Why is Hardis OMS hosted on public cloud?

Hardis OMS (OIL) is hosted on the Microsoft Azure public cloud platform. This decision is deliberate and strategic. Modern order management requires flexibility, scalability and resilience that traditional on-premise infrastructure simply cannot provide.

Below are the key reasons why we run OIL on Microsoft Azure.

1. Enterprise-grade reliability and resilience

Retail order management is mission-critical. Downtime directly impacts revenue, customer experience and brand trust. Microsoft Azure provides enterprise-grade Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) capabilities with built-in:

• High availability and redundancy
• Global data centre coverage
• Disaster recovery options
• Continuous monitoring and security controls

This ensures that Hardis OMS delivers consistent performance even during peak trading events such as Black Friday or seasonal surges.

2. Scalability for growing retail operations

Retail volumes are unpredictable. Promotions, new market launches or marketplace integrations can rapidly increase order volumes. Azure enables elastic scaling, meaning Hardis OMS can:

• Scale resources up during peak periods
• Scale down during quieter periods
• Support international expansion
• Adapt to new fulfilment models or channels

This flexibility ensures retailers only use the infrastructure they need, while remaining ready for growth.

3. Performance and advanced tooling

Microsoft Azure provides a robust ecosystem of tools and services that enhance the performance of Hardis OMS. This includes:

• Advanced monitoring and analytics
• Automation and DevOps tooling
• Secure integration capabilities
• AI and machine learning services

These capabilities allow us to continuously optimise the platform and support modern, connected commerce architectures.

4. Strong data privacy and compliance guarantees

Data protection and regulatory compliance are essential in retail. Microsoft Azure offers some of the strongest privacy and security guarantees among global cloud providers, including:

• GDPR-aligned infrastructure
• Regional hosting options
• Advanced encryption and identity management
• Transparent compliance certifications

For European retailers in particular, Azure provides a trusted and compliant cloud foundation.

5. Long-standing Microsoft partnership

Hardis has been a Microsoft Gold Partner since 1999. This long-term strategic relationship gives us:

• Deep technical expertise in Microsoft technologies
• Early access to new innovations
• Direct collaboration on product development
• Continuous alignment with Azure best practices

This partnership ensures that Hardis OMS is built and operated using proven cloud standards.

6. Marketplace availability

Hardis OMS is available via the Microsoft commercial marketplace, simplifying procurement and deployment for organisations already operating within the Microsoft ecosystem. This makes adoption easier for enterprise retailers and brands looking to streamline vendor management.

In summary

Hosting Hardis OMS on Microsoft Azure ensures the platform is reliable, scalable, secure and future-ready. In an omnichannel retail environment where performance and agility are critical, public cloud infrastructure provides the foundation required for modern order orchestration.