ABS Says e-Certificates Now Available to Entire Fleet

International classification society ABS has announced the launch of e-Certificates across the entire fleet of ABS-classed vessels.

The e-Certificates are tamper-proof, independently verifiable and secure digital equivalents of traditional ABS paper certificates, and are designed to reduce administrative burdens, cut onboard clutter, and simplify port State, flag State, and third-party validation. Uniquely, ABS’ e-Certificate system allows a simultaneous, vessel-wide view of all applicable certificates, rather than requiring the user to look up each certificate individually.

The e-Certificates are fully compliant with IMO Guidelines and offer digital protection and electronic signatures and endorsements, provided by Adobe ES4.

“E-Certificates are the latest product from ABS’ FutureClassTM program. Defining the future of class focuses on the utilization of data and digital technology to deliver benefits for our clients,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. “ABS’ e-Certificates are a perfect example of how we strive to add value and operating efficiencies for our customers.”

ABS e-Certificates are available via the ABS online secure database so they can access the latest certificates from anywhere in the world. Authenticity, originality, and traceability are easily verifiable through the ABS Validation Portal, which is available to any third parties that needs to confirm the information contained e-Certificate system.

“ABS e-Certificates deliver significantly enhanced productivity for our clients by reducing processing time and document handling costs,” said ABS Chief Digital Officer, Howard Fireman. “As an organization currently providing digital plan and calculation review, the move to electronic certificates is a natural next step.”

The use of e-Certificates are subject to individual Flag Administrations’ authorization, and traditional paper certificates are always still available.

More on ABS’s e-Certificates can be found here. 

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