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The concept: ‘container technology’
Container technology has grown considerably in recent years and has gained in popularity. But what are containers and what can they be used for? A container is a package with a fixed format containing the application, plus technical components (libraries, utilities and configuration files) which can function independently from other components.
‘Build it once, run it anywhere’
Thanks to the uniform set-up of containers, and the adoption of their standard by all cloud and tech providers - you can compare it with uniform containers on a cargo ship - it is possible that an application can work on every platform and operating system. In short, 'build it once, run it anywhere'.
Container tools and platforms
Container technology is open-source and is embraced by today's tech giants of the world, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Red Hat. These companies develop the technology and make it available on various platforms. The most famous container tool is 'Docker', which handles the packaging of applications in containers. Docker containers then run on platforms such as Kubernetes, managed Kubernetes from AWS (EKS) and Azure (AKS), AWS Container Service (ECS), Azure Container Instances (ACI) or Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
“Today container technology is embraced by the world’s tech giants”
These platforms govern the starting, stopping, automatic recovery, configuring, managing and controlling resources for, among other things, storage. With platforms like Kubernetes you set up desired dependencies, scale and relations. You also determine how and which containers should respond to different user requests, because sometimes you need several containers in conjunction and one after the other.
An example is controlling login, loading user profiles and data storage. Let's put it this way: if Docker containers are the individual musicians, then Kubernetes is the orchestra's conductor.
Speed, flexibility and scalability
The use of containers is worth considering in many business cases. After all, from start to finish, you require sufficient technological speed, flexibility and scalability. Because an idea can go into production faster thanks to this technology, you can create value for the end user more quickly.
“With container technology you create value for the end user more quickly”
For example, at iO we apply container technology to a company that works with multiple multidisciplinary teams on one application (flexibility) and which offers online services across national borders (scalability). In this specific case not only in Europe, but also in Asia. You can ‘pick up’ your container in the cloud in Asia and ‘drop it off’ again in Europe, where the application then runs closer to the end user.
Docker is independent of the underlying public cloud (AWS, Azure, Google). This means that you can easily change to another cloud per region, per use case or in terms of cost structure. Your only restriction is the location of your cloud provider. Kubernetes is a standard across multiple clouds, whereas ECS and ACI are cloud-specific.
Anyway, thanks to container technology, you can easily expand to other territories where applications can run multi-cloud at the same time.
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Technical and operational advantages
Container technology is a powerful means to achieve benefits in various areas. The combination of Docker and Kubernetes specifically, provides both technical and business related benefits.
1. Cloud- and infra agnostic
With container technology, an application works on every platform and independently of the operating system, also when different cloud providers are used.
2. Portability
Containerised applications can be released much faster: multiple (zero downtime) deployments can take place in one day. This saves a lot of time and costs when delivering software.
3. A/B testing and canary releases
With the deployment of Kubernetes, you no longer manage services yourself. That simplifies the process of running multiple versions of the same application at the same time, which in its turn, allows you to conduct better A / B testing and to roll out canary releases more easily.
4. Agility
You can iterate containerised applications faster. After all, you already know the code works in all environments. As a result, developers spend less time fixing bugs and can spend more time developing and delivering valuable user functionalities.
5. Scalability
Although the aforementioned advantages are connected with scalability, in the context of container technology however, scalability also has another meaning. With Kubernetes you can easily respond to performance and business metrics of applications and online services, such as the amount of traffic, requests and CPU, number of requests and interactions. For instance Kubernetes automatically detects when it has to scale up server space during that one important Christmas campaign - and scales it down again when the peak is over.
It is also worth mentioning that with container technology, there may be fewer misunderstandings between the hosting and development teams. The development team takes care of the container and this means that the hosting team only has to focus on scalability and hosting. This is possible because of the uniform set-up, making it less complex and less directly dependent on the underlying hardware/service infrastructure.
However, it is important to keep a close eye on security, as vulnerabilities may not be monitored as closely. This is because the hosting team cannot look ‘inside’ and check the containers as easily. The development team must therefore be absolutely certain that what they have developed is safe and secure.
