Managed IT Support: A Q&A with our Chief Technology Officer

Earlier this Summer we launched our enhanced Managed IT Support service, which has received lots of positive feedback. Our upgraded solution has been designed to deliver unparalleled peace of mind and operational efficiency for yacht owners and crew.

We spoke to Damian Brand, our Chief Technology Officer on the upgraded service, and how it provides a comprehensive suite of features to safeguard and streamless superyacht IT infrastructure and data.

What are some of the new features included in the solution that add significant value to clients?

“The enhanced contracts include a range of new features, further improving security and the client experience. One of these features is a secure and collaborative IT documentation system.  This online portal provides a complete asset register for all of the IT and OT systems, including vital information such as hardware details, configurations, photos, diagrams, and layouts. ensuring that our support team and crew have access to an up to date ‘single source of truth’.”

“We have also improved other IT Support features, including data backup, software management, network monitoring, which detects new devices automatically, and computer security provides better protection from zero-day attacks.”

What would you say are the greatest benefits of the

Managed IT Solution?

“The greatest benefits are its comprehensive nature and proactive approach. We have collated a suite of industry leading tools that allow us to securely manage, support and protect our client’s data and network systems remotely.”

“Our dedicated team of engineers is then able to maintains in-depth knowledge of the individual systems and work proactively to ensure they are properly managed and maintained. We have pulled our knowledge and experience from years of servicing yacht IT networks and infrastructure to provide an industry-leading solution.”

Is this service designed for yachts of a particular size or can they benefit all vessels?

“Our managed IT service is flexible and scalable providing benefits from the smallest to the largest of vessels.”

Cybersecurity is a growing focus for owners and crew, what are the cybersecurity measures that are included in the support contracts?

“We work to ensure that all our supported systems are configured with security best practises in mind. However, we are also able to offer a more comprehensive cybersecurity service using internationally recognised cybersecurity frameworks to ensure that cyber risks are identified and managed in line with the vessel operations.”

The scope of the cybersecurity service is really very broad but elements include:

• Governance – A cybersecurity plan that defines a system of management, risk assessment, and supporting policies and procedures.
• Network Security
• Cybersecurity Awareness Training
• Asset Management
• Password Management
• Computer Management
• Mobile Device Management
• File/Data Management
• Incident Response Management
• Vulnerability Scanning

Under the IT service, how are issues logged and dealt with?

“On commencement of your contract, we assign a lead engineer who will manage the onboarding and be the main contact with OceanWeb, providing a more personable and efficient client experience. In addition there are clear channels to log any issues, we have an extended hours helpdesk, that can be contacted by phone email or Whatsapp.”

With continuous advancements in tech, how do the support contracts stay adaptable to integrate with emerging technologies on superyachts?

“Our engineering expertise covers a very broad range of technologies and experience from communications, networking, software and application development, etc. and we are continually working to ensure our knowledge remains current with new and emerging technologies.”

“We are also continually reviewing our services to ensure that they remain up to date and provide value to the client.”