7 best practices to get the most out of your cloud environment

Data-driven marketing offers the opportunity to target your audience in a more precise and effective way, on every channel and at every touchpoint. To take advantage of these opportunities, everyone in your organisation needs to have access to consistent and accurate customer data. In this white paper, you'll learn how Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) address this challenge and help your business put your customers at the heart of everything you do. 

XM Cloud is the CMS of Sitecore’s new Composable DXP. It is a further development of their original CMS, but packed and serviced completely different. It’s SaaS, less hassle to maintain, quicker and easier to develop on, a lot easier to work with for content editors, but still as powerful and versatile as before. So when starting a new Sitecore implementation, choosing XM Cloud over the original Platform DXP is a no-brainer. But what about migrating your existing implementation to XM Cloud? There is no set upgrade path and your starting position greatly influences the desired route to take, but also the business case behind such a migration. In this article I will share my view on the important differences, challenges, benefits, caveats, possible approaches for a migration roadmap, and everything you would like to know and consider before embarking on this journey.

How does iO keep its long-term relationship with Farmaline fresh as a daisy? By mixing trust with a profitable synergy of tech and marketing services.

Brussels Airport: In this case story, read how iO has become an extension of the airport.

Digital marketing offers enormous opportunities in the field of data-driven working. We often fail to take advantage of these opportunities. That's means you miss out on a lot of opportunities to maximise the impact of your budget.

Linking data sources by registering personal and credit card data on an online portal

Find out how iO developed an SSO solution for Stichting Basispoort to simplify access to online learning materials for primary schools. Read the case.

Flexible scalability, the right toolbox for business logic, the availability of specialists, data-driven work and appealing pricing. These are some of the reasons why companies are increasingly turning to public cloud integration platforms to build their business and integration layer – better known as iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service). Like Microsoft’s Azure Integration Services (AIS), for instance. Technology Director Friso Geerlings zooms in on the power and practicality of Azure, especially for business integration and processes.

Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless have secured their place ​​in the business world. These concepts have existed in their own right for some time and are already fairly well known, but the umbrella term MACH is new. Will it soon be mentioned in the same breath as Cloud and SaaS? And when will it be worth investing in it? Find out in this white paper.

How do you transform public services into a personal and efficient citizen experience? At the GOv FORWARD event, innovators come together to turn public services into meaningful, human experiences. Whether you're focusing on policy or direct citizen engagement, discover practical insights and collaboratively create impactful solutions. Join us and help shape the future of citizen-centric services!

Composable architectures are gaining traction and credibility as the most efficient way to respond to future user expectations. Unlike a suite approach, where a single vendor supplies all the software components you need, composable architectures focus on composing small, loosely coupled components and using existing best-of-breed technology that can be integrated to form innovative solutions and work together to supply the optimal customer experience across different channels.

Lingerie brand Van de Velde believe in the power that lies in women, in self-confidence, and also in technology. Together with iO, they are connecting the three.

There is increasing pressure on organisations to deliver tailored, high-quality content and impactful campaigns. How can your organisation deliver consistent and engaging brand experiences efficiently and without increasing costs?

Do your colleagues know how to demonstrate the business value of a Customer Data Platform (CDP) convincingly? Building a strong business case is essential for justifying investment in a CDP. After all, a successful implementation leads to better customer insights, more personalised experiences, and increased revenues. But where do you start? In this webinar, we will take you through the process step by step, so that your team and your organisation can take full advantage of this technology.  

The digital revolution is gaining momentum, but it is nothing new. Over the last twenty years, technology has drastically changed our daily lives and business models. Today, the pressure to get started with technological transformation is greater than ever before. How do you tackle this? You will find the answer to this question and more in Digital Revolution: learning to surf the waves of technological change. 

In 2025, the challenge for businesses is clear: deliver seamless, meaningful interactions throughout the entire customer journey.   Every interaction, every touchpoint, and every moment matters.   Discover in this paper how customer focus, digital excellence and business growth are key to delivering outstanding customer experiences. Get actionable advice and concrete next steps from a wide range of experts about content, AI, data, innovation, and more, to integrate in your strategy for 2025. 

