Port of Beirut wins World Ports IT Award using INPLAN Port Management

Hamburg/Germany, July 8, 2015 – The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) successfully concluded its 29th IAPH World Ports Conference in Hamburg, Germany, with a remarkable closing ceremony. The 5-day conference was hosted by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and held at the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) between June 1 and June 5.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the IAPH is the global alliance of the world port community and represents more than 200 ports from 90 nations worldwide. With over 1,000 guests from all over the world it is the most important global conference of the maritime industry. The delegates attended the week-long conference in Hamburg and debated the importance of sustainability in the maritime industry and the challenges associated with globalization and climate change. The conference focused on the smart-Ports concepts – intelligent port management solutions.

This premier international event of the global port industry is held every two years. Through its biennial award program, the IAPH recognizes and honors excellence in port management and operations. The 2015 Award program comprised the Port Communications Award, Port Environment Award and the Information Technology (IT) Award. The IAPH IT Award seeks and recognizes a success story of utilizing IT applications in port management and operations that has been planned and implemented in the past years, focusing on the benefits innovative port IT projects bring to ports, their customers and the entire logistics chain.

In preparation for this year’s conference, Port of Beirut compiled together with its long-term Germany-based software supplier INPLAN GmbH a successful entry for the IAPH IT award 2015. In the past years, INPLAN implemented its Port Operations and Management Systems at Port of Beirut and runs the future-oriented solution for management of port authority, cargo, terminal operations, real estate, billing and port community. Faouzi Allam, head of the port’s IT department: “We consequently develop the port’s IT and software systems stepwise along the port strategy and worldwide leading standards.”

By reaching the deadline for submitting the entries for the IAPH Awards in January 31, 2015, over 20 entries for the IT Award were submitted from all over the world, and the entries were evaluated by a panel of judges headed by the Chair of IAPH Trade Facilitation and Port Community System.

On Tuesday, June 4, the award presentation was made at the plenary session of the 29th IAPH World Ports Conference in Hamburg, Germany. Port of Beirut was announced as the winner of the Gold Prize for the Information Technology Award for the best Port IT solution worldwide. Raffi Achkarian, Port of Beirut’s Chief Financial Officer commented: “Port of Beirut has been world-wide recognized for the high quality of its Port Operations and Management Solution. We see this as confirmation of our strategy geared to improving value creating processes at our port. We also thank INPLAN GmbH, our Germany-based partner company for port management software solutions, for its excellent expertise and committed support.” 

Mohamad Itani, CEO of Inplan added that “INPLAN congratulates its valued customer and partner Port of Beirut for the IT Award of the world’s premier port organization IAPH. It is an honor and a big day for all of us.”

You can find more information in the "Case Study" Port of Beirut -> more...

Contact persons: 

Port of Beirut - République Libanaise Gestion et Exploitation du Port de Beyrouth 

Mr. Rafy Ashkarian | Chief Financial Officer 

Address: Quarantaine region | P.O.BOX: 1490 | Beirut, Lebanon 

Phone: +961 (1) 569506 | Fax: +961 (1) 585835 | E-Mail: rashka@inco.com.lb

INPLAN GmbH

Dipl.-Oec. Peter Stratmann | Senior Vice President

Address: Aktienstr. 53 | 45473 Mülheim an der Ruhr | Germany 

Phone.: +49 (0)208 6591-950 | Fax: +49 (0)208 6591-980 | E-Mail: p.stratmann@inplan.de | 

INPLAN is a leading provider of software solutions for Port Management, Terminal Operating (TOS), Port Community and Maritime Logistics. Worldwide we are operating more than 80 systems in marine and inland logistics. Trouble-free daily operations with more than 50,000 users in 15 nations emphasize the quality and efficiency of INPLAN solutions. Since the company was founded in 1989, INPLAN has developed standard software solutions for the maritime industry. The development of INPLAN Software is characterized by a high level of user benefits, innovation and consequent service orientation.