Jade plays host

A hosted TOS is certainly not a new concept, but WorldCargo News has noted several times that terminals have been reluctant to embrace the concept. Dalvi said one of the reasons it made sense for Everett was that Jade was already managing the TOS for the port onsite, including performing upgrades.“They have been comfortable with us for many years,” said Dalvi. While AWS will host the software on its servers, Jade will still manage the TOS fully for Everett.

Jade is now putting forward the SaaS option for customers to consider, but Dalvi stressed that they have to be comfortable with the concept, and some facilities want to see it proven elsewhere first.TOS applications, he added, are actually quite demanding in terms of their transactional load.

Another big concern is that putting software on the cloud leaves the terminal vulnerable to an interruption in internet service. Dalvi said this is a very real concern, with ports often at the edge of infrastructure networks, in areas where there is regular construction and redevelopment. The contractor that makes a mistake with a backhoe and cuts service, he added, is not just a hypothetical situation – real terminals have actually encountered this problem.

Redundancy is important, and how this is managed depends on the particular terminal, and its ability to access redundant connections. Dalvi noted that backup options can include cellular networks to send data, something Jade has experience with, as some of its customers use cellular services, rather than WiFi, to send information to the TOS at the terminal.

Depending on the size of the terminal, one option might be a hybrid system, where some aspects of the TOS are hosted locally to allow it to keep running in the event of a disruption.