Madagascar terminal to use Navis TOS

Madagascar terminal to use Navis TOS    Oakland-based terminal operating system developer Navis said Wednesday the Madagascar International Container Terminal, in the Port of Toamasina, will replace its in-house terminal operating system with Navis’ SPARCS system, which the Bay Area company says handles more than a quarter of the world’s container volume.
   International Container Terminal Services Inc., parent company for the Madagascar terminal, said in a statement that it chose SPARCS TOS based on its success with the software at several of its terminals, including the Tecon Suape S.A. terminal in Recife, Brazil.
   The company also said the introduction of Navis software is the first step in meeting a directive from the Madagascar government to bring the terminal up to world-class status. The Madagascar terminal is located at the island’s largest port, which accounts for more than 90 percent of all container traffic in Madagascar, handling 102,000 TEUs in 2005. Food processing is the chief industry at Toamasina, where sugar, coffee, cloves, and rice are often exported.