Founded in the Netherlands, NexusOcean is a system integrator and managed service provider (MSP) specializing in maritime IT, communications, and cybersecurity. The company provides integrated infrastructure and managed support to ensure vessels remain secure, compliant, and connected, anywhere in the world.
IT Challenges
- VMware licensing changes increased costs and uncertainty for maritime clients
- Lack of built-in redundancy exposed vessels to risk from system failures
- Manual firmware and software updates complicated offshore management in an industry with strictly enforced cybersecurity regulations
- Complex virtualization stacks required specialized technical staff
- Customers needed stable systems adhering to cyber security controls and guidelines without heavy technical involvement
The Scale Computing Solution
- Adopted Scale Computing Platform™ edge solutions (SC//Platform) with the SC//HyperCore™ virtualization suite as VMware replacement
- Centralized visibility and management with Scale Computing Fleet Manager™ edge orchestration solutions (SC//Fleet Manager) for all vessel clusters
- Leveraged zero-touch provisioning for rapid onboard deployments
- Remote firmware updates without downtime simplify cybersecurity compliance
- Flexible configurations: from single-vessel edge nodes (HE153 series) to multi-node clusters
- Native Veeam support ensures backup continuity and seamless migration from previous setup
Customer Results
- Eight active vessels managed centrally via SC//Fleet Manager
- Improved compliance and security posture through streamlined updates in response to enforced maritime regulations
- Simplified deployment process and reduced manual labor with pre-installed OS and zero-touch provisioning
- Improved uptime and reliability in challenging maritime environments
- Easier customer onboarding and quoting for new projects, with clear TCO benefits over bare-metal and HyperV alternatives
- Maintained backup workflows with native Veeam integration
- Stronger differentiation from traditional IT providers in the maritime market
Changes in VMware’s licensing structure and the absence of redundancy made it clear we needed a simpler, more resilient alternative. Our customers need consistent uptime, not constant maintenance.— Wesley Vandamme, CTO, NexusOcean
As maritime customers faced rising virtualization costs and stricter cybersecurity demands, NexusOcean sought a resilient, cost-effective platform designed for remote and resource-constrained environments. By deploying SC//Platform, the company now delivers simplified, centrally managed IT infrastructure across vessels worldwide, ensuring reliability and compliance at sea.
The Challenge: Delivering Reliable IT and Compliance at Sea
NexusOcean built its reputation on enabling vessels and offshore operations to maintain secure, connected IT environments, but its reliance on traditional Dell servers running VMware and Veeam was increasingly unsustainable. As VMware's licensing model shifted following Broadcom's acquisition, small and mid-sized maritime operators struggled to justify rising costs and complexity.
Even more challenging, these environments lacked redundancy and were difficult to manage remotely. Firmware updates, patch cycles, and compliance documentation required manual attention, creating operational risk in an industry where cybersecurity regulations are being actively enforced and downtime will significantly disrupt vessel operations.
The maritime environment presented unique challenges: managing multiple small, remote sites with limited bandwidth, constrained budgets, and the need for systems that vessel crews could rely on without requiring deep technical expertise.
The Solution: Resilient, Scalable Infrastructure with Centralized Fleet Management
After evaluating alternatives, including Proxmox and Hyper-V, NexusOcean worked closely with its distributor, Dutch IT Supplier, to design the right solution for its maritime end customer. Dutch IT Supplier assisted in selecting the appropriate hardware, ensured systems were available on demand rather than delivered all at once, and provided hands-on technical guidance throughout the process. Through this collaboration, NexusOcean ultimately delivered a tailored infrastructure approach and then standardized on SC//HyperCore for virtualization and SC//Fleet Manager for centralized oversight.
SC//Platform stood out for several critical capabilities that directly addressed maritime requirements:
With SC//Fleet Manager, NexusOcean can now view the status of multiple vessels through a single pane of glass, monitoring performance, applying updates, and remotely managing clusters without on-site intervention. Zero-touch provisioning ensures systems can be preconfigured and deployed rapidly before vessels depart port, saving valuable time and resources for small teams.
Native Veeam support was particularly crucial, allowing SC//Platform to serve as a true 1-to-1 replacement for the VMware plus Veeam setup, ensuring backup continuity and familiar data protection workflows.
Full-node redundancy instead of simple RAID configurations provided the fault tolerance needed for mission-critical maritime operations, while remote firmware updates without downtime addressed the industry's increasingly enforced cybersecurity compliance requirements.
The platform's flexibility, from compact edge nodes like the HE153 series to powerful datacenter clusters, allowed NexusOcean to scale solutions appropriately for different vessel sizes and budgets.
The Benefits: Improved Compliance, Efficiency, and Service Quality
Business Outcomes: Differentiation and Predictable Growth
By adopting Scale Computing, NexusOcean has increased operational efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced its competitive edge. The simplicity and reliability of SC//Platform have made it easier to quote and deploy standardized solutions, driving new business opportunities across the maritime sector.
- Increased stability and uptime across all active vessels
- Lowered operational burden through automation and centralized management
- Improved quoting efficiency and speed of implementation
- Strengthened differentiation from traditional IT providers in the maritime market
- Eight active vessels currently managed via SC//Fleet Manager, with clear path to expansion
Partnership and Product Feedback
NexusOcean has actively engaged with Scale Computing’s product team to share feedback from the maritime sector. Recognizing that not all vessels have the budget for a full three-node cluster, the company has emphasized the importance of flexible deployment options, including single-node configurations for entry-level use cases such as smaller vessels and cost-sensitive operators. This ongoing dialogue reflects NexusOcean’s commitment to expanding the accessibility of Scale Computing solutions across a broader range of maritime customer segments while maintaining reliability and compliance standards.
Looking Ahead
NexusOcean is expanding its promotion of Scale Computing as the preferred infrastructure platform for maritime deployments. While some smaller operators remain price-sensitive, particularly around Windows Server licensing requirements on 3-node clusters compared to single-server deployments, NexusOcean continues to educate customers on the total cost of ownership and long-term security benefits of SC//Platform.
Their advice to other system integrators and resellers: “Look beyond upfront costs. Once you factor in management time and security updates, not just the initial investment versus bare-metal servers or basic HyperV. Scale Computing proves its value many times over.”