Is container technology suitable for every business?
Perhaps you are now wondering why your company doesn’t already use container technology. We think it is important to emphasise that getting started with container technology is not a matter of a 'quick win'. It concerns a structural policy decision, which should not be taken lightly.
Real profit goes hand in hand with a cultural shift in the IT field. For example, you need a completely different security infrastructure than with traditional deployments.
Hosting Docker containers, specifically in combination with Kubernetes, requires knowledge from both developers and the management organisation. If you do opt for Kubernetes, it is best to also make use of managed variants of AWS and Azure, like EKS and AKS.
It may also be appropriate to choose cloud-specific, but simpler platforms such as ECS, ACI and GKE. In any case, it is important to carefully examine which container technology best fits the needs of your organisation.
Friso Geerlings
Technology DirectorAt iO, Friso spends his day taking on only the most complex tech challenges for various high-profile (financial services) clients. All while getting the most out of iO’s tech teams and building connections between developers, users and systems. He regularly publishes articles of his own to further strengthen these bonds.
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For many companies, digital platforms are the backbone of their operations and critical to exceptional customer experiences. This white paper offers strategic insights and practical solutions to address digital challenges such as agility, scalability and security. Download now to take your digital platform to the next level and seamlessly align with your business goals.Read moreWhite paper
Get ahead of the curve: make digital accessibility your priority
In an increasingly digital world, accessibility is more important than ever. This whitepaper will show you why digital accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but also an ethical necessity. With more than 32.2% of the Dutch population having some kind of disability, it is essential that you design inclusive digital products. This whitepaper explores:Read moreWhite paper
The CTO guide to a composable architecture
Instead of depending on one big software suite, the ‘composable approach’ enables organisations to customise their IT infrastructure by selecting and integrating the most suitable components for their specific needs. However, composable is not a universal solution. In this whitepaper we break down the composable concept, explain the core principles and its potential impact on your organisation’s digital ecosystem. We help you determine a realistic timeframe for transitioning to a composable architecture and evaluate whether your business is ready to embrace composability. Finally, we explore diverse migration strategies for a smooth and seamless transition.Read moreWhite paper
How content and creation delivers brand success
A brand's story is shaped by content. In the coming years it isn’t just about what content you create, but about how your brand retains authenticity and flexibility in an ever-growing digital landscape. Platforms are diverse, audiences are fragmented, and attention spans are shorter than ever. Today the central question is: "How can you be sure that your brand is communicating in an authentic and effective way?" It's about communication that doesn’t just connect with people, but actually touches them. After reading this Insights Paper, you will have an in-depth understanding of the complexity of target audiences, the dynamics of platforms, the impact of AI, evolving content formats, and the value of content to brands.Read moreBlog
The most common pitfalls in digitisation and how to avoid them
In the beginning of this year, we launched the Opportunity report 2023. A collection of visions and insights from our experts to help you get the most out of the new year. On the 9th of March during the Opportunity online live event we brought these insights live to an interested audience to speak and discuss how to ‘Accelerate your business in 2023’. In this article, we’ll share the key takeaways of the presentation of Digital Strategist Tom van Mierlo with you.Read moreBlog
How do you guarantee that innovation is successful in your organisation?
Exploring new markets, creating new revenue models, developing new products and solutions: there is consensus in most companies about the need for innovation. But guaranteeing the success of your innovation interventions is not a straightforward process. In this article we share 5 tips that you can use to increase the chances of your innovation process being successful.Read moreBlog
AI tools that add real value to your business processes
Technology is in a constant state of change. The great evolution of recent years has been AI. Today, it's a powerful tool that can radically change the way we solve problems and create value. But how should we really look at AI? And how can we make sure it becomes more than just an empty gimmick?Read moreBlog
2024: the next step for analytics and tracking in a 'privacy first' world
You may not have noticed, but a lot has changed in terms of analytics and tracking over the past five years. This is partly because we've already grown accustomed to many changes, and partly because their impact has come very gradually. Half a decade ago, no one knew of the existence of a cookie banner, a year later everyone thought they could never get used to it, and today we don't know any better. We've made serious strides in terms of data regulation, and perhaps the biggest steps are yet to come in 2024.Read moreBlog
2023: a year in an era of change
Does the name Leonhard Huizinga still ring a bell for anyone? Once a popular Dutch writer, now forgotten. He made his debut in 1936 with the book 'De Gestroomlijnde Wereld'. Already a wanderer at a young age, Huizinga's book opened an unknown world to many readers. An exotic world, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, because it was more accessible by car, train, boat, and airplane. Faster, more comfortable and with more and more streamlining — quite literally. Curious, boundless, full of wonder. Not realising, as early as 1936, that over that same world lay the shadows of tomorrow.Read moreBlog
The future of AI: which 5 trends make their mark on 2024?