An overwhelming array of marketing technology choices often leads to a fragmented and inefficient MarTech stack. Discover how to optimise your stack, strengthen integrations, and build a future-proof MarTech strategy.

Navigating the rapidly expanding MarTech landscape can be overwhelming, but with a clear strategy and focused approach, you can build an effective MarTech stack that drives your marketing 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. 

AI is everywhere. The challenge is how to make it tangible.   It is no longer just about the technology, but about the business value and integration into processes. In this white paper we take you through the developments that affect your business and revenue. 

How do you navigate through the jungle of tooling? How do you maintain an overview of your MarTech stack? This webinar will show you how to navigate your MarTech stack in simple steps and get to the essence: tools you really need.

Discover how a composable architecture provides the flexibility to quickly respond to market changes and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Your brand has to compete with an unprecedented number of messages and stimuli for attention. To stand head and shoulders above the rest, it is essential to offer distinctive customer experiences. And that starts with a deep understanding of customer experiences.

“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.

With cyber week (starting Friday, Nov. 29) and the end-of-year period upon us, there are some great opportunities ahead to give sales another boost, whether you're in B2C or B2B. With this guide and checklist of no less than 61 pages (!), we help you fine-tune your marketing, communication and advertising strategy so that you catch the eye of your target audience. With this guide & checklist, compiled by our +2000 experts from different departments, you'll roll out the digital red carpet for your customers in the year-end period. Download it now.

The 2024 summer holidays are behind us and it's time for organisations to set their budgets for 2025. And that is often a more difficult task than we would like to admit.   We wouldn't be iO if we hadn't come up with anything to help you with that tedious task... Get 16 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2025 smarter

How do you develop a digital and internationally deployable retailer concept that takes your customer experience to the next level?

Conversational search in the form of an AI chatbot lets your website visitors interact with your content, resulting in a better customer experience.

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.

Effective communication between government and citizens is crucial in these rapidly-changing times. This whitepaper reveals five essential insights from some leading public communication professionals. Get inspired by these top leaders in the field and learn how to use branding techniques to powerfully communicate your story as a public organisation. After reading this whitepaper, you will know

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:

Consumers are increasingly used to communication that is tailored to them. An ad for 30% discount on cat food after you searched for the best kibble is an example. But so is the online purchase process of those kibbles. After all, today we want an online purchase to feel just like its physical counterpart. Online configurators are a great way to replace the eager shop assistant.

In our increasingly digital world, accessibility is more important than ever. This whitepaper highlights why digital accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but also an ethical necessity. With more than 25% of the European population having some form of disability, it is essential to design inclusive digital products.

How do you navigate through the jungle of tooling? How do you maintain an overview of your MarTech stack? This webinar will show you how to navigate your MarTech stack in simple steps and get to the essence: tools you really need.

Discover how iO made the websites and the personal admin portal of High Profile Locaties more manageable, findable and scalable. Read the case study.

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.

Deadline for exporting Universal Analytics: 1st of July 2024 After the 1st of July 2024, it will no longer be possible to access data in Universal Analytics. Therefore, it’s essential to take timely action and export the data before that day. By exporting the data before the access is closed, you can gain valuable insights, store the data securely and take any further actions. It is wise not to do this at the last minute, as there may be obstacles, such as errors in extraction or technical challenges. To avoid potential problems, it is advisable to transfer the data in time to environment where it can be stored securely. That way, you can later use the data for further analysis or transformation purposes. By acting now, you can ensure that you don’t lose the valuable data and are well prepared for the future. So don't wait until the last minute - make sure you export the data from Universal Analytics before 1 July to a secure environment, where you can continue to use it.

In markets that are saturated with options and with customers that are overloaded with choices, it's an exceptional customer experience set will set you apart. A Digital Experience Platform can help you accomplish this - and we'll tell you how.

Ideally, as a (Digital) Marketing Manager, you focus on developing and executing your strategy to achieve your organisation's goals. But what if your strategic focus is constantly disrupted by operational issues? 

