The shipping industry is known to have many challenges. From CO2 emission rules to the fast-growing number of cyberattacks, ships and crews are vulnerable and must stay safe at all times. Onboard computer technology must become simpler, more secure, and resilient.
We can see how digital technology helps transform the way we live our lives and disrupt business models. It’s hard to say just one technology will transform the maritime industry. The interplay and overlap between the technology areas are crucial, but this transformation has yet to make a significant impact on shipping
Scale Computing provides this white paper to explain the increased dependence on the combination of onboard IT infrastructure, the cloud, and central, shore-based data centers.
This paper is intended for shipowners, fleet managers, and IT staff implementing and managing maritime information technology.
Key Challenges in Maritime Technology
The maritime industry could be seen as one of the most volatile environments. Potentially harsh climates, distance to onshore facilities, and different international stakeholders all create complex and uncertain conditions that affect the success and survival of maritime organizations.
Keeping a ship up and running 24/7/365 is a major challenge. Management of vessels, while lowering TCO, must be agile. For centuries, the shipping administration has collected vast amounts of manual scripts and reports to keep OpEx and CapEx under control. Technology has brought ships closer to shore-based operations in the last few decades.
Why Cloud Computing Isn’t Always Right for Maritime IT
While cloud computing offers numerous benefits to many industries, the maritime sector faces unique challenges that limit the cloud’s effectiveness for critical operations at sea.
Cloud computing changed our idea of digital agility. Companies augmented or replaced traditional data centers with cloud environments. In turn, they enjoyed better access to the right amount of compute resources when needed, while saving time and money. The benefits were huge, and a cloud-fixes-all mentality quickly emerged.
Cloud computing significantly accelerated the ability to support digital business, providing better availability and scalability without the burden of managing IT infrastructure. But...not all applications can or should run in the cloud - especially in the maritime industry.
Key Reasons Cloud Falls Short for Maritime IT
The Role of Edge Computing in Maritime Digital Transformation
Edge computing is a cornerstone in the digital evolution of maritime operations. As ships increasingly adopt smart technologies, from IoT-enabled engines to AI-driven navigation systems, the need for real-time, onboard data processing becomes critical. Edge platforms deliver that capability by bringing compute resources directly to the vessel, enabling faster decision-making and local data handling.
Key trends—IoT adoption for fuel and cargo monitoring, real-time analytics to optimize route efficiency, and AI at the edge for predictive maintenance—are reshaping how fleets operate. Edge computing supports this shift by powering smart ship initiatives and facilitating compliance with global regulations. It ensures that data is processed where it’s generated, reducing latency and dependency on satellite links, while also keeping sensitive information secure and under local control.
By supporting digital transformation goals, edge platforms help maritime organizations improve operational efficiency, ensure compliance with environmental mandates, and prepare for a future of increasingly autonomous fleets.
Key Edge Computing Requirements for Maritime IT
Edge computing places critical computing power directly on ships, enabling real-time data processing and eliminating reliance on unstable cloud connections. This approach is essential for managing IoT systems, ensuring voyage safety, and improving operational efficiency at sea.
Traditional local servers weren’t built for the harsh and dynamic conditions of maritime environments. However, modern edge infrastructure extends the benefits of the cloud—like scalability and flexibility, while operating on-premises aboard vessels.
Today, distributed infrastructure is a critical enabler of innovation and immersive experiences. However, this proliferation of computing at the edge of the network threatens the cloud-enabled digital agility we expect. The threat is not on-premises computing but how it’s been done.
Most of the infrastructure used for local computing was never designed for the unique needs of edge computing. Done right, edge computing infrastructure extends the best elements of the cloud and the data center to on-premises local computing.
By placing compute services at the edge, organizations can implement strategies for content caching, IoT management, improving response time, and faster data transfer rates. This also represents capabilities that can’t be matched by cloud technologies while delivering those capabilities at a very competitive price point. Furthermore, there are no concerns about vendor lock-in or trouble moving or reclaiming future data.
Challenges with Traditional On-Premises Systems
Conventional on-premises systems weren’t built for the rigors of maritime conditions—tight quarters, inconsistent power, and limited technical staff make them difficult to manage and maintain. Tasks like troubleshooting or performing updates become even more challenging when connectivity is unreliable or unavailable.
Edge-focused infrastructure turns this challenge into an opportunity. Hyperconverged platforms enable ships to operate autonomously, delivering local compute power, content caching, and IoT oversight—even while offline. Thanks to open architecture and freedom from vendor lock-in, maritime organizations gain the resilience and flexibility they need to operate smoothly at sea.
Benefits of Edge Computing for Maritime IT
Edge computing unlocks new capabilities for maritime IT, empowering vessels to operate efficiently and securely, even far from shore.
