On-Premises BigBlueButton Deployment for Virgin Voyages

Challenge

Virgin Voyages needed a reliable solution to deliver compliance training and onboarding sessions directly onboard its cruise ships. The system had to run in each vessel’s floating data center, remain fully operational without Internet access, and still provide resilience under restrictive Starlink connectivity. Meeting strict compliance requirements before sailing required a BigBlueButton cluster with Greenlight and Scalelite that could operate independently, without any Internet connection, and adapt to the unique constraints of cruise ship IT infrastructure.

Our Approach

RIADVICE collaborated with Capgemini, CGI, and Presidio on a nearly two-year initiative. To reduce risks, the system was first deployed and validated on OVHcloud’s public cloud, simulating the floating data center environment. After successful testing, RIADVICE transitioned the solution to Virgin Voyages’ on-premises infrastructure across multiple ships. The deployment included:

• A fully operational BigBlueButton cluster with Greenlight and Scalelite, configured for offline use.
• Comprehensive simulation and testing to ensure resilience under satellite connectivity constraints.
• Dedicated support for Virgin Voyages’ IT team to align with compliance standards and operational needs.

Results

• Delivered the first on-premises BigBlueButton cluster designed for floating data centers.
• Achieved offline-ready operation, enabling classrooms to run entirely without Internet access.
• Ensured compliance and continuity through hands-on support for Virgin Voyages’ IT staff.
• Successfully executed during COVID-19 in partnership with leading global integrators.
• Enabled Virgin Voyages to deliver reliable virtual classrooms at sea.

Why RIADVICE

As a BigBlueButton Certified Service Provider, RIADVICE brought the expertise to design, test, and deploy a mission-critical, on-premises cloud infrastructure in one of the world’s most challenging environments—at sea.