The business case
For a business, local-first is about continuity and control. Records that live on the business's machines cannot be withdrawn by a provider's policy change, a failed payment or an outage. Sharing still happens, but through a hub on the shop network, a server the business runs, or files it chooses to send.
Aevornix local-first business applications
Aevornix POSTills share one business through a Local Hub on the shop network or a Sync Bridge on the merchant's own server, which can run as a Windows service or in Docker with PostgreSQL.
Aevornix FormsForms are signed so respondents can verify the publisher, and responses can be encrypted so only your private key reads them.
Aevornix WorkspaceRecords, tasks and dashboards in a folder the business owns, with one-file packages and integrity checked restores.
Aev BIDashboards built from the business's own CSV, XLSX and database sources on its own computer.
Aevornix AutomateWorkflows that run on the business's PCs, with credentials for web services saved encrypted.
How sharing works without a vendor cloud
Each product shares in the way that fits its job.
- Retail: each till keeps a complete copy and sells while apart; sales merge through the hub, with signed requests and certificate pinning.
- Forms: responses travel by email, USB drive or shared folder, and watch folders import them with integrity, version and duplicate checks.
- Workspace: a workspace folder can be backed up, packaged as one file and restored elsewhere.
Responsibilities that come with control
Local-first moves some duties to the business: keeping backups off site, protecting devices, and running the hub or bridge where one is used. Aevornix products help with encrypted and verified backups, but the business decides where they go. Real-time co-editing of one document by several people is not available in the Aevornix Suite today.
An example setup
A shop with two tills and a back office could run like this. One shop computer starts the Aevornix POS Local Hub and pairs the second till with a pairing code and security code check. Both tills sell, and each keeps a full copy of the business so the counter never waits on the other. In the office, management reports are exported to Excel and opened in Aev Book, and an Aev BI dashboard is built from them. Staff complete a stock check form in Aevornix Forms on a laptop, and the response file lands in a watch folder where it is imported with integrity and duplicate checks.
Nothing in that setup depends on a vendor's cloud. The owner decides where backups go and who has access.
Next steps
Read the local-first software hub for the principles, keep business data local for a problem-first view, and software for small business for product choices. Commercial use needs a Professional or Business licence.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a server to share data?
Not always. Aevornix POS can share through a Local Hub started on one of the shop's computers, or through a Sync Bridge on a server you run. Forms responses travel as files.
Can we run the POS hub in the cloud ourselves?
Yes. The Sync Bridge runs on the merchant's own server, as a console application, a Windows service or in Docker with PostgreSQL.
Who holds our business data?
You do. The applications need no Aevornix server, so records stay on your computers and servers.