The "Control" Illusion: Owning your own servers feels safe, but it often leaves you vulnerable to missed security patches and ransomware.
The "Air Gap" Myth: Modern factories need to connect to the outside world (Suppliers, OEMs, Remote Experts). On-Premise systems create dangerous silos.
The Fabrico Advantage: How a cloud-native architecture gives you Enterprise-grade security without the Enterprise IT headcount.
For decades, the "Safe Choice" for manufacturing software was to buy a server, stick it in a closet, and install the software yourself.
It was called On-Premise. You owned it. You controlled it. Nobody could touch it.
In 2025, that "Safe Choice" has become a Liability.
We see Plant Managers ("Paula") struggling with "Zombie Software" systems that haven't been updated in three years because the IT guy is too busy to run the patch.
We see Maintenance Managers ("Mike") driving to the factory at 2:00 AM just to check a work order because they can't access the system from home.
The industry is moving to the Cloud (SaaS). But many manufacturers are still holding back due to security fears.
Here is the definitive guide to why the Cloud is actually safer and more reliable for modern manufacturing, and why Fabrico is built for this new reality.
The biggest argument for On-Premise is: "I want my data behind my firewall."
The Reality: Your firewall is only as strong as your last update.
In an On-Premise world, you are responsible for security patches. If a new threat emerges on Friday night, your IT team needs to patch the server immediately. Do they? Or do they wait until Monday?
The Fabrico Cloud Model:
We use Enterprise-Grade Cloud Infrastructure.
Automatic Patching: We update security protocols instantly across all clients. You are never "out of date."
24/7 Monitoring: Our dedicated security team watches for threats while your IT team sleeps.
The Result: Your data is protected by a team of experts, not just the one IT guy who is also fixing the printer.
Old-school factories wanted to be "Air Gapped" (disconnected from the internet).
That works if you never want to improve.
Modern manufacturing relies on Connectivity.
You need to pull spare parts pricing from vendors.
You need to push downtime data to your corporate ERP (SAP).
You need your OEM machine builder to log in remotely and diagnose a fault.
The On-Premise Problem:
To do any of this with an On-Premise system, you have to punch holes in your firewall (VPNs), which creates more security risks than a secure Cloud connection.
The Fabrico Solution:
We use secure, encrypted APIs. We act as the secure bridge between your factory floor and the outside world, allowing data to flow without exposing your internal network.
"Mike" (Maintenance Manager) hates On-Premise software for one simple reason: He is tethered to the plant.
If a line goes down on the night shift, Mike has to drive to the factory to look at the schedule or approve a Purchase Order.
The Fabrico Cloud Advantage:
Anywhere Access: Mike can approve the PO from his phone at the dinner table.
Mobile Native: Our app isn't a clunky "Remote Desktop" session; it is a native mobile experience that works on 4G/5G.
Result: Faster decisions, less downtime, and a happier Maintenance Manager.
On-Premise looks cheaper upfront. You pay a "One-Time License" fee.
But you are buying a puppy, not a rock.
The Hidden Costs of On-Premise:
Server Hardware: €5,000+ every 3-5 years.
Electricity & Cooling: Running a server room 24/7.
IT Labor: 2-4 hours per week for backups and maintenance.
Disaster Recovery: If the server room floods, is your data backed up off-site? (Usually not).
The Fabrico SaaS Model:
You pay a subscription. We handle the servers, the backups, the security, and the updates. Your IT team can stop fixing servers and start working on strategic projects.
On-Premise software is a time capsule. The day you install it, it starts dying.
Upgrading it is a painful "Project" that requires downtime and migration. So, most factories just... don't. They run 2015 software in 2025.[2]
The Fabrico Way:
We release updates continuously.
New AI feature? You get it Monday.
New SAP connector? You get it Tuesday.
New Security patch? You got it yesterday.
You are always running the best version of the software, automatically.
Your core competency is manufacturing products, not managing server farms.
Moving to the Cloud isn't just about "modernizing."[3][4] It's about Risk Reduction. It reduces the risk of data loss, security breaches, and downtime caused by outdated information.
Stop babysitting servers.
[Book a Demo with Fabrico] and see how a secure, cloud-native platform empowers your team to work from anywhere.
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