MARITIME CARRIER Shipping's pioneering spirit on the Internet has paid handsome dividends.
The multi-purpose operator which was the first on Cargo Info Africa, FTW's Internet publication, with its own home page, will be moving a shipment from Sweden to South Africa thanks to an enquiry generated from the Internet.
An operator surfing the Net came up with MACS' name, established that the line was able to meet his requirements, and promptly placed the order.
And according to MACS' computer whizz Markus Popken, this is one of several enquiries generated by the Internet.
Its Internet homepage, which lists details ranging from latest sailing schedules with stack dates to a breakdown of services offered and a who's who of staff with photos and interesting personal details, is a living brochure, updated regularly.
In addition to its Internet involvement, MACS has recently become a subscriber to GN Comtext, a service provider similar to the Internet but which offers more security and guarantees delivery of messages, says Popken. The only difference is that it's only accessible to other subscribers.
A lot of other shipping companies use it because of the security aspect, and it's possible for us to telex, fax and email through them.
It's now our major form of communication. MACS' GN Comtext address is a33sa325. The line's Internet home page can be accessed at http://rapidttp.com/cargo/data/macs/index.html.
