Best Version Control Systems

Version control systems, also known as revision control or source control systems, are software tools that help software professionals manage changes in the source code of documents, computer programs, and website content. These tools help track changes to software development projects and ensure easy management of those changes and revised files in a centralized database.

Top 10 Best Version Control Systems

1. Microsoft Team Founder Server
2. AWS CodeCommit
3. Git
4. Subversion
5. Vault Version Control
6. Fossil
7. Mercurial
8. Plastic SCM
9. Fogbugz
10. CVS

Market Overview

Best Version control systems keep a log of changes in the source code that helps the software team to return to the previous version of the software if needed. Version control systems play a crucial role in the application lifecycle management, software development management, and change management process. Based on the location of the repository/server, best version control systems are of two types, namely, Centralized Version Control System (CVCS) and Distributed Version Control System (DVCS). In CVCS, all the changes are saved in a single central repository. Whereas, in DVCS, local repositories are provided to the users/developers, along with access to the centralized repository. Thus, each user is allowed to clone the centralized repository and store the entire history of the changes in its local repository. The presence of open-source version control systems providers is creating pressure on the vendors to maintain their market position; this factor is acting as a restraint for the growth of the market. The growing need for large-scale best version control system is acting as an opportunity for the growth of the market. However, continuously growing data generated by organizations is one of the challenges for the adoption of version control tools.

The global version control system market is expected to grow from USD 438.8 million in 2018 to USD 716.1 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2018 to 2023. The market has been segmented based on type, deployment type, organization size, vertical, and region.

The Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) segment is expected to lead the best version control systems market during the forecast period. DVCS offer various advantages over CVCS, so the customers are gradually shifting from CVCS to DVCS. DVCS such as Git are considerably faster and easier to work with when it comes to creating and merging branches and tags. They also allow for flexible workflows, tailored to user’s project and the developer team needs. Moreover, DVCS do not rely on a central server to store all the versions of a project’s files. Thus, the users can collaboratively work even when there is no internet connectivity for a while. The main advantage of DVCS is that it allows users to keep their work logged locally as well as to decide when to push the new changes to the central repository. Thus, the DVCS segment is expected to grow at a higher growth rate during the forecast period.

The version control systems market is highly consolidated and is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The market players are adopting a mix of organic and inorganic growth strategies. They are concentrating on enhancing their product portfolio with innovative and technologically updated offerings, and are increasingly focusing on collaborating with each other to complement their existing product offerings and expand their customer base. Market players are new product launches & product enhancements as the key business strategies to enhance their position in the version control system market.

The competitive leadership mapping (Quadrant) showcased below provides information for the best Version control systems. Vendor evaluations are based on two broad categories: product offering and business strategy. Each category carries various criteria, based on which vendors have been evaluated. The evaluation criteria considered under product offerings include the breadth of offering, delivery (based on industries that the vendors cater to, deployment models and subscriptions), features/functionality, delivery, product quality and reliability, and product differentiation. The evaluation criteria considered under business strategy include geographic footprint (based on geographic presence), channel strategy and fit, vision alignment, and effectiveness of growth (based on innovations, partnerships, collaborations, and acquisitions).

The best Version control systems in this category are:

The Version control systems in this category are:

The Version control systems in this category are:

The Version control system in this category are:

Market Dynamics

Best Version control systems are rapidly gaining acceptance worldwide by the software development communities due to their source code control and management capabilities. The key to successfully penetrating this market in emerging regions lies in delivering enhanced version control system solutions with high-performance capabilities and offering cost-effective services.

Drivers

Growing need to decrease complexity in software development

Major IT players are investing heavily in the software market to harness the growth potential offered by it. Versioning has become critical to business success because it is an essential component of software change & configuration management process. Developing software without a version control system results in not having the backup of any changes made to the source code, which is risky. Version control tool allow the developers to keep track of all changes in software in a central database, reuse the existing code in a new version, and return to a previous version if necessary. In the software change & configuration management process, VCS such as Git effectively simplifies the complex changes. Version control tool allows the entire development team to work collaboratively by providing the log of every change in the software; thereby reducing the complexity of software development process.

