Virtual Marine Launches New Training Division

As part of its growth and diversification strategy, Virtual Marine Technology Inc. (Virtual Marine) has announced the launch of a new Training Division to meet increasing demand for custom curriculum across a range of delivery channels.

Virtual Marine Training will be headed up by Capt. Anthony Patterson who will serve as Managing Director of the new division whilst maintaining his role as Chair of the Board for Virtual Marine. Capt. Patterson has served as President and CEO of Virtual Marine since 2007. The parent company, Virtual Marine, will be led by Randy Billard, who will assume responsibility as President and CEO. One of the original founders of Virtual Marine, Mr. Billard previously served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Increasing global demand for both training services and customized curriculum across Virtual Marine’s well-established segments, together with an increasingly cost-conscious training market, has created an upswing in demand for both regulatory and non-regulatory training programs.

Capt. Anthony Patterson commented, “Our end-to-end simulation training solutions have continued to grow in popularity across all our market segments, even before the onset of the global pandemic in 2020. To meet the increasing demand for bespoke training curriculum across a range of market applications, it is necessary for us to focus our energies in two directions, one for the Technology

Division, the other for Training.” Capt. Patterson went on to explain, “The new Training Division will continue to be supported by our Technology Division, which will be in the capable hands of Randy Billard. Randy has a solid track record in managing the development of Virtual Marine’s technology roadmap and it is clear that the future success of the parent company will depend heavily on our ability to harness our software and hardware solutions for our existing customers and new segments under development.”

Randy Billard said, “Recognizing both our Technology and Training Divisions signals to our valued employees and to the market that Virtual Marine has a clear vision for diversifying our market position and can adapt our proven Quest^TM technology platform across the full gamut of training delivery mechanisms: in-class, onboard or at home. Our strong R&D focus has been instrumental in defining our empirical approach to building realistic maritime simulations and in differentiating us from our competitors. Our focus will continue to empower our people and assure our customers are investing in proven products, underpinned by science and engineering.”

Virtual Marine Technology Inc. is a leading supplier of maritime simulation solutions, with a growing global install base. The company’s recent launch of the low-cost QuestTM modular virtual reality desktop simulator is viewed as a radical shift in the approach to maritime simulation training, triggering a boost in market demand. Widely regarded as a viable alternative to large and more expensive full mission simulators, the desktop solution, which can instantly switch its payload from lifeboat to fast rescue boat to fast rescue craft, packs into robust flight cases and ships anywhere overnight.

Virtual Marine’s simulator curriculum, now falling within the scope of the Training Division, integrates machine learning, adaptive training and gamification to create engaging learning experiences and customized training that is ideal for independent study. The company’s embedded instructor-less curriculum and cloud-based assessment, testing and certification system, has resulted in a compact training solution for customers, whilst leveraging Virtual Marine’s unique expertise in meeting all key global regulatory training standards. The company’s innovative Quest-Lease^TM program offers a new opex option to a market under increasing pressure to reduce costs and streamline the cost of delivering training.