Reduced manning levels, the lack of skilled maritime labour and new satellite navigation systems have created a need for electronic charts in merchant ships. Developments in information technology have made it possible to design and produce these charts and the equipment to display them. It is essential that shipowners and others understand the issues which affect the use of these charts and equipment. It is also important for users to understand the effects that the revolution in satellite technology is having on all types of charts, paper and electronic. Only with this knowledge can shipowners appreciate the economic and operational benefits of using electronic charts, and IMO complete its work on the safety rules for the carriage and operation of all types of electronic charts and equipment for merchant ships.

The development of an electronic system which can be used for navigating water-borne craft has been going on for well over two decades. In fact, various digital representations of navigational maps have been in use since the concept of computers. The word ‘map’ is intentional, for in some cases, apart from the land outline and some navigational marks, they bore little resemblance to the paper navigational chart.