We are standing at the beginning of a new economic era with AI and automation as driving forces. Customer interaction is radically being transformed, and the rise of generative AI heralds one of the biggest revolutions ever. As far as AI is concerned, the near future is still a bit unpredictable, but one thing is certain: companies that really want to make a difference should resolutely opt for a digital strategy built upon resilience, productivity and efficiency. Let’s delve into the five most remarkable AI trends for 2024.Read moreBlog
Work smarter, not harder: your guide to masterful productivity with AI
Are you tired of all the grand promises surrounding AI? Do trends come and go without leaving a lasting impact? Are you yearning for a down-to-earth answer to the question, "What can I truly gain from AI in my daily work?" Our Art Director and AI pioneer, Gijs guides you in this blog interview. Why can he only guide you? Because there's no one-size-fits-all approach. AI is tailor-made, but it can significantly simplify and enhance your work. Within minutes, promises Gijs, you can achieve powerful mass production. His practical tips might just transform your daily workflow or, at the very least, encourage you to rethink it. Discover how in this interview.Read moreBlog
Google introduces Interaction to Next Paint as a new Core Web Vital
From March 12, we welcome a significant update in the world of web performance with the introduction of Interaction to Next Paint (INP) as part of the Core Web Vitals. But don't worry, you don’t have to be a web developer to understand: we’ll explain the importance of this update in plain language.Read moreBlog
Why WordPress is the perfect CMS for marketers
At iO, we partner with some major players and market leaders in marketing and technology. One of these partners is WordPress, world's largest Content Management System (CMS). There are several reasons why WordPress tops the list of CMS platforms. For one, the platform has a lot to offer for all its target audiences. In this blog, we list its main advantages for marketers.Read moreBlog
How to create an AI copywriting assistant with custom GPT
Is AI the big monster some make it out to be? The one waiting in line to take over our job of content marketeer? One thing’s for sure: artificial intelligence is no hype. It’s here to stay, and it’s up to us to deal with it. At iO, we’re always looking at new ways to create value. AI turns out not to be a solution, but rather a means to an end. In this blog post, we explain how we use an AI copy assistant to write large volumes of copy in a cost-effective way.Read moreBlog
Drupal Starshot announced: 5 things you need to know
Earlier this month, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert took the stage during the annual DrupalCon North America in Portland (Oregon, USA). He delivered what some call the biggest Drupal news in a long time: the official announcement of Drupal Starshot. Being the largest Drupal partner in the Benelux, we at iO would like to shed some light on this upcoming launch.Read moreBlog
Drupal sets new standards with Starshot
iO and Drupal go way back. We have been using the CMS since our early days, so it is fair to say it holds few secrets for our developers. In recent years, the CMS market has evolved enormously, with new systems springing up like mushrooms. And even though many did not survive, there are still a lot of new CMS systems standing strong today. An unusual situation for Drupal, but with the announcement of Drupal Starshot, the answer is now finally here.Read moreBlog
Why a seamless partner experience is crucial for your organisation
The fact that a flawless digital experience is crucial to consumers, is not new — every day we experience this ourselves when using apps or ordering things online. Less known, but just as crucial, is the partner experience (PX). Especially for financial institutions (such as banks, insurers or payment companies) a seamless PX is invaluable. Friso Geerlings, Technology Director at iO, explains why this is the case and how you can safeguard your PX.Read moreBlog
Conversational search: what is it and why do you want it?
