Containers are generating significant interest as the next potential breakthrough, though it remains to be seen if they will drive real advancements. Containerization, particularly through technologies like Kubernetes, Docker, and OpenShift, has become a significant trend across various sectors to streamline application deployment and infrastructure management. Platform editors are progressively adopting containerization to enhance the scalability, flexibility, and reliability of their services, making them more adaptable to modern cloud-based infrastructures. With Gartner predicting that 75% of container instances will be deployed in public cloud environments by 2026, Kubernetes is becoming a standard for container orchestration.

Despite growing interest, the adoption of containers in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) application development has been relatively slow and not widely publicized. For example, there are only a few posts about containerization on the PTC community and Siemens websites. In April 2024, Outscale, a Dassault Systèmes brand, announced the acquisition of Satelliz, a French company specialized in the development and operation of Kubernetes services. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) editors, such as SAP and Salesforce, are more openly sharing their container management strategies for enabling cloud transformations.

Kubernetes, Docker and container orchestrationKubernetes and Docker are at the forefront of containerization, which is revolutionizing how applications are deployed and managed. Kubernetes is a portable, extensible, open-source platform designed to manage containerized applications across clusters of machines. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of these applications, providing robust solutions for complex workloads.

On the other hand, Docker is a platform for developing, deploying and running containerized applications. Docker defines a container as “a standard unit of software that packages up code and all its dependencies, so the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another, […] a lightweight, standalone, executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries and settings.”

Advantages of container technologies include:

• Portability: Containers can run consistently across various environments, from development to production.
• Compatibility: Containers are compatible with different operating systems and cloud environments.
• Scalability: They can be easily scaled up or down depending on demand.
• Consistency: Containers ensure that applications run the same regardless of where they are deployed.
• Efficiency: Containers use system resources more efficiently than traditional virtual machines.

However, there are challenges:

• Orchestration complexity: Managing containers, especially at scale and in multi-cloud or hybrid environments, can be complex.
• Networking complexity: Networking containers across different environments and maintaining security can be challenging.

Gartner highlighted that container management related services, “Associated technologies include service mesh, orchestration and scheduling, service discovery and registration, image registry, routing and networking, service catalog and management user interface, and API.” Anna Belak, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner, noted in 2018 that: “Containerization decouples the application and its dependencies from the underlying infrastructure. As a result, issues caused by differences in operating system distributions and core infrastructure are removed.”

Containers: a growing interest in the PLM landscapeWhile containerization might seem like a highly technical concept, its practical benefits are clear. Containers are driving significant changes in software development and IT system management, making companies more agile, scalable, and efficient. Some ways containers are making an impact include:

• Microservices architecture: Containers allow different parts of a software application to be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This not only makes the development process faster but also simplifies the management of complex systems.
• DevOps and CI/CD pipelines: Containers provide consistent environments for software from development to production, reducing the risk of errors and speeding up the release process.
• Hybrid and multi-cloud deployments: Containers enable applications to run smoothly across various cloud environments—public, private, or hybrid—providing flexibility and optimizing costs.
• Modernizing legacy applications: Containers help older applications run in modern environments without needing extensive rework, which extends the life of existing investments and eases the transition to newer platforms.
• Edge computing: Containers are ideal for deploying lightweight applications close to data sources, reducing latency and enhancing real-time data processing.

These examples show that containerization is more than just a technical trend—it is a critical tool for modernizing IT infrastructure.

Despite the clear advantages of containerization, PLM editors have been slower to adopt these technologies. Traditional PLM systems often rely on legacy infrastructure with complex data models, making the transition to containers challenging. The need for stability, long-term data integrity, and seamless integration with existing modules adds complexity and risk. High costs and complexity in deploying and maintaining private-cloud applications also contribute to a cautious approach to adopting modern container orchestration technologies in the PLM landscape.

Integrating containerized solutions can address key challenges faced by PLM systems, such as managing complex product data across global teams and ensuring industry compliance. As organizations adopt cloud-native architectures, containerization may become essential for modernizing PLM platforms to meet Industry 4.0 and digital economy demands. Large OEMs in the Aerospace and Defense industry in the US and Europe are already leading the way in containerizing PLM systems, influencing software editors to make the shift to modern architectures; and this is just the beginning.

Despite the clear advantages of containerization, PLM editors have been slower to adopt these technologies. Traditional PLM systems are often built on legacy infrastructure with complex data models, making the shift to containers challenging. The need for stability, long-term data integrity, and seamless integration with existing modules adds complexity and risk to this transition. High costs and complexity of deploying and maintaining private-cloud applications have also contributed to a cautious approach to adopting modern container orchestration technologies in the PLM landscape.

The integration of containerized solutions can address key challenges faced by PLM systems, such as managing complex product data across global teams and ensuring industry compliance. As organizations adopt cloud-native architectures, containerization may become essential for modernizing PLM platforms to meet Industry 4.0 and digital economy demands. Large OEMs in the Aerospace and Defence industry are already at the forefront of driving containerization in the PLM landscape, and this is just the beginning.

Accelerating cloud and digital transformationsThe shift to containerized has been gradual, but developments such as Outscale’s acquisition of Satelliz could accelerate this transition. As containerization and orchestration technologies evolve, they are likely to play a crucial role in modernizing PLM systems and enhancing business agility. Potential benefits of this shift include:

The shift to containerized PLM systems has been gradual, but developments such as Outscale’s acquisition of Satelliz could accelerate this transition. As containerization and orchestration technologies evolve, they are likely to play a crucial role in modernizing PLM systems and enhancing business agility. Potential benefits of this shift include:

• Faster deployment: Containerized PLM systems could significantly reduce the time required to deploy applications, allowing businesses to respond more quickly to market changes.
• Improved scalability: Containers allow PLM modules to scale easily based on demand, helping businesses manage resources more efficiently.
• Enhanced integration: By utilizing containerized infrastructure, PLM systems can better integrate with other enterprise platforms like ERP, CRM, and MES, ensuring smoother operations across different functions.
• Support for digital transformation: Containerized PLM systems are well-suited to support initiatives like Digital Thread and Digital Twin, which require seamless data exchange and real-time collaboration across the entire product lifecycle.
• Increased resilience: Containers isolate failures, ensuring that issues in one part of the system don’t disrupt the entire operation, thus enhancing system reliability.

While containerization in PLM is still emerging, its potential to drive cloud and digital transformations is becoming more evident. As organizations embrace cloud-native architectures, containerized PLM solutions could offer the flexibility and scalability needed to thrive in a competitive, fast-paced market. Outscale’s acquisition of Satelliz represents a significant step toward broader adoption and innovation in the PLM landscape

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