Building a Future-Ready Edge Infrastructure for Shipping
Maritime operations demand IT systems that can adapt to diverse workloads, from lightweight IoT monitoring to resource-intensive navigation systems. Modern edge infrastructure must be both scalable and cost-efficient, allowing shipowners to deploy right-sized solutions across their fleets without incurring excessive overhead.
Edge Flexibility for Varying Workloads
Not every vessel requires the same compute footprint. A cargo ship running complex logistics and routing applications will demand more processing power than a tanker running basic telemetry and IoT systems. Right-sizing infrastructure for the workload avoids over-provisioning, which drives up both costs and complexity, especially when replicated across a global fleet.
Scalable Edge Infrastructure
Edge platforms should bring data center-grade capabilities to sea, without the bulk or overhead. From IoT device coordination to AI-assisted decision-making, edge deployments must be powerful yet efficient. For instance, a container ship might leverage edge computing for real-time environmental monitoring, while a smaller passenger ferry may only require local processing for operational alerts. Open, scalable systems like SC//Platform allow maritime organizations to mix and match capabilities based on each vessel’s specific needs, reducing waste and supporting future growth.
Hybrid IT Environments at Sea: Edge, Cloud, and Legacy Integration
Ships operate in unique and often challenging IT environments, where balancing real-time edge performance, intermittent cloud access, and legacy system support is essential. Scale Computing Platform is purpose-built to meet these demands, delivering a unified infrastructure that simplifies operations while increasing resilience.
By combining virtualization, storage, and compute in a single solution, SC//Platform allows vessels to run both modern containerized applications and traditional virtual machines—even in remote or disconnected conditions. When connectivity is available, workloads can shift to the cloud for processing or data syncs, then return to the edge seamlessly. Legacy systems remain supported through SC//Platform’s flexible architecture, enabling gradual modernization without disrupting ongoing operations.
With automated snapshots, replication, and centralized fleet management, IT teams maintain control and visibility across all environments—onboard, in the cloud, and across the fleet—ensuring consistent performance and uninterrupted operations at sea.
How Scale Computing Platform Powers Maritime Edge Infrastructure
SC//Platform is the basis for a complete “data center in a box” with servers, storage, and virtualization integrated into a single appliance to deliver simplicity, availability, and scalability to make IT infrastructure easier for maritime organizations. The integrated hypervisor offers proven technology that guarantees easy migration from any physical or virtual environment. Virtualizing applications reduces application deployment costs, management time, and capabilities.
Modernizing Maritime IT with Low-Code Platforms and Containers
As maritime operations evolve, low-code development and containerization are becoming essential tools for enhancing application efficiency and IT agility at sea. Scale Computing’s SC//Platform supports both containers and Kubernetes, allowing shipowners to modernize their IT environments without sacrificing legacy application support.
- Containers: Containers ensure consistent application performance across environments—from shore-based development labs to edge-based SC//Platform clusters aboard ships. By bundling applications with all dependencies, containers minimize compatibility issues, enabling faster deployments and easier updates.
- Kubernetes: As containerized applications grow in complexity, Kubernetes orchestration becomes vital. Kubernetes automates container management, providing scalability, load balancing, and self-healing capabilities, even in resource-constrained maritime environments.
SC//Platform seamlessly runs containerized workloads alongside legacy VMs, offering a hybrid approach to maritime IT modernization.
Case Study: Real-World Deployment of SC//Platform in Maritime Operations
Northern Marine, a subsidiary of Stena AB, faced challenges with outdated onboard IT systems that were difficult to manage and prone to downtime. To modernize their fleet's IT infrastructure, they turned to Scale Computing's SC//Platform.
By implementing SC//Platform across over 80 vessels, Northern Marine achieved significant improvements:
- Rapid Deployment: Transitioning from the HE500 to the compact HE100 series made installations more straightforward, enhancing simplicity and efficiency.
- Enhanced Resilience: Rebuilding systems after incidents, such as cyber-attacks, has become markedly faster, reducing stress for both onboard crews and shore-based support teams.
- Operational Efficiency: Despite a higher initial acquisition cost, the overall expenses, including license savings and reduced deployment time, were only slightly higher than previous single-server solutions.
This deployment highlights SC//Platform's ability to deliver robust, scalable, and efficient IT solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the maritime industry.
Conclusion
In the complex and unpredictable maritime environment, modern IT infrastructure must be resilient, scalable, and easily managed remotely. SC//Platform empowers maritime organizations to deploy true edge data centers aboard ships, combining high availability, automated management, and cost-efficiency.
With Scale Computing’s hyperconverged platform, fleets can adapt to changing IT demands, support both legacy and modern applications, and ensure continuous operations at sea, regardless of climate or connectivity challenges.
Ready to modernize your fleet’s IT infrastructure? Discover how SC//Platform can deliver a future-ready edge solution tailored for maritime needs.