Based on an exercise we conducted with a specific customer recently, we would like to offer a framework for building a potential business case for making the switch from PRO On-Premise to PRO Cloud SaaS.
Historic context
In 2011 AIMMS launched AIMMS PRO, a deployment platform for AIMMS applications. It ran on servers inside our customers’ data centers or cloud tenants.
It met customers’ needs for:
- Easily and quickly distributing AIMMS apps to end-users.
- Lower Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO).
In 2016 AIMMS launched the AIMMS Cloud SaaS, delivering AIMMS PRO as on-demand cloud-powered Software-as-a-Service. In addition to the needs listed above, it met customers’ needs for:
- Security, reliability and scalability
- Not having to ‘manage IT’
After that, all new AIMMS customers opted for this new SaaS solution, the AIMMS Cloud SaaS.
Because of this customer preference and because almost all companies now have a ‘cloud-first’ policy, AIMMS made the strategic choice in 2022 to focus innovation on the AIMMS Cloud Platform and not add any new features to the PRO On-Premise product.
Main differences
The main differences between PRO Cloud and PRO On-Premise are:
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| PRO On-premise | PRO Cloud SaaS |
| Management | Customer | AIMMS (SaaS) |
| Reliability | Typically single server, in some cases cold or hot standby provision. | ‘Designed for failure’ with extensive redundancy and auto-recovery |
| Scaling | Vertical scaling only limited by available hardware. No horizontal scaling as license is limited to one server. | Vertical scaling to 16 vCPU and 120GB per each user session. Almost infinite horizontal scaling. |
| Costs | Hardware must be sized for peak demand, so underutilized most of the time | Only pay for capacity needed now and instantly extend when necessary |
| AIMMS’ Pricing | Subscription per user seat and per solver session, limited to a single server. | All-inclusive subscription per user seat and per solver session. |
Business case framework
This framework contains various components, each of which may or may not apply to an organization’s situation. It runs from ‘most tangible’ to ‘less tangible’.
|
| Applicable when | Potential PRO Cloud SaaS benefits over PRO On-Premise |
| Cost savings in IT infrastructure / hosting costs | IT infrastructure / hosting costs are charged to your budget |
|
| Reliability | PRO On-Premise IT infra is limited to a single server, without ‘cold’ or ‘hot’ failover. | Potential user disruption caused by hardware or software failures is much reduced:
|
| Security | PRO On-Premise installation is lacking up-to-date information security arrangements |
|
| Vertical Scaling | Model size is growing and becoming large |
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| Horizontal Scaling | Usage is growing and/or highly variable over time |
|
| Performance | PRO On-Premise server is sized to operate with ‘time-slicing’ between users |
|
| Room for Innovation | There is program/roadmap for adding more AIMMS applications |
|
| AIMMS’ Innovation | App developers have a need for new and emerging technologies for the deployment platform |
|
| Data Integration | Your organization is moving to new data platforms and data management strategies |
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| Data Storage | You are reading and writing application data from the AIMMS application |
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| Python Integration | Your organization wants to combine the powers of AIMMS and Python |
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| Accessibility | Your users need easy access to the applications from anywhere in the world | PRO Cloud can be accessed via the Internet. No need to be on the organization’s network, possibly using VPN, etc. |
Please contact us
We understand that each company’s situation is unique, and that the above framework can at best be a starting point for building an internal business case for moving from PRO On-Premise to PRO Cloud. Please do not hesitate to contact us for support on your specific case.