How iO convinces travelers to choose Brussels Airport for their next trip. Discover the marketing campaigns.

New technology, internet-of-things and proof-of-concepts. Find out how iO is introducing innovation at Brussels Airport.

Discover how awareness, behaviour change, and hyper-local personalization lead to cost efficiency and relevance at the right moment.

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.

In the past, marketing often boiled down to spreading your message as loudly as possible. Today, there's a growing need for a targeted (inbound) strategy. Inbound marketing revolves around reaching the right people at the right time with the right message. Interested in mastering inbound marketing, or looking for actionable insights and tips to effectively apply it in your business? Our comprehensive whitepaper is the resource for you. Join us in exploring the world of inbound marketing and learn how it can significantly amplify your business's power. Download now and effortlessly begin transforming your approach to attract more high-quality leads.

The rise of AI, shifts in the social media landscape, and the end of third-party data...2023 was, to say the least, a tumultuous year. But this year, marketers and their organizations are also facing significant challenges. Discover the six digital and marketing trends that will dominate 2024 and, most importantly, how you can successfully tackle them.

iO developed a website and UX-driven configurator for and with Suzuki Belgium. Read all about it in this case.

Every new era requires new fuel, and the AI era is no exception. Simply collecting raw data is not enough to effectively utilise generative AI – you also need to process and interpret the data. The vector database bridges the gap between data and AI, enabling valuable output and optimal customer experiences. In this article in our ‘Get a taste of AI’ series, you will learn how vectors work and gain the tools to apply them in your daily practice. The term “vector” may not be familiar to the general public, but its impact certainly is. Vectors provide more accurate results and recommendations in search engines and recommendation engines, improving the user experience. They add context and relevance, making the difference between a positive and a negative experience. But how does this work exactly? And how can your organisation leverage vectors for AI?

Corporate Alt Delete is a book that bridges the gap between two worlds within an organisation: Team Horizon, thinking in opportunities, and Team Business, focused on current results and business value. This book invites you to breathe new life into the old founding story of the organisation, enriching it with today's market knowledge and business capabilities. Why read Corporate Alt Delete?

“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.

Discover how we customised a business app that semi-automatically schedules the most efficient solution and produces quick reporting.

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.

Blended agency iO gives history an extra dimension for visitors to M Leuven thanks to AI-driven web app.

Facebook is a media company that does not create content. Airbnb has turned the hotel industry upside down without owning any accommodation. Two well-known examples of fast-growing platforms that enable transactions and bring users and products together. The main factor for success in this is their appeal to the right users and adding value by solving problems, providing convenience or introducing new services. They do this using a very strong User Experience (UX) and Developer Experience (DX).

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.

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.

The DIY and home improvement shop needed a sound marketing approach with strong targeting. Our experts took care of that.

Do you want to rebrand your organisation? Is an acquisition or merger imminent? Or do you want to improve your customer experience, and does this require an organisational change?  For these types of digital transformations, changing technology is often a challenging and crucial part for organisations of all sizes. Whether you need to upgrade the CMS system to a newer version, or you want to increase your innovation speed with a headless CMS, there is often one element that receives little attention: the content migration. Far too often, a content migration is nothing more than the last thing on the list, because it’s the technology that requires a lot of attention and budget, isn’t it? How complex can it be to lift and shift the content from the old system to the new? 

For the 2023 Local SEO Benchmark, we analysed nearly 100,000 business locations in 36 cities in the Netherlands and Belgium, across 14 different industries. Curious about how the retail sector in the Netherlands and Belgium is doing in terms of Local SEO? Find out in our 2023 Local SEO Benchmark Report . Some key conclusions of the 2023 Local SEO Benchmark Report:

We ensured GDPR-compliant, cost-efficient cookie management for Van Hoecke's platforms using CookieHub. Read our success story.

If you were to start all over again tomorrow, would you end up where you are today?    In the 2023 edition of Corporate Klooien, we worked with professionals from influential organisations to explore their ideal future scenarios. We examined how they can deliver value and determine the right priorities in their specific situations. We did this using our own Corporate Alt Delete method. 

