is the difference between a PMIS, a TOS, and a port community system?
A PMIS is the port authority’s system for port calls, berths, nautical services, and port dues. A terminal operating system (TOS) manages cargo handling inside a terminal, the dry side of operations, including goods moving in and out. A port community system (PCS) is a neutral data exchange platform between commercial parties in the logistics chain. The three are complementary, and in a well-digitalized port they interconnect, with the PMIS as the operational hub for the harbor master.
What does a harbor master use port management software for?
A harbor master uses port management software to plan and approve vessel movements, allocate berths against vessel dimensions and restrictions, schedule pilots, tugs, and line handlers, monitor dangerous goods, and keep an auditable record of every port call. Business rules in the PMIS warn of unsafe situations automatically, such as a vessel draft exceeding berth depth, so the harbor master’s team can manage exceptions instead of paperwork.
AIS and vessel tracking
What is AIS (automatic identification system)?
AIS, the automatic identification system, is a transponder system through which ships automatically broadcast their identity, position, course, speed, and navigational status over VHF radio. Shore stations, other vessels, and satellites receive these broadcasts, making AIS the primary data source for vessel tracking worldwide. AIS was made mandatory by the IMO under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19.
Which ships are required to carry AIS?
Under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19, AIS is mandatory for all ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards on domestic voyages, and all passenger ships regardless of size. The requirement has been fully in force since the end of 2004, which is why commercial shipping is almost universally trackable via AIS.
What is AIS vessel tracking?
AIS vessel tracking is the practice of receiving and processing AIS broadcasts to follow ship movements in real time and over history. Terrestrial AIS receivers provide dense, low-latency coverage along coasts and in ports, while satellite AIS extends vessel tracking across open oceans. For how the networks work together, read vessel tracking explained.
What is an AIS network?
An AIS network is the connected infrastructure of AIS receiving stations, data processing, and distribution that turns individual ship broadcasts into a continuous vessel tracking picture. Port authorities and coastguards build or subscribe to AIS networks to feed their VTS, port management, and maritime domain awareness systems. The Tidalis MSG AIS network combines terrestrial and satellite coverage with more than 20 years of historical AIS data.
What is the difference between free ship trackers and professional vessel tracking software?
Free ship tracker websites answer where a ship is right now. Professional vessel tracking software adds validated multi-source data, deep historical AIS archives for incident investigation and analytics, guaranteed availability, licensing for operational use, and integration into VTS, port management, and surveillance systems. Ports and authorities running mission-critical operations need the latter.
Can a vessel be tracked if its AIS is switched off?
Only within sensor range. A vessel not transmitting AIS, an AIS-dark vessel, can be detected by radar, cameras, or other sensors, but only where such sensors actually cover the area. In practice the vast majority of vessels at sea are beyond the range of shore-based radar and cameras, so a vessel that switches off its AIS in open water generally cannot be tracked. Where sensor coverage does exist, typically in ports and approaches, surveillance systems identify dark vessels by correlating radar contacts against missing AIS signals. This sensor fusion is a core capability of Tidalis CoastControl.
Pilotage and pilot dispatching
What is pilotage?
Pilotage is the act of navigating a vessel through confined or hazardous waters, such as port approaches, rivers, and channels, with the assistance of a maritime pilot who has expert local knowledge. In most commercial ports, pilotage is compulsory for vessels above a certain size: a licensed pilot boards the ship and advises the master during the passage.
What is the difference between pilotage and a VTS?
Pilotage and vessel traffic services are complementary but distinct. A maritime pilot physically boards an individual vessel and advises its master through a specific passage, using expert local knowledge. A VTS is operated from shore by an authority and manages the traffic picture for a whole area. The two work closely together: pilot movements and VTS sailing plans are typically coordinated through the same operational data.
What is pilot dispatching software?
Pilot dispatching software plans and assigns maritime pilots to vessel movements, taking into account pilot qualifications, rest hours, boarding locations, and changing ETAs. It replaces the whiteboards and spreadsheets many pilot organizations still rely on. Tidalis PilotControl is a dedicated solution for precise, compliant pilot planning, built by people who understand pilotage operations in depth and connected to live vessel traffic data. Good dispatching software balances workload through two related mechanisms: the roster, which sets when each pilot is on duty and is known well in advance, and the rotation, which determines which job a pilot takes on once on duty. Managing both fairly is what keeps the workload evenly spread across the pilot team.
Coastal surveillance and maritime domain awareness
What is maritime domain awareness?
Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is the effective understanding of everything in the maritime environment that could affect a nation’s security, safety, economy, or environment. In practice, MDA means continuously knowing which vessels are operating in your waters, what they are doing, and which behavior is anomalous. It is achieved by fusing AIS vessel tracking, radar, cameras, and intelligence sources into one common operational picture.
What is coastal surveillance?
Coastal surveillance is the continuous monitoring of activity along a coastline and in territorial waters, typically by coastguards, navies, and border authorities. A coastal surveillance system integrates coastal surveillance radar, AIS, electro-optical cameras, and other sensors to detect, track, and classify vessels, including small or non-cooperative targets that do not transmit AIS. Tidalis CoastControl provides this sensor fusion for maritime domain awareness.
How does anomaly detection work in maritime surveillance?
