Sensing increasingly specific demands of shipowners and shipyards for an Internet connection at all latitudes as strong as that of their homes and offices, Videoworks has developed SDWAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) software-based network technology, which, unlike previous hardware-only solutions, provides virtualised resources for connections over wide area networks via standard broadband Internet links.
By applying softwaredefined networking principles to wide area networks, SD-WAN technology abstracts traffic management and monitoring tasks from network hardware and then distributes them to individual applications.
Being able to have different connections, from 4G/5G to Starlink or dockside connections, the system automatically chooses the best solution based on the specific needs of the moment, and SD-WAN makes dynamic use of all the different connections available to guarantee an optimal user experience.
The many benefits of the system can be summed up in seven points:
• Lower costs with independent carrying over 4G/5G networks, LEO satellite and other types of connections.
• High reliability and stability of the internet connection for all critical applications
• Dynamically routed application traffic with application-aware “routing” for a better user experience
• Improvement of performance through “channel bonding” technologies with increased agility in the use of available internet connections, bringing them together in a single channel to sum their potential.
• Possibility of connection to one or more geolocated machines through the safest VPN (Virtual Private Network) connections, to improve the yacht’s IT security and maintain a fixed geolocation point regardless of the yacht’s position in the seas of the world.
• Service management with ETO Panel, a technological suite that can be used from any workstation (PC, tablet, …) unifying control of all the Videoworks systems on board in a single panel.
• Possibility of creating different “user profiles” which can be called up as needed, a solution that is particularly useful for charters.