Conversational search in the form of an AI chatbot lets your website visitors interact with your content, resulting in a better customer experience. Conversational search is an advanced search method that uses natural language processing to understand search queries and provide relevant results. Instead of entering search terms, users can formulate searches as they would in a normal conversation.Read moreBlog
Discover conversational AI search
Conversational search in the form of an AI chatbot lets your website visitors interact with your content, resulting in a better customer experience.Read moreBlog
Drupal 11: innovative features for better UX, performance and development
Drupal recently launched the latest version of its unsurpassed CMS: Drupal 11. As a Certified Drupal Partner, our 130-strong Drupal team is eager to get started helping companies find their way around. After all, Drupal 11 offers a lot of new features that improve the user experience, increase performance and streamline development processes.Read moreBlog
What is search intent? And why is it important for SEO?
When you look something up on the Internet, you always do so with a specific intention. Whether it's to gather information, compare products or actually make a purchase. Either way, you want to see results that match your intent as closely as possible. This intent - called search intent - is a crucial factor for both Google and marketers.Read moreBlog
iOS 18 and RCS: a gamechanger for brands and marketers
With the recent launch of iOS 18, the messaging service Rich Communication Services, or RCS, is finally widely available. This can have a huge impact on how brands and marketers reach their customers. In this article, we dive deeper into the ins and outs of RCS and why at iO, we believe that it will provide better experiences.Read moreBlog
AI is changing how we search and it is time for brands to face this head-on
The impact of AI on search engine marketing and business models is huge. So start experimenting now, advises iO CEO Pieter Janssens.Read moreBlog
How AI is enhancing creative processes
Is generative AI (GenAI) only useful for automating boring tasks or producing mediocre visuals and lacklustre, uninspired texts? Or can it add real value to the creative process? And if so, how do you use it to come up with new concepts and create unique stories? Gijs Besselink, Art Director and AI expert at iO, uses his experience to answer these questions and more.Read moreBlog
AI & E-commerce: 8 tips for navigating the changing SEO landscape
There is unrest in the SEO landscape, and it's no surprise given the rapid changes taking place. With the advent of AI, the future of SEO suddenly seems uncertain. The number one search engine is vigorously testing AI applications, reducing the need to click through to websites. This has serious implications for everyone whose traffic is partially dependent on Google, including e-commerce.Read moreDossier
Dossier: Get a taste of AI – Discover the endless possibilities of AI
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Dossier: Maximize your marketing efforts with HubSpot
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Dossier: Drupal. Why big brands rely on Drupal CMS.
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Dossier: Composable, the key to flexible business architecture
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Dossier: Self service portals
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Dossier: E-inclusion & accessibility
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Dossier: The Opportunity Report
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Transforming technology into a catalyst for innovation
How fast can you launch new products and services, scale up or scale down sales channels, or provide a better customer experience? The technical complexity of a business often determines its innovation speed. We look at how to transform the 5 key blockers in technology into accelerators for your business. Expert:Raymond Muilwijk, Center of Excellence Lead TechnologyRead moreVideo
AI - The future is not what it used to be
Do you remember when ... the invention of the computer caused a seismic shift in the job market? People unwilling to work with computers were quickly replaced by people who were; and today everyone carries a laptop. Today the same thing is happening with AI. In this webinar, Rodger Werkhoven will share his passion for Artificial Intelligence and introduce you to OpenAI as a love brand.Read moreVideo
The Canon of Flanders: from Van Eyck’s brothers' Ghent Altarpiece to Rock Werchter.
