Goodwood installs 500GB Starlink data plan with Navarino

Goodwood Ship Management, a leading ship management company headquartered in Singapore, is among the many maritime operators embracing the future of connectivity at sea through Starlink from Navarino.

In a recent conversation with Mr. Balasubramanian Balamurugan, Senior IT Manager at Goodwood, he shared insights into the company’s digital journey and how Starlink, supported by Navarino IT solutions, has transformed operations across their fleet.

‘Starlink has completely changed the way we manage the IT support of our vessels,’ Mr. Balamurugan noted. ‘We’ve gone from being able to resolve a few cases daily to closing almost all open cases each day-purely because of the improved connectivity.’

Fleet Overview and Starlink Rollout

Across their vessels, Goodwood uses a 500GB Starlink data plan with a pooled data option that allows efficient bandwidth distribution throughout their fleet. Navarino’s Infinity solution is deployed fleetwide, providing comprehensive management capabilities, while VSAT services (including Spectrum) complement the connectivity setup.

Business Impact and IT Efficiency

Before implementing Starlink, the Goodwood fleet relied primarily on VSAT as its main communication channel. Although VSAT has served the industry reliably for over a decade, the shift to LEO-based Starlink has brought unprecedented performance and stability. ‘We used to face regular connectivity complaints,’ said Mr. Balamurugan. ‘Now, Starlink’s stability has all but eliminated those issues. We’ve have had very rare instances of downtime.’

The improved bandwidth and low latency have enabled seamless remote access for IT support, real-time video calls, and much faster software deployments and troubleshooting. ‘Before Starlink, around half of our IT tickets were related to connectivity. Today, that number is close to zero.’

Operational Advancements Onboard

With Starlink, Goodwood has introduced real-time ERP syncing, cloud-based patch management, and even live updating of charterer and government forms directly from vessels. ‘It’s like having a floating branch office,’ Mr. Balamurugan explained.

Microsoft Teams has also been rolled out fleetwide, allowing instant messaging and collaboration between shore offices and ships. Training for ERP upgrades, previously done via PDFs, is now conducted via interactive video calls, making standardization across the fleet faster and more effective.

Crew Welfare and Morale

While business operations have benefited immensely, crew welfare has also seen a huge boost. Goodwood now allocates approximately 50% of its Starlink bandwidth to crew usage. ‘The crew no longer complain about being unable to communicate with family.’

Looking Ahead

With a firm foundation in place, Goodwood is already planning its next digital initiatives. These include implementing solutions for advanced cloud backup strategies and introducing more real-time monitoring and compliance tools, all powered by Starlink.

‘Taking a risk on Starlink turned out to be a clear success,’ Mr. Balamurugan concluded. ‘It has helped us transform not just our IT support and business processes, but the daily lives of our seafarers as well.’