On March 10, we announced IFS Cloud, the biggest product launch in our history. The entire spectrum of IFS solutions is now available on one platform, with one common user experience—a single enterprise product that will make all A&D organizations better equipped to deliver that all-important moment of service, whether that’s returning a mission-critical military asset to service on time, doing your part to achieving and maintaining total asset readiness, or ensuring passenger and cargo aircraft arrive and depart on schedule.
A&D needs technology that’s evolving as fast as the industry – and now it’s all in one place
We know only too well that the commercial aviation and defense sectors have experienced huge changes over the last 12 months. Commercial aviation has been heavily hit by the effects of the pandemic. Defense has seen major developments that have come with demands for mission-readiness and delivery against a backdrop of remote operations and social distancing. Users and customers alike have new and elevated expectations.
Technology is going to be key for the commercial aviation industry restart and for the new normal in defense, delivered through intelligent and autonomous business solutions.
IFS Cloud is uniquely positioned to satisfy these needs and deliver for A&D organizations at their critical moment of service. Here’s how:
1. One platform, one user experience – endless possibilities
IFS Cloud combines all of IFS’s solution capabilities on one common platform. This means faster access to the functions that matter most to you. A&D organizations can now quickly capitalize on embedded technologies such as IoT and Augmented Reality, so they can hit the ground running on better automating and optimizing processes.
However, this isn’t about buying separate products that need stitching together at a later date and operating, supporting and updating individually. IFS Cloud is a single product, based on capabilities that can be individually deployed—one by one, at the pace you require.
2. Industry depth that maximizes A&D value
Aerospace and Defense is a unique industry comprising a complex network of manufacturers, airline operators, military organizations and asset management & in-service support providers—all of which need to remain connected throughout the lifecycle of complex and expensive assets. This calls for solutions that offer industry-specific functionality that cater to the sophisticated needs of A&D.
IFS Cloud offers new application capabilities specifically designed for A&D organizations, from Forward Maintenance Mobility and Mobile Line Maintenance, to Total Asset Readiness® and Allowable Configuration. IFS Cloud enables A&D organizations to adapt these capabilities to make them even more specific for individual A&D requirements, with embedded capabilities all delivered into your own A&D solution.
3. Innovation at the heart of each product update
With IFS Cloud, we’re bringing intelligent solutions to the heart of our product, to drive innovation and deliver business value.
Take our Remote Assistance capability. Based on augmented and mixed reality tools, this solution enables maintenance technicians to diagnose and fix issues—even from great distances apart. In commercial aviation, this crucially solves operational barriers that, up to now, have hindered aircraft operators and maintenance organizations. Experienced technicians can remotely collaborate with field technicians to maintain complex assets and even carry out remote inspections on aircraft—saving time and money.
We have also embedded our new Disconnected Operations solution into IFS Cloud, delivering on what Gartner believes is a key technology development for 2021: Anywhere Operations. This technology is vital for military organizations operating in a distributed environment, where assets experience connectivity issues when operating far from a main base. It’s mission-critical that assets and personnel feed insights back to central command, while receiving changes to the required maintenance program in return.
IFS Disconnected Operations is a game changer—designed to support defense operators in varying levels of planned or unplanned connectivity, while operating in a forward environment. Even in ‘dark’ periods of no connectivity, military assets can collect and receive data in the field and resync it once an asset is back online. Everyone in the theater is on the same page, at the same time—regardless of location.
4. Built for cloud – but deployable where you need it
Hearing the name IFS Cloud, you might think we’d gone for a cloud-only approach – but that isn’t the case! Here at IFS, we know that many commercial aviation customers and defense organizations require on-premise deployments too. A recent IFS A&D webinar found that just 3% of respondents said they deploy their ERP software using only cloud technology—whereas 64% said they use their software either on-prem only or a mixture of on-prem and cloud-based deployments.
IFS is dedicated to safeguarding customer choice. With IFS Cloud, you still get all the functionality to confidently deploy IFS in whatever way best suits your unique security, reliability, and availability requirements—in our cloud or in your own datacenter.
5. Consistently delivering on promises for delightful user experiences
The March 10 launch of IFS Cloud was not a one-and-done event; in fact, it is just the start to an evergreen approach that will see a complete architectural evolution through the entire lifecycle.
Over time, IFS Cloud will bring together IFS aviation maintenance solutions – including IFS Maintenix – with existing IFS offerings, so you can benefit from the technology and the latest in business innovation through one common, intuitive experience.
A platform designed for the digital economy
In today’s turbulent economic climate, technology solutions that provide customer-defined value have never been more important. This results-driven approach is central to IFS’s philosophy; recognizing that in unifying its solutions, IFS can further help Aerospace & Defense organizations accelerate transformation strategies, gain meaningful insights and achieve real results.
With IFS Cloud, IFS has removed the traditional barriers that are holding businesses back, equipping our A&D customers with the single platform they need to stay relevant, agile, and ultimately thrive in the digital economy.
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