The SpecTec Group has launched a new product group. AMOS are PC-compatible computers, which have been certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyds for use on board ships. Compared with standard hardware, the AMOS Computer is far more robust in withstanding the shocks, vibrations, humid conditions and temperature fluctuations that are common on seagoing vessels.

AMOS Computer will be supplied both to shipping companies and to manufacturers of marine equipment that integrate computers in their complete product offering. The market for maritime certified computers is estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 per year on a global basis, but substantial growth is expected when the “black box” becomes mandatory on all commercial vessels in the next five years.

The margins on specialised hardware requiring a high level of expertise are much higher than on PCs, and the break-even point for The SpecTec Group will involve sales of about 500 units per year, corresponding to about NOK 15 million. The first deliveries took place in August 2000, and in the third quarter of 2000 The SpecTec Group expects sales of about NOK 2 million in this product area.

More than 70% of the products will be exported. The first major customers that have chosen AMOS Computer are General Electric and L3-Communication in the USA, and Vickers/Rolls Royce in Norway and the UK.