Growing requirement for automation and digitalization

Technological advancements have led to a transition toward automation and digitalization to reduce complex, repetitive tasks and errors associated with humans. Version control tool assist in application testing and deployment. Application testing and deployment are followed by reporting through email or other forms of notifying the users. They also provide continuous integration capabilities for web integration projects. The ease of operation and user-friendliness has created a high demand for automated software management and tracking tools across the globe, which is expected to drive revenue growth for the version control system market. For example, systems such as Bazaar offered by Canonical (UK) automatically track every variation made in the source code and maintain a backup of every model. Thus, the increasing demand for automation and digitalization in the software development process is spurring the adoption of version control system.

Constantly rising implementation of smartphones and tablets

The smartphones & tablet market has been steadily growing in terms of shipments and revenue. As per Statista (Germany), over one-third of the world’s population is expected to own a smartphone in 2018, and the number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to exceed 5 billion by 2019. In May 2017, Google (US) announced that there are more than 2 billion monthly active Android devices in use around the world, while Apple had 1 billion active iOS devices in January 2016. Due to the increasing popularity and adoption of smartphones and tablets across the globe, various types of mobile applications have been introduced. According to a paper titled “Something for Everyone: Why the Growth of Mobile Apps Is Good News for Brands” published in July 2017, more than 90% of smartphone users use mobiles apps for various purposes such as gaming, browsing, and entertainment.

Restraints

Extremely aggressive market with the existence of large IT companies and open source VCS providers

The best version control systems market is in its maturity phase and is highly competitive, due to the presence of big market players such as Microsoft and IBM. Furthermore, free open-source products are competing with the commercial version control products from leading brands and established players in the market. The bargaining power of the buyers is higher than the vendors in this market, which results in decreased profit potential for the vendors and creates pressure to lower the price, improve quality, and provide better service to maintain their position in the market. The threat of backward integration also increases in this situation.

Many organizations are adopting open-source VCS. The open-source technology offers significant benefits such as reduced costs, increased control, and the flexibility to adapt to any environment. Moreover, open-source version control tools provide access to the open-source community, which enables the exchange of new information and keeps enterprises updated with new tools and techniques. These tools are built on open standards and are customizable and platform-independent. These advantages encourage users to adopt open-source VCS over-commercialized VCS.

Implementation of varied applications in IT companies

The structure of IT organizations is transforming with the shift from traditional business processes to several automated applications to increase efficiency. This leads to increased complexities in managing the versions of various software used in an organization. With such a diverse IT infrastructure, it would also become more challenging to identify the authenticity of users accessing different applications from several vendors while performing change management.

Opportunities

Rising requirement for large scale VCS

Distributed version control system (DVCS) offer very fast, lightweight, and local software change control capabilities that support many parallel code branches across large project code bases. The DVCS approach is ideal for individuals and small, agile teams because it puts control directly in their hands without the need to handle all file changes with systems that were designed using a central management paradigm. However, the distributed approach taken by DVCS has historically presented challenges for operations, especially when large-scale enterprise software systems consisting of components from many separate repositories need to be managed and controlled. Enterprises with many developers, large source or binary files (e.g., graphics, audio, or video), many artifacts, or many large containers need granular end-to-end version traceability.

For enterprises developing advanced software incorporating both binary and text-based assets, large-scale enterprise hybrid version control system which support both distributed and centralized structures offer the best solution. They provide capabilities for a global single source of code, replication of all types of artifacts, and management of versions of everything from planning to release. By resolving operational management problems resulting from the sprawl of individual version control system repositories, while at the same time preserving benefits of distributed systems, today’s enterprise-class centralized and hybrid version control system can meet the needs of both Dev and Ops without sacrificing efficiency or operations control.

Accessibility of commercial VCS for SMEs

Commercial version control system are normally costly and require a significant one-time investment. The emergence of cloud technology has enabled players to provide economical solutions that can be targeted to customers who focus more on price instead of the features of solutions. SMEs are the best target audience for open-source VCS. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model is the best fit for SMEs, as they only have to pay a subscription fee to use the best version control systems over the internet. Open-source VCS also include software updates, data backup, and system & server maintenance, which are managed by the solution provider. Therefore, SMEs do not have to put in much efforts to maintain the solution and have the option of scaling up as per the growing need to manage the software development process.

