The future of your software is in the cloud. There is no doubt about that. However, the term ‘cloud software’ has increasingly become a hollow term. What does ‘in the cloud’ actually mean? And more importantly: is every cloud solution truly in the cloud? When you are looking for a new cloud solution to support your logistics processes, there are plenty of choices for you. in this blog, we dive into the different cloud solutions and provide you with the necessary knowledge. This way you can choose the right software so you are ready for the future.

From On-Premise to SaaS

It is no surprise that we only talk about cloud solutions nowadays. The old on-premise installations, where you as a company are responsible for the software, the platform, and the entire infrastructure, are no longer maintainable in today’s world. The reason? Rapid technological changes and innovations. Due to this acceleration, companies have increasingly outsourced technological services. It started with outsourcing infrastructure, such as servers and data storage, to local hosting providers (IaaS). But soon, major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google entered the market with their own cloud solutions that also provided the platform (PaaS). Over the years, these major players have also started managing applications and their data, essentially delivering SaaS themselves. What began with applications like Gmail and Outlook quickly expanded to generic ERP systems.

Industry Cloud Solutions

The next step in this transition are the so-called Industry Cloud solutions. In short, an environment where complete primary and business-critical processes are supported and managed by a software provider. Full-SaaS. Because only with the latest technology and the most recent workflow-based software solutions can the flexibility needed to deliver technologically standard but functionally customized solutions be achieved.

Gartner predicts that only 5 Industry Cloud solutions will remain in the coming years: Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, and IBM.

In today’s tech industry, we have seen more and more local software providers disappear. This is because they were not able to deliver and maintain the required volumes in a scalable way at that time. Currently, this is particularly the case with providers of Industry Cloud solutions. There are local players who use the infrastructure of these major players, which is more like PaaS rather than a true SaaS solution. Therefore, in your search, ask yourself whether you are dealing with a local provider or one of the five providers mentioned by Gartner. Or a combination of these two. In the latter case, it is likely that the local party eventually will not be able to follow the fast technological developments. This is crucial for how future-proof the offered solution is.

What are the Benefits of SaaS?

Understanding these developments helps you make a future-oriented choice in your search for a new software solution. But besides the shift to Industry Cloud platforms, a full-SaaS solution has more concrete benefits for your business.

• Lower costs: In a SaaS solution, all costs are included. From software to cloud services and updates.
• Scalable: You can easily add extra environments or increase processor capacity (CPU) and memory without changing your infrastructure.
• Accessible everywhere: Via a web-based application, you and your colleagues can log in from anywhere.
• Always up-to-date: Because the entire environment is managed by one party, updates can be carried out more controlled and further automated.
• Cyber security: When you host your software with one of the big five mentioned above, your solution is assured of top-notch cyber security without you being responsible for it.

3PL Dynamics: full-SaaS

15 years ago, Boltrics, ISV for 3PL Dynamics, chose to base the software solution for logistics service providers on Microsoft business solutions. By collaborating with Microsoft, using their products, and the ecosystem of partners worldwide, we work together in a peloton and increase speed collectively.

Over the years, Microsoft has brought its business solutions to a true SaaS multi-tenant architecture, fully managed by Microsoft. This automatically brings the highest security levels and the associated certifications. New environments can be activated on a large scale in a fraction of the time, updated, and managed redundantly, with performance automatically scaled.

Boltrics’ software is added as an extension to the Microsoft SaaS solution, creating an Industry Cloud solution fully managed by Microsoft. This maximally relieves our customers. As Boltrics, it is our task to continuously follow all these new technological and industry-specific developments closely and make them available to our customers. This way, you can focus on providing maximum service to your customers at a competitive price.

Tackle the top challenges in logistics

In addition to Industry Cloud platforms, your logistics business faces even more challenges. That’s why Boltrics, together with the Global Cold Chain Alliance, will dive into the top challenges for logistics service providers in the cold storage market on Thursday, November 21. Register and make sure you are ready for the future: GCCA Webinar: Tackle Your Cold Logistics Challenges with an Industry-Specific Software Solution