Blog & guides
Articles, analyses and practical guides on custom business applications, AI in public organisations, costs and digital transformation.
Custom business applications
IoT and business applications: connecting the field to your software
Sensors, connected objects, field data fed into your tools: how IoT becomes an asset when it powers a bespoke business application augmented by AI.
Outsourcing your application maintenance: what changes
Application maintenance is not just bug-fixing: continuity, less technical debt, evolution at the pace of the business. What a well-run maintenance service changes.
The difference between UX and UI: what you need to understand
UX vs UI: clear definitions, complementary roles and why both matter for a business application to be adopted. By Milestone.
In-house or outsourced software development?
In-house or outsourced development: decision criteria, hidden costs, technical debt, time-to-market and the hybrid model. Milestone's analysis.
How much does custom software or an application cost?
The price of custom software: cost factors, an analysis framework and total cost of ownership. Groupe Milestone's transparent method.
Custom software or off-the-shelf: how to choose?
Custom vs off-the-shelf software: comparison table, benefits, cost and selection criteria for your business software. The Groupe Milestone analysis.
What is a business application?
A clear definition of a business application, real-world examples, how it differs from off-the-shelf software and the role of AI. The Groupe Milestone guide.
Compliance, data & AI Act
AI Act: the compliance guide for businesses
Since 2 August 2026, the AI Act is enforceable: roles, obligations, timeline and penalties. What every business using AI needs to put in place.
AI training plan (Article 4 of the AI Act): the how-to
The AI Act requires a level of AI proficiency across your teams. How to build a concrete AI literacy plan: mapping uses, levels by role, roll-out.
Data sovereignty and security when you deploy AI
Where your data lives, what the models see, how to keep control: the guide to data sovereignty and security in the age of AI in business.
AI for public organisations
The AI Act: what local authorities need to know
The AI Act explained for local authorities as deployers: risk levels, obligations, AI literacy and the timeline of application.
AI use cases in local government: concrete examples
An overview of AI use cases in local and regional government, by function, with documented examples and Groupe Milestone's bespoke approach.
AI and local authorities: where to begin?
How can a local authority deploy AI that is useful, sovereign and compliant (GDPR, AI Act)? Start from the business process and a bespoke tool that fits.
Commissioning a custom AI business application for your local authority: public procurement and support
Public procurement, scoping the requirement, code ownership and support: how a local authority commissions its custom AI business application.
AI scoping & literacy
Technical debt in the age of generative AI
Technical debt and AI: why vibe coding and AI prototypes create it, what it costs, and how well-managed AI reduces it. By Milestone.
Framing AI in your business processes: where to start
AI in business: where to start, what the AI Act requires (AI literacy, art. 4) and a five-step method for framing AI in your business processes.
Vibe coding: an AI prototype is not a business application
Vibe coding excels at prototyping, not at durable business applications. Maintainability, security, technical debt: why development expertise remains decisive.