From Van Eyck’s brothers' Ghent Altarpiece to Rock Werchter: the Canon of Flanders is finally here. The much-discussed list resulted in a bulky book of more than 300 pages and includes an overview of the Flemish language, culture, and history from the end of the last ice age to today. But there is also an online version: www.canonvanvlaanderen.be . iO developed this on behalf of the Commission Canon of Flanders, which received a mandate from the Flemish Government, Department of Education & Training.Read moreVideo
Primagaz & iO: a shared journey of growth and success
Discover the fruitful collaboration between Primagaz and iO in this 'Walk and Talk' video. In this video, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative dynamics between Primagaz and iO. We discuss how we dealt with challenges, how we exploited opportunities and what strategies we developed. We'll take you through our shared journey of growth and success, where trust and a commitment to excellence are central. This Walk and Talk is more than just a conversation - it is a celebration of a collaboration that has stood the test of time. It is a story of mutual growth, of learning and evolving, and of creating value for both organizations.Read moreCase
How a down-to-earth audit paves the way to the ideal digital tools?
With an efficient platform audit, our experts helped Ebema make the most appropriate choices.Look at this client storyCase
How to create a robust personalized inspiration platform for food professionals in Drupal?
For food giant Vandemoortele, we built a Drupal platform that inspires and supports multiple audiences with customised content. Read the case.Look at this client storyCase
How do you support expats moving around the world?
Gosselin, active in international relocations, wanted more leads to boost growth. Our experts helped to bolster their digital presence.Look at this client storyCase
How to manage a range of websites while meeting client expectations?
Enhancing Digital Content Management for D'Ieteren Automotive's Websites? Read the full story here;Look at this client storyCase
How to combine rebranding and site redesign for a better user experience?
Creating a Cohesive Platform: Assuralia's Rebranding and Site Redesign for Enhanced User Experience Read the story here.Look at this client storyCase
How do you strengthen your market position as a recruitment and staffing expert with a new brand?
YER is already big but aspired to double their presence in the world of recruitment and selection and secondment. iO helped them with creating a new brand, internal branding, external activation online and offline and bringing 3 websites into 1 site for all target groups.Look at this client storyCase
How to future-proof and secure a European dealer intranet?
Discover how the JLR Gateway, built in Drupal, acts as a central hub for dealer communication, processes, and collaboration.Look at this client storyCase
How can a network manager ensure we navigate the energy transition successfully?
Discover how awareness, behaviour change, and hyper-local personalization lead to cost efficiency and relevance at the right moment.Look at this client storyCase
How to present a unified brand story for multiple companies within the same group?
How do you tell a clear online story that pulls traffic towards your website if you represent multiple businesses? Read the case and find out.Look at this client storyCase
Freedom, self-reliance, and user-friendliness
Discover how the online presence of Firda was revamped with a new Drupal platform. With seamless integrations, simplified forms and an improved design.Look at this client storyCase
How a virtual museum highlights Flemish heritage
How do you develop a virtual experience platform that takes your customer experience to the next level?Look at this client storyCase
How has fresh branding contributed to a stronger position in the market?
For Prowise, an interactive display and educational software expert, iO designed a new WordPress website complemented by a new brand voice and copy.Look at this client storyCase
Finding and offering the right location to turn a special event into a favourite memory
Discover how iO made the websites and the personal admin portal of High Profile Locaties more manageable, findable and scalable. Read the case study.Look at this client storyCase
Repositioning a meat brand in full transition
Discover how iO helped Imperial transform into a future-proof food brandLook at this client storyCase
How to deliver a consistent brand experience across 35 countries
How do you develop a digital and internationally deployable retailer concept that takes your customer experience to the next level?Look at this client storyCase
Realising growth through marketing
How iO convinces travelers to choose Brussels Airport for their next trip. Discover the marketing campaigns.Look at this client storyCase
How do you ensure a flawless guest experience at a renowned holiday park?
iO helped Landal Greenparks create a hospitality experience that seamlessly integrates top personal service with digital convenience. Discover the case.Look at this client storyCase
How do you double your mobile conversion within 4 years?
What it takes to make booking as easy as possible for you? Discover the power of a strong management vision, a streamlined work process, and long-term, open, and transparent collaboration between Landal GreenParks and iO.Look at this client storyCase
How do you stimulate requests for co-branded credit cards?
Web, app, and integration platform for co-branded credit card programmesLook at this client storyCase
How do you provide customers with flexible retail financing without a card?
Flexible credit, without a card and with all the omnichannel advantages of a credit card.Look at this client story