Last update: 10/07/25
Ports have become complex logistics hubs. They handle massive volumes of cargo, requiring precise coordination of operations. At the heart of this orchestration are Terminal Operating Systems (TOS), which manage container movements, vessel scheduling, equipment management, and much more.
For operational staff (dockworkers, logisticians, etc.), visualizing critical data from the TOS is essential for optimal supervision and swift decision-making.
A Terminal Operating System, or TOS, is a central software platform that manages all operations within a port or logistics terminal. It coordinates container handling, vessel scheduling, equipment allocation (such as cranes and automated vehicles), and monitors inbound and outbound flows. The TOS acts as the digital brain ensuring efficiency, safety, and smooth operations in a port environment.
Supervising TOS in port control centers involves several major challenges.
A TOS updates every second the position of thousands of containers, the status of cranes, quay occupancy, and vessel arrival sequences. In a medium-sized terminal (2 million TEUs), this represents over 40,000 messages per minute exchanged between sensors, rubber-tired gantries (RTGs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and the supervisory control system (SCADA). Without a low-latency data bus and a high-resolution display architecture, the video wall quickly becomes unreadable.
Operators therefore need video controllers capable of handling powerful video matrices while distributing the load between the CPU and GPU to prevent any critical freezes or image blocking.
The control room must centralize data coming from various sources: the Terminal Operating System (TOS), vessel booking platforms, video surveillance, scheduling systems, GPS tracking of trailers, and more.
These systems use different and often proprietary technical formats (such as EDIFACT, N4 Messaging, or OPC-UA). To enable communication between them, an intermediary software (middleware) equipped with connectors capable of translating these formats is required. This middleware then converts the data into standardized IP video streams compatible with video walls and operator workstations.
Without this integration, operators must juggle multiple windows and applications, increasing the risk of missing a critical operation. This risk is especially high during vessel berthing. At that moment, every minute of delay can cost up to $2,000 USD in demurrage fees (compensation paid by the charterer to the shipowner for delays).
The control room must instantly detect any incident, such as a crane breakdown, which should trigger simultaneous alerts on a 3D synoptic display and a KPI dashboard.
Field studies show that every second gained in detection reduces the average equipment downtime by 6%*.
Hence the need for embedded analytics engines capable of correlating OT/IT events and driving automations, targeting:
An adaptive dashboard then dynamically reshapes the display in real time based on the operator’s role, schedule, security, and maintenance needs. This ensures consistent readability despite the high density of information.
Note
According to UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2024, 80% of global trade by volume still passes through maritime routes.
Every optimization in the control room increases the value of this global logistics chain.
→ These three pillars require ultra-high-performance audiovisual solutions: 4K multi-window controllers, real-time middleware, and adaptive dashboards. They form the foundation for unified and reliable visualization of critical data from a port TOS.
In a modern port control room, the strength of a TOS also lies in how quickly it can make sense of heterogeneous data streams representing thousands of containers and equipment movements.
Advanced supervision tools play a key role here: they bridge the gap between raw data and concrete action. They aggregate, synchronize, and display in real time – on a single video wall or on multi-monitor operator stations – N4 data, security video streams, SCADA alarms, and productivity KPIs.
Operators must be able to grasp the entire terminal’s status at a glance. To achieve this, video processors capable of handling up to 4 sources in 4K and dynamically combining different types of images – such as topographic maps, AIS radar data, and PTZ videos – are used. These streams are displayed on LCD or LED screens with very fine resolution, featuring a maximum pixel pitch of 1.2 mm, ensuring optimal clarity even at less than 1.5 meters distance.
10 Gb AV-over-IP solutions based on the SDVoE standard maintain visually lossless compression and latency under 100 µs, enabling real-time monitoring of STS cranes. Indeed, this synthetic projection drastically reduces anomaly detection time.
For more information: Video Walls: Behind the scenes of screen display
At the console, the operator navigates between vessel schedules, RTG views, GOS alerts, and maintenance notifications.
Next-generation controllers allow simultaneous display of virtual machines at 60 frames per second, while ensuring the security of sensitive data through AES-256 encryption.
Ergonomics also include the ability to “drag and drop” a feed from the desktop to the central video wall with a simple mouse movement.
A digital twin is an exact, dynamic virtual replica of a physical system (in this case, a port or logistics terminal). It integrates real-time data from the field, equipment, flows, and processes managed by the TOS.
This digital replica faithfully reproduces:
Use case: Simulation of complex scenarios
Thanks to the digital twin, operators can simulate scenarios that are difficult or costly to reproduce in the real world, such as:
These simulations help anticipate conflicts, validate strategies, and avoid costly disruptions.
AI and Machine By analyzing massive streams of historical and real-time data (traffic, weather, equipment performance), self-learning predictive models enable:
Supervising a Terminal Operating System is at the heart of the performance of modern port terminals. Balancing massive data management, multi-system integration, and the need for extreme responsiveness, audiovisual and IT infrastructures must deliver top-tier performance.
The future looks promising with the emergence of increasingly advanced technologies: real-time digital modeling, predictive AI, revolutionary user interfaces, and decentralized infrastructures. These advances are progressively transforming the control room into the true conductor of a smoother, safer, and more optimized port logistics operation.
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