Introduction
When we founded MaraSoft, none of us could imagine that we would be developing maritime fleet management software for the next 25 years. We are immensely proud to have reached this milestone. In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, few companies manage to stand the test of time and leave a lasting impact on the industry. We can’t help but express our gratitude to our valued clients, partners, and employees who have been an integral part of our journey. To all of our clients and users: thank you!
Looking back
‘Can you develop a small application to manage the maintenance of the fishing trawler I work on?’ With these words, Pieter van Urk entered the room, taking a seat with a weary sigh. As an engineer aboard a large fishing trawler, he struggled with the ongoing challenge of effectively managing maintenance for the numerous machines in the engine room. Gerrit de Wit, fascinated by the power of automation and programming in yacht building for years, looks up and says: ‘Good idea! When should it be ready?’ It was the year 1999, marking the birth of Marad. A time when computers were sluggish, and screens were bulky and unwieldy. Marad was installed using two of those iconic black square floppy disks. Remarkably, it functioned well! The users of the first hour reacted enthusiastic and bombarded us with ideas and wishes. This was so contagious that we spent a large part of our free time on it, especially when we hear that users are very content. It always gives satisfaction and energy to further develop and improve Marad. More and more customers were starting to use Marad. Now, twenty five years later, ‘that small application’ is still evolving. This is driven by the increasingly stringent and extensive demands of our users and the industry.
Looking forward
For us, 25 years is just the beginning of a long journey. Marad has become vital software for many vessel owners, and we’re not planning on calling it quits anytime soon. We hope that, with the valuable input of our users, Marad will keep growing. A warm thank you to all our users, old and new. We look forward to saying it in person soon.