Challenges

Increasing quantity of information generated by companies

Version control is the process of controlling and tracking software changes. The process involves storing various versions of software in a centralized repository, which includes the information of author and change history. With systems becoming more and more dispersed, customizable, and heterogeneous, the quantity of data collected with regards to change history is vast.

The data collected from different components of infrastructure keeps piling up and deriving information/insights from the data becomes a challenge for the IT department. As the organizations grow, so does the volume, variety, and velocity of data. Just collecting and storing the data is of no consequence; extracting meaningful information from it is just as critical to the survival of the IT ecosystem. Thus, handling the growing size of data with optimum performance of version control tool is a challenging factor for the growth of the market.

Evolution of Best Version control systems

Version control system, a component of Software Configuration Management (SCM), have evolved from manual maintenance of version history to the automated version control system. Organizations have been using different types of best version control systems such as Revision Control System (RCS), Concurrent Versions System (CVS), and Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) according to their requirements. Open-source VCS and hybrid version control system are expected to provide new growth opportunities to the version control system market in the coming years.

Source Code Control System (SCCS) was the first VCS and was extensively adopted by users. It was a proprietary tool developed in 1972 at Bell Labs by Marc Rochkind for IBM OS/360 system. The Source Code Control System (SCCS) is a software tool designed to help programming projects control changes to source code. It provides facilities for storing, updating, and retrieving all versions of modules; for controlling updating privileges for identifying load modules by version number; and for recording who, when, where, and why of changes. Since SCCS was proprietary (until 2006), the GNU Project also developed a free version called Compatibly Stupid Source Control (CSSC).

Walter F. Tichy developed the Revision Control System (RCS) at Purdue University and released in 1982 to address some of the shortcomings of SCCS at the time, such as better user interface and branching capabilities. SCCS and RCS are both considered the first-generation best version control systems and can be worked only locally, which means the source code being worked on can only reside on one machine at any time. The next advancement of VCS came in the form of client-server VCS, which store the source code on a single server and allow users to download the source code on their local machine, modify it, and submit the changes (check-in/commit) to the centralized server. The first one of these second-generation version control system is the Concurrent Versions System (CVS), developed by Dick Grune, and launched in 1986.

In 1992, ClearCase, the most-used and the most powerful SCM ever built at that time, was launched. Though it is complicated to manage, costly, and slow-moving SCM, it still is very good at branching and merging with its unique features, such as dynamic views. In the mid-1990s, Perforce, a centralized version control system, was launched. Its initial version was not very good with branching and merging at that time. However, it still holds a leading position among the users in the gaming sector.

Subversion (SVN) was created as the successor to CVS, designed to be mostly compatible with CVS. It was built by CollabNet (US). The first version was released in 2004 and provided many improvements including atomic commits features and capability to recognize renamed/moved files.

The Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) including Git and Mercurial were launched in mid and late 2000, with improvements over the centralized version control system. There was no longer a central, 'official' source repository; instead, every user could hold a working copy of the complete source code, operate on it locally to produce changesets, and share these changesets with other users directly. It is a peer-to-peer system. A DVCS also suits the open source community because users/developers can commit their modifications without having to send it to a centralized server, which means that they can have private copies for their use.

DARCS (Darcs Advanced Revision Control System) is another open-source version control system launched in 2002 as an alternative to CVS and Subversion.

What are the components of Best Version control systems?

The version control system architecture comprises various components and the interconnections between them. The key components of version control tool architecture include server, repository, workstations/PCs, and working copy of each workstation. Based on the repository location, the VCS are available in two types: distributed version control system and centralized version control system. These solutions are deployed either on-premises or on the cloud, depending upon the need of enterprises. Cost-sensitive enterprises mostly prefer cloud-based solution as it offers better mobility, flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

The repository is a database in which all the implemented changes/edits and all the historical versions/snapshots of a software project are stored. Sometimes, the repository also contains some changes that are not applied to a working copy that a user/PC has created. In this case, the update command can be used so that the working copy is updated with all the latest changes that have been done by a user working on the same software project.

Working copy is a local/personal copy of the complete software project that a user can store locally on a workstation/PC and work on it without affecting the work of other users. After making the necessary changes, the repository can be updated with new changes by using a commit command.

The version history stored in the repository can be either linear or in the form of branches. When multiple users work collaboratively on a single project, the version history stored in the repository may have branches.