Anomaly detection in maritime surveillance is the practice of identifying vessel behavior that deviates from normal patterns: unexpected route changes, loitering near critical infrastructure, rendezvous between ships at sea, AIS gaps, or speed profiles inconsistent with the declared vessel type. Presenting these signals clearly to operators helps a small team supervise large sea areas, including critical maritime infrastructure such as offshore platforms and subsea cables.
Sustainability, compliance, and security
How does maritime software reduce emissions?
Lower emissions are mainly a by-product of more efficient port operations rather than a goal of the software itself. When a port plans berths and movements well and shares that information, vessels spend less time waiting at anchor with engines running, which reduces fuel burn for the parties who operate the ships. For ports themselves the primary value is smoother, more predictable operations; the environmental gain follows from that. You can read more about sustainable shipping with Tidalis.
What is FuelEU Maritime and why does vessel data matter for it?
FuelEU Maritime is the EU regulation, in force since January 2025, that limits the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used by ships calling at European ports. Together with the IMO Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), it makes accurate voyage-level vessel movement data a compliance requirement: emissions calculations depend on knowing precisely how ships sailed. Historical and real-time AIS data from networks such as Tidalis MSG provides that foundation.
What should ports ask about maritime cyber security?
Ports should treat VTS and port management systems as critical infrastructure and ask vendors three things: how security is integrated into development and deployment, whether the vendor holds recognized certifications such as ISO 27001, and how resilience and redundancy are built into mission-critical systems. A VTS or PMIS outage is an operational and safety incident, so maritime cyber security belongs in every procurement conversation.
Maritime software
What is maritime software?
Maritime software, in the sense Tidalis uses it, is the operational software that ports and maritime authorities use to plan, monitor, and manage vessel movements and port operations. The core categories are vessel traffic services (VTS) systems, which only an authority can operate; port management information systems (PMIS); pilot dispatching tools; and coastal surveillance platforms. For a full overview of the categories and how to evaluate them, see our maritime software buyer’s guide.
What are the benefits of maritime software?
Maritime software replaces phone calls, emails, and spreadsheets with a single source of truth: one shared, real-time traffic image of operations. The practical benefits are safer waterways through better situational awareness, more efficient port calls through coordinated planning, accurate billing of port dues, and reliable data for compliance and reporting. Ultimately these benefits support a port’s primary objective, the economic growth of its region and hinterland, while a safer and cleaner operation also improves the surrounding living environment. Faster, better-coordinated port operations with Tidalis PortControl keep traffic moving and resources well used.
What types of maritime software does Tidalis provide?
Tidalis provides an integrated platform of maritime software for ports and maritime authorities: MaritimeControl for vessel traffic services, PortControl as a port management information system, PilotControl for pilot planning and dispatching, CoastControl for coastal surveillance and maritime domain awareness, and the MSG AIS network. The solutions are built to share data across their respective data layers, so vessel positions, port call data, and planning information flow between systems.
How do I choose between maritime software companies?
Evaluate maritime software companies on domain expertise, integration, and longevity rather than feature lists alone. Key questions: how many working ports and authorities shaped the product, does the vendor cover the full chain from VTS to port management to surveillance, can systems exchange data natively, and is there a realistic phased implementation path instead of a big-bang replacement? Tidalis builds on more than 50 years of maritime domain expertise.
What is AIS (automatic identification system)?
AIS, the automatic identification system, is a transponder system through which ships automatically broadcast their identity, position, course, speed, and navigational status over VHF radio. Shore stations, other vessels, and satellites receive these broadcasts, making AIS the primary data source for vessel tracking worldwide. AIS was made mandatory by the IMO under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19.
What is AIS (automatic identification system)?
AIS, the automatic identification system, is a transponder system through which ships automatically broadcast their identity, position, course, speed, and navigational status over VHF radio. Shore stations, other vessels, and satellites receive these broadcasts, making AIS the primary data source for vessel tracking worldwide. AIS was made mandatory by the IMO under SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 19.
About Tidalis
What does Tidalis do?
Tidalis develops maritime software for ports and maritime authorities: vessel traffic services, port management information systems, pilot dispatching, coastal surveillance, and AIS vessel tracking data. The solutions are built on more than 50 years of maritime domain expertise and run at ports, waterway authorities, and coastguards worldwide. In 2024 the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore selected Tidalis to develop prototypes for the world’s most advanced AI-enabled vessel traffic management system.
Can Tidalis systems be implemented step by step?
Yes. Tidalis solutions are modular by design: a port can start with port call and berth management in PortControl, or a core VTS configuration in MaritimeControl, and extend over time. The underlying service-oriented architecture runs on-premise, in a private cloud, or with a commercial cloud provider. This phased approach lets small and mid-sized ports modernize without ripping out existing systems or risking a big-bang transition.
How do I get in touch about a VTS, PMIS, or surveillance project?
Every port and waterway starts from a different point. Tell us where your pressure points are, whether that is an aging VTS, manual port call administration, pilot planning, or coastal surveillance, and we will show you the fastest route to improvement. Contact Tidalis for a conversation with our domain experts.
Talk to our maritime software experts
Still have questions about vessel traffic services, port management, or pilotage? Every port and authority starts from a different point, so the most useful next step is usually a conversation. Tell us where your pressure points are, whether that’s an aging VTS, manual port call administration, or coastal surveillance, and our domain experts will show you the fastest route to improvement.
