G2 Crew joins forces with iVitta to help keep seafarers and families connected
G2 Crew Services, the joint venture recently established between Griffin and GAC to provide fully integrated crew transfers from 'door-to-deck', has teamed up with iVitta to form G2 Mobile to combine iVittamobile's single SIM technology with G2's global footprint in over 1,000 ports worldwide, said in the company's press release.
"Web access on board vessels remains the exception rather than the rule and most crew rely on text messages and phone calls to stay in touch while away from home," said Simon Morse, Executive Chairman of Griffin. "Currently their choice is to either carry a bag full of different SIMS each with a separate telephone number and credit balance or pay 'roaming charges' of up to $5 per minute ex Europe. iVittamobile offers a single SIM supported by 650 local carriers so crew can make that same call for as little as 9 cents per minute," he said.
Christer Sjödoff, Group Vice President, GAC Solutions, commented: "Our mission at G2 Crew & Husbandry Services is to provide logistical support to crew and ensure they reach their vessel or rig safely and on time. We understand how important it is for seafarers to remain in contact with their family and friends, which is why we are delighted to be able to join forces with iVitta to distribute their marine SIM cards and low cost top-up vouchers across our network of offices."
"Having tailored our product to meet the specific needs of the marine and offshore markets we identified G2 as our first choice to partner given their sector knowledge and unrivalled distribution channel," added Simon Black, CEO of iVitta.
Top-ups are available either electronically or from G2 offices and short codes provide instant free access to check balances, arrange top-ups and retrieve phone numbers.