Shipping lines planning to change crews are advised to do so in other ports in the region, for example Aqaba (Jordan), Jiddah (Saudi Arabia) or Hudaydah (Yemen), as crew embarkations and disembarkations are currently not recommended. Although the political risk in the country will not affect vessels transiting the Canal, the Egyptian military has increased its presence around the Suez Canal. In the event of further unrest it will remain a major priority for army protection, even if there is a significant change in regime. Shipping lines are advised to monitor the current situation as in the event of a major escalation in violence shipping support staff based on land may be forced to leave their posts, potentially leading to a disruption in communications, co-ordination and assistance.

“This acquisition supports Cargotec’s strategy to focus on customers and invest in attractive customer segments. Navis solutions are a core component of a terminal operator’s business. By adding Navis to our portfolio, we will be able to offer total solutions for terminals. We see excellent opportunities for growth and innovation,” says Mikael Mäkinen, President and CEO, Cargotec. “Cargotec provides us insight into world-class equipment that is used in all of our customer segments. Joining forces creates exciting possibilities to improve terminal operations,” says Bill Walsh, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Navis, part of Zebra Enterprise Solutions. Navis’ flexible and scalable TOS software is the leading system globally in marine terminals, rail yard operations and distribution centres. Navis systems help customers coordinate and automate the movement of containers and equipment in terminal and yard environments as well as enable customers to manage the operations of a single terminal or multiple terminals in different geographic locations from a central location. Marine container terminals are Navis’ core market. Navis solutions are used in over 50 countries. Navis was founded in 1988 and has its headquarters in Oakland, California. Today, the company has more than 300 employees of which the majority is located in the United States and India. Its sales are expected to be around USD 70 million in 2011, with around 40 percent recurring sales. Navis will continue its business with its customers as an independent part of Cargotec irrespective of equipment supplier. Navis’ reporting will be consolidated into Cargotec’s financial reporting once the transaction has been completed. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals from competition authorities, which are expected to be received during the first quarter of 2011.

Out of the local 16 companies nominated, four companies made it to the list. According to Euromoney, companies who made the list had “strong liquidity positions, which allowed them to focus on growth and long-term strategy rather than crisis management, taking advantage of strong domestic growth to integrate and expand.” A total of 27 companies from China, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, India and Japan made it to the annual register. Companies mostly in the telecommunications sector, made up majority of the list. The annual Asian companies ranking is based on a market survey by leading banks and research institutes in Asia based on market strength, profitability, growth potential and quality of management and earnings. Points are awarded on the scale of 4:3:2 for nominations for first, second and third, respectively.