The parent company of an island software engineering firm has acquired another business which will now operate as part of the Manx company.

Canadians, the Volaris Group, bought Isle of Man Business Park-based PDMS in 2023 and have now acquired maritime ‘software as a service’ provider Oceans HQ.

As a result the latter firm, which combines ship registry solutions into a unified maritime service offering and has offices in London and Cornwall, will become part of PDMS.

Oceans HQ has been working with maritime administrations for more than 10 years serving customers including Gibraltar Maritime Administration, San Marino Ship Register, and the Swiss Maritime Navigation Office.

Its full suite of software products (OHQ Cloud) has been designed to support the daily operations of maritime registries from vessel registration and survey and inspections through to seafarer certification.

PDMS has been serving the maritime sector for more than 20 years with their MARIS solution, which already serves several leading ship registry clients including the Bahamas Maritime Authority, Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority, and Isle of Man Ship Registry.

With this acquisition, the firm say PDMS is further expanding its global footprint in the ship registry and seafarer management market.

PDMS chief executive Catriona Watt added: ‘We are delighted to join forces with the team at Oceans HQ, combining our extensive domain experience and technical expertise to advance our mission of leading digital transformation for ship registries.

‘Oceans HQ’s in-depth knowledge of the ship registry sector perfectly enhances our own capabilities, positioning us to deliver unparalleled innovative solutions.’

Chief executive of Oceans HQ André Tanguy said: ‘In PDMS, we have found the ideal long-term home for our industry-leading solutions and we are eager to leverage the wider support of the broad Volaris network.

‘Being part of a larger organisation will help strengthen our operational capabilities, provide new and exciting opportunities for our existing team and create additional value for our longstanding customers.’

Volaris, which is based in Mississauga, Ontario, has bought dozens of software business and operates more than 200 companies.

On its website, it says it has never sold a core business after completing more than 100 acquisitions.

Through the acquisition, PDMS and Oceans HQ say they are set to continue developing digital solutions to help ship registries and maritime regulators worldwide, to improve the services provided to ship owners, managers and seafarers.

With the MARIS, OHQ Cloud and PDMS' wider digital and data services, PDMS say they can now support ship registries of all sizes and scales to help them streamline their maritime administration.