When you understand AI’s full potential you can use it purposefully. But how do you translate the versatile possibilities of AI into the specific context of your everyday business operations?

Apple released iOS 17 on September 18, 2023. That latest iOS version includes a next step in the privacy restrictions surrounding tracking in Safari. Apple is making a number of changes that will have an impact on the measurability of campaign performance. We’ve followed these developments closely and will put them in a broader perspective for you. What's happening, why is it happening, what does it mean for marketers, and what solutions should you consider?

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.

Organisations often store user data on their websites and apps, usually in the form of cookies. But every organisation has to be transparent about how they handle this data, and let users know if their data is shared with external parties. A Consent Management Platform (CMP) can help with this. We'll tell you all about it in this blog. 

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.

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.

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.

Summer is slowly changing into autumn, the annual cue for the opening of the "budget season." Time to fire up the roulette wheel; redistribute marketing investments on gut feel, driven by the resources provided by management. Or are you doing it differently this year?

We’ve all noticed that in the dynamic world of marketing data, traditional attribution models are less and less relevant. Changes in technology and legislation mean that we have to look for alternatives. Modelling of marketing data is playing an increasingly prominent role and is becoming more accessible to organisations. Marketing Mix Modelling offers you unique insights into channels that are increasingly difficult to predict in a cookieless world. Find out all about it in this webinar.

Easy-to-use and recognise psychological principles that determine behaviour.

Enhance your website's accessibility with iO's expert guidance. Discover where your organisation stands, prioritise accessibility, and ensure transparency. Build a more inclusive digital world today.

AI is more than a trend. Our experts are here to show you how AI can add value to your organisation.

As a Salesforce partner, iO helps you align your sales, marketing, service, and commerce teams with a central CRM system.

We developed a tool to optimise lead generation for Partena Professional. Find out how we did it!

The Lifelong Learning Program by Kemin is an employee development initiative, designed to support colleagues and partners in their personal and professional growth.

Migrating your app or platform to the cloud? Our AWS specialists will be happy to help you with a customised roadmap!

The composable approach to architecture is known for its flexibility, scalability and the freedom it offers. However, many organisations have to deal with legacy, are tied to long-term contracts with software providers or simply don’t have the right people and in-house processes. So how do you switch from a traditional IT architecture to a composable one? This article gives you a realistic insight into this transition.

The right high-performance environment for data and tech

Discover how iO developed a B2B webshop for EDCO that integrates seamlessly with the entire IT landscape.

A new integration layer, payment pages and a developer portal with a seamless UX and DX.

A new international online portal for merchants to manage payment solutions.

Financial Institutions (FIs) like banks, payment service providers and insurers, operating in a highly regulated market, inhabit an atmosphere of constant tension between 'legacy' and 'state-of-the-art' ideas when it comes to user experiences, software, and application deployment & infrastructure.

Today, structural IT decisions often require substantial investments, but they are also more important than ever when it comes to achieving your business objectives. The right vendor choice is not only important in terms of set-up and implementation, it is also essential to remain future-proof. Scalability and flexibility are necessary for the continuity of your business and structural IT decisions you make are the basis of this. There are two modern ways to achieve this: with serverless and with container technology. Serverless requires less infrastructure and networking knowledge, whereas container technology is less vendor-dependent. In this blog, we will explain how container technology can offer a solution.

MACH: Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless; a concept that’s suddenly in the spotlight. Although the separate concepts are well-known and not quite new, an umbrella concept is now attached to this technical view. Does ‘MACH’ constitute the new ‘Cloud’, and could it be just as influential as ‘SaaS’, or would that be giving it too much credit? IO Technology Director Friso Geerlings anticipates that MACH will present a complex challenge that will also provide companies with a focus on an incomparable and omni-channel customer experience with plenty of value.

MACH is nothing like a classic (on-premise or IaaS) platform in terms of organisational requirements. Before exploring the options of working with MACH or actually starting to work with it, every organisation should start by asking themselves various questions.

Do you want to offer services online in healthcare? Make the application process easier with an app.

Google Cloud Partner iO helps organisations harness the power of the cloud for storage, analytics, development, and more.