Centralized version control system is the most commonly used type of best version control systems because it utilized a centralized repository. The star architecture is illustrated as a central repository with multiple users/PCs working around it. Users update source code from the central repository into a local working copy and, after making changes, commit the changes back to the main repository. This allows other users to access recently updated changes in the main repository. Examples of centralized version control system are CVS, Perforce, and SVN.

In distributed version control system, multiple repositories are used for version control process. There is a central repository in the server, and every user gets its local repository, apart from a working copy for storing personal changes. Data is pulled from local repositories and pushed to the central repository.

The local user repository is similar to the central server repository. The only difference is that the distributed version control system allows users to work with their local repositories while disconnected. Users can make changes, commit them to their local repositories, and merge changes from other users without affecting the main branch. Users can then make change sets available to others. Examples of distributed version control systems are Git and Mercurial.

Best Version Control Systems, By type

The growing adoption of smartphones and tablets as well as the increasing need to reduce the complexities of software development process have played a major role in the adoption of VCS across various industry verticals, such as IT, BFSI, and healthcare. The rise in the adoption of VCS solutions by enterprises has led to faster software delivery and collaborative workflow for change management process. These systems are deployed either on-premises or on the cloud, depending upon the need of enterprises.

Based on type, the version control system market is segmented into Centralized Version Control System (CVCS) and Distributed Version Control System (DVCS). The major differentiating factor between CVCS and DVCS is the repository location for version control process. Enterprises chose the version control system based on the number of users, size of data files, and the number of repositories required. According to these parameters, the pricing structure of CVCS and DVCS varies for customized needs of customers.

Centralized Version Control System (CVCS)

In CVCS, a single, centralized repository is located in the central server of the organization and continuous Internet connectivity is required for maintaining the updated version change history. Single copies of software projects and their version history are available on the centralized server. Users update source code from the central repository into a local working copy and, after making changes, commit the changes back to the central repository. This allows other users to access the recently updated changes in the central repository. CVS, Perforce, and SVN are some of the centralized VCS available in the market.

CVCS is the most commonly used type of VCS because it utilizes a centralized repository. It allows users/programmers to reduce manual version tracking on their hard drives and effectively share the new enhancements in the software projects with other users. CVCS is also easy to set up, control, and manage, and provides high transparency in the version control process. Due to these advantages, the CVCS segment is estimated to lead the market during the forecast period.

Distributed Version Control System (DVCS)

In DVCS, multiple repositories are used for the version control process. There is one central repository in the server, and every user gets its local repository, apart from a working copy for storing personal changes. The data is pulled from the local repositories and pushed to the central repository. Users can make changes, commit them to their local repositories, and merge changes from other users without affecting the main branch. Users can then make change sets available to others. Git, Mercurial, and Bazaar are some of the majorly used DVCS.

DVCS offer various advantages over CVCS, due to which the customers are gradually shifting from CVCS to DVCS. DVCS such as Git are considerably faster and easier to work with when it comes to creating and merging branches and tags. Also, they allow for flexible workflows tailored to a user’s project and developer team needs. Moreover, DVCS do not necessarily rely on a central server to store all the versions of a project’s files. Hence, the users can collaboratively work even when there is no internet connectivity for a while. The major advantage of DVCS is that it allows users to keep their work logged locally as well as to decide when to push the new changes to the central repository. Owing to these factors, the DVCS segment is expected to grow at a higher growth rate during the forecast period.

Best Version Control Systems, By deployment type

Based on deployment type, the best version control systems market is segmented into cloud and on-premises. In on-premises deployment, systems are installed on the customers’ server, whereas in cloud deployment, the systems are hosted on dedicated equipment situated off-premises. On-premises deployment is run on customers’ data centers and allows them to control and manage all aspects of the service. In cloud deployment, dedicated and high-availability setups are created to run best version control systems. The providers of cloud-based version control system also undertake the responsibility of managing the services. Between the two deployment types, the cloud-based deployment is expected to exhibit a higher growth rate during the forecast period.

