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The global crisis we are currently experiencing is unsettling our plans and affecting our models. It is also accelerating our industries’ ongoing multiple transformations. I would like to focus on the acceleration of the demand for what is called Software as a Service solutions (SaaS), including mission critical systems. As a reminder, the SaaS business model consists for a customer in purchasing the rights to use (and the availability) of a service rather than buying a physical product or solution.
The concept is not new and is already widespread in many sectors, in particular in consumer applications, but we are seeing a growing interest for these solutions from our institutional customers in aeronautics and defense, among others, looking to cut their hardware requirements in and to “consume” software services directly from a platform.
This operating mode is a paradigm shift for trusted systems, but it is nothing new for Thales, which already sells solutions in “SaaS” mode, both for a bank card scanning service, maintenance equipment on board of an aircraft or the training of fighter pilots.
This evolution of our offer, which, as we can see, concerns multiple activities, constitutes a deep evolution for a company like Thales, which has traditionally been classified in the “equipment manufacturers” industry. This evolution is reflected in major changes both in terms of sales and delivery and even in the design of our solutions. Changes that impact the entire organization.
Let’s take the example of Sales: the "SaaS" mode represents a new business model since what we sell to the customer is ultimately an access right and the method used to calculate our remuneration can vary (number of users, connections, etc.). It also means that our customers can start with a small circle of users, ten for example, and get up and running quickly, with increased capacity coming with increasing need.
When it comes to delivery, our cursor is the quality of service and its elasticity. Our commitment to availability and performance guarantees an effective 24/7 service. A predictive aircraft maintenance service can’t be only available during office hours!
Finally, when it comes to building the solution itself, what matters is the business value delivered. The solution must then be able to constantly evolve, based on feedback from our customers and new potential features.
Over the years, while building up our leader position in the digital transformation of our customers, we have developed a large number of digital solutions and services for them.
A Showcase of our Digital Offer
As a result of this new approach and in line with our technical platforms, we are launching the Thales TrustNest Marketplace, a single-entry portal for all the SaaS solutions we offer, together with our ecosystem of partners. This is a first for the Group and I am convinced that it will be a great success as we can feel our customers are curious about what we can offer them to support them in their digital transformation.
There are many advantages offered by this new model: In cybersecurity, it is the possibility of extracting weak signals to detect attacks. In aeronautics, it is the possibility of connecting the flight equipment of different customers on a single platform. In land transport, this is the way to improve passenger’s information. In defense, the "Saas" mode is required for equipment maintenance, staff training and logistics. In all these sectors, it brings the same advantages: cost reduction, continuous improvement of the services offered, data monitoring and analysis.
Born from Thales digital leadership in mission-critical environments, the Thales TrustNest Marketplace is the first open ecosystem designed to help organizations (governments, local authorities, startups or private companies) meet the challenges and leverage new opportunities with digital transformation. The complete catalog of “SaaS” solutions from Thales and its network of partners enables customers to reach those emerging opportunities. In short, to build a digital future we can all trust.
Thales TrustNest Marketplace: https://marketplace.thalesgroup.com
