The Logistics Broker is at the heart of the Silicon Economy: by means of this open source software, which is being developed in one of the Silicon Economy’s major implementation projects, companies can make full use of the Silicon Economy. Whether it is load carrier exchange, arrival time forecasts or breaks management, the Logistics Broker provides companies with the so-called Silicon Economy services that are also being developed as open source software in the implementation projects. Thanks to the broker, services can be found, used, combined and invoiced. Incidentally, each company that wants to use the service has to do it via a platform which means that their platform becomes part of the Silicon Economy network as well.

Brokers operate independently of the use case

As part of a general-purpose infrastructure, the Logistics Broker »works« independently of the use case: the functionalities lie directly within the Services. For example, special temperature ranges or special transport conditions are recorded directly in the services – these in turn are used via the Logistics Broker which behaves more or less like a black box. The advantage of this is that the basic components and thus the infrastructure are not overloaded with the complexity of use cases.

In addition to the Logistics Broker, there are two other brokers: the IoT-Broker and the Blockchain Broker. Like the Services, they too can be integrated in any platform:

  • By means of appropriate technologies the IoT Broker ensures that all the objects and devices speak a uniform (data) language. A company can integrate parts of the IoT Broker in its platform to establish connectivity for objects and devices – thanks to networked platforms that are recognized beyond a company’s own boundaries. Standardized interfaces mean everybody can communicate with everybody else.
  • This is exactly how the Blockchain Broker works too: a company integrates parts of the Blockchain Broker into its platform which in turn is then recognized by other platforms running the Blockchain Broker.

Brokers make companies’ technology selection easier

The advantage of brokers is that a company does not have to decide on which technologies to use or agree upon with other participants of the supply chain who may favor or use a different technology. On the contrary: if you use the Brokers (developed by scientists and tested in industry), everything runs by itself.

Using the Logistics Broker is independent of any use of the IoT or Blockchain Brokers: there are indeed services – such as packing pattern optimization – that do not require the two brokers. In contrast, companies can use the IoT or the Blockchain Broker without implementing any of the Silicon Economy services. The more services companies use and Brokers are deployed, the closer the Silicon Economy gets to fulfilling its targets: the networking of platforms, i.e. a platform ecosystem in which all companies can communicate and do business with each other on a uniform and equal basis, in which logistics processes are based on de facto standards which thus ensure the competitiveness and future viability of logistics in Germany.