Cloud

Cloud-based deployment has enabled businesses to operate without a server infrastructure or office location, thus allowing their employees to work remotely. Cloud deployment of version control system helps cut down the total cost of ownership and increase data storage capabilities for organizations. Organizations are finding cloud-based version control system attractive, as they are easy to deploy, offer agility to the organizations, and provide more scalability functions than on-premises solutions at an affordable cost. These factors are supporting the growth of the cloud-based version control system. Cloud-based deployment offers usage-based service model, which provides organizations with the flexibility to pay cloud service vendors only when the services are used as against the upfront capital expenditure involved in on-premises deployment. Thus, most SMEs are adopting cloud deployment as it helps avoid the costs related to hardware, software, storage, and technical staff.

In a cloud deployment, single tenant private cloud is more preferred by businesses as compared to the multi-tenant shared cloud. Cloud-based systems offer a centralized way to secure the sensitive data across an organization throughout the version control system. Moreover, cloud-deployed systems reduce the cost associated with upgrading and updating solutions in comparison to the costs associated with on-premises deployed systems, as the extra cost is borne by the service providers in the cloud-deployed format. This is also one of the factors fueling the growth of the cloud segment. However, most organizations are not comfortable with storing their sensitive data such as software source code and enhancement history on the cloud.

On-Premises

On-premises deployment of best version control systems offers customers with total control on the security of enterprise data such as source code, version enhancements, and change history. This data is secured, as it exists on dedicated servers that are separated both physically and virtually from any other business data of the customer. Though on-premises deployment of VCS is a traditional deployment model, it is presently the most preferred method. On-premises deployment requires IT professionals who can monitor, track, and manage version control process in real time.

On-premises deployment of VCS is mainly adopted by large organizations, as they focus primarily on the security and privacy of the enterprise data. The availability of IT resources also enables large enterprises to adopt on-premises deployment of version control system. However, the trend is changing, and large enterprises are considering outsourcing their business operations for management by third-parties. Still, verticals such as BFSI and public sector prefer the on-premises deployment, as they cannot afford to lose their sensitive data.

Best Version Control Systems, By organization size

Based on organization size, the best version control systems market is segmented into small & medium enterprises and large enterprises. The study of the version control system market, in terms of organization size, is important, as it has a direct impact on the adoption of VCS across the globe. Enterprises are adopting version control system as they eliminate most of the complexities associated with software programming, thereby enhancing the productivity of teams working collaboratively on a single project. Additionally, best version control systems keep a backup of every change and notify by offering information about changes such as time & date of changes and details of users that have made the changes. Version control system has empowered enterprises of all sizes by allowing efficient software development management and change management.

The adoption of version control system in large enterprises is relatively higher as compared to SMEs. The affordability of large organizations and the large scale of economies allow these organizations to deploy best version control systems. On the other hand, cost of these systems is one of the major concerns for small businesses to adopt these solutions.

Small and Medium Enterprises

Organizations with less than 1,000 employees are considered under the small & medium enterprises segment. Cost-effectiveness is crucial for SMEs, as they have limited budgets. Hence, these organizations require cost-effective solutions that can help them optimize their business processes. As per the data from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 30–60% of the SMEs in the OECD countries are investing in bringing innovations in their ecosystem despite having lesser budgets. The pressure to increase revenue, stay competitive, and ensure the safety of business-critical data is pushing SMEs to incorporate innovative VCS.

The implementation of cloud-based version control system solutions is expected to result in increased revenue, desired business outcome, and improved business efficiency for SMEs. SMEs majorly prefer open-source version control system due to the cost-effectiveness. Faster software delivery is a critical focus area for SMEs, which is adequately fulfilled by the implementation of best version control systems. Due to the enhanced features such as branching and code merging, and the elimination of complexities associated with software development, there is an increased demand and adoption of VCS by small and medium enterprises.

Large Enterprises

Organizations with over 1,000 employees are categorized as large enterprises. The adoption of VCS among the large enterprises is higher as compared to small & medium enterprises, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. Large enterprises have various departments that need to coordinate with each other, both within as well as outside the organization, for better operational efficiency. Large enterprises prefer version control system that provides a definitive Return on Investment (ROI) through effective, automated version control process. Large enterprises adopt version control system to ensure smooth functioning of business operations and reduce the complications associated with them. They are keen on investing in new and latest technologies to run their businesses effectively. The spending capacity of large enterprises increases the adoption of version control system.

