Designing New Arctic Ships to Incorporate Cloud Computing for Improved Information Systems and Vessel Management

Cloud Computing is rapidly becoming the key technology to implementat and manage computing centers. This paper describes how Cloud Computing can be effectively used in ships to support reconfigurable and versatile computing facilities. At the moment the application of Cloud Computing in ships is still at its infancy. The paper describes a project aiming at building a ship which incorporates Cloud Computing in its data management system, from engine room control and monitoring to bridge operations, for managing ship to shore communications, and for all the other ship subsystems. The main advantages of the adoption of the Cloud Compuing paradigm in ships are described and discussed.