Aucotec offers its flexible cloud model - the first hosting service for engineering software - in collaboration with Mod IT Services GmbH, which has specialized in workplace management and IT security for over 25 years. "The new cloud service offers planners a whole new kind of engineering flexibility," says Eike Michel, Head of Research and Development at Aucotec and the man responsible for the hosting project. "The linearized costs become easier to calculate, and users can get started with EB straight away. There's no running-in time, no time-consuming hardware analyses and procurement projects, and no waiting for software to be rolled out in a company’s own IT landscape."

This cloud model is said to be particularly appealing to new customers starting out with just a handful of key users. Indeed, unlike the conventional approach to buying software, there's no need to estimate and build up server capacities in advance - when you still don't know exactly how much the software is going to be used. As a result, users can avoid making investments that not only tie up capital, but may also prove unsuitable at a later stage. "Systems often have to be upgraded several times, and sometimes capacities go unused - so cloud hosting is perfect for this kind of initial phase," explains Michel. The new service is fully scalable - from a single-user workbench to large-scale collaborative solutions. Even teams already working with EB can "move" to the cloud to avoid, for example, investing in server upgrades or to efficiently implement the next stage in the upscaling process. As part of a "bring your own license" model, all user agreements remain in effect - regardless of whether they are based on an individual license or token model - and can be modified at any time.

Hosting services also have a lot to offer when it comes to IT security. “Nowadays, almost every workplace computer is connected to the internet, so a company’s in-house server solution is no safer than the cloud model,” says Michel. In fact, quite the opposite is true in his view. Ultimately, professional hosting services offer access to an impressive pool of IT expertise in a company that focuses specifically on these very services and the associated technologies. For Michel, “Mod IT’s experience makes it the perfect partner. After all, how many mechanical or plant engineering companies employ over 100 IT experts?”