The demand for customized VCS by large enterprises is encouraging VCS vendors to come up with innovative technologies and solutions. Considering the need for security of private data, most of the large enterprises adopt on-premises deployment of version control system; however, some large enterprises adopt strategies inclined towards cloud enablement. The primary benefit that large enterprises can achieve with the cloud-based deployment of VCS is that these solutions are maintained and supported by vendors. This allows enterprises to engage employees in more strategic business tasks.

Best Version Control Systems, By vertical

Best Version control systems are being widely used in the IT & telecom, BFSI, healthcare & life sciences, retail & CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), education, and other verticals, which include government, energy & utilities, travel & hospitality, and media & entertainment

IT & Telecom

With an increase in downloads of different types of mobile applications such as games, news, sports, and entertainment, the need to manage versions of these applications is increasing. The growth in the development of mobile applications, recurring release of updated versions of software, and the need to identify and resolve software bugs have led to an increased demand for version control system in IT & telecom organizations. Version control system help the IT & telecom organizations to secure the source code of the current version and work on the latest release.

Majority of the IT & telecom organizations are widely adopting version control system. However, IT & telecom organizations face a challenge in terms of application lifecycle management where the IT developers working at offshore locations expect the latest version of the software or application instantaneously.

BFSI

There is a rapid adoption of best version control systems in the banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) vertical. BFSI organizations rely on software and mobile applications to execute customer queries and other financial activities. The high dependency on software will require the banks to upgrade various software and applications so that the most recent transactions and data reflect at numerous branches simultaneously. BFSI organizations need version control system to track the old versions of software and provide upgraded versions of the same. Best Version control systems providers offer software development services in conjunction with the operational requirements of BFSI organizations. They work on the current version of the software while updating the same to ensure availability and access to data and transaction status to employees/customers. With the evolution of customer requirements and increasing number of mobile applications users, there is a sudden growth of cyberattacks at user mobile application side. Governments have cautioned banks regarding the growth of cyberattacks at ATMs, websites of insurance companies, and mobile application source code.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

The rise in demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning technology will gradually increase the deployment of various software and applications in the healthcare & life sciences vertical. Use of solutions such as mHealth, smartphone applications, and wearable technology products are leading to a rise in the demand for latest versions of different software. The healthcare & life sciences vertical software store crucial patient and drug information. These software need to be secured from cyberattacks. Healthcare organizations use software such as disease identification, personalized treatment, drug discovery, radiotherapy, medical devices, electronic health records (EHRs), mobile devices, and health information technology (HIT) systems. These software require consistent patches and regular updates. Software updates and management of the latest versions of software is accomplished through VCS. The other benefits of these solutions include simplified work processes, real-time software upgrades, interoperability between software, and value-based delivery model.

Education

Education is one of the major verticals in the version control systems market. Traditionally, the version control process was done manually in the schools, colleges, and universities. The emergence of automatic version control systems such as Git, Mercurial, and Perforce has helped the education industry to automate several processes such as allocation of assignments, student performance assessment, and enhancement of team and project performance.

With version control system, schools, colleges, and universities can manage modification of large quantities of data across the entire educational operations spectrum, including admissions, facilities management, health and safety norms, feedback forms, and student records. VCS help manage the changes in files, website contents, and applications used by educational institutes. Version control system policies ensure thatregulatory compliance is maintained, and those with authority can only access confidential documents.

Retail & CPG

Many retail and consumer packaged goods companies have a decentralized business model with multiple facility locations and distribution centres, enabling them to put their products closer to their customers. Multiple locations, however, means that the compliance team is not involved in the facility management and the day-to-day operations. As a result, they face unique challenges as they seek to establish and enforce policies, procedures, contracts, and employee training under the given operating conditions while meeting regulatory guidelines. According to the changing consumer needs, these companies continuously update their website content and mobile applications. Best Version control systems track these updates and changes. For better change management, enterprises in the retail & CPG industry vertical are adopting version control systems.

Others

The other verticals of the best version control systems market include government, energy & utilities, travel & hospitality, and media & entertainment. With the adoption of version control systems, organizations can achieve low operations cost and management overheads, reduce the cost of technical staffing, better freight & fare management, enhanced performance, and better software development processes.