Archive
- PaaSTalk.com: Platform as a Service blog for ISVs is retired
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Welcome to PaaS Talk, my blog for strategy consultancy ISV Focus on what Platform as a Service (PaaS) means to independent software vendors (ISVs) making the move from using traditional tools and techniques to the very different approach required to build, deploy and operate Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. I’ve now retired this blog, but if you’ve any questions then please add your comment to the relevant article, or get in touch with me direct.
- Cloud computing portal: User-generated content resource?
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I recently came across the Cloud Computing Portal. While the look and feel needs some work, the goal is to become a central source of information on cloud computing. The model is to get user-generated content from the community.
Unlike Wikipedia, it is not obvious at first sight who is behind this portal. The only clue is the URL cloudcomputing.qrimp.com. This tells us that the portal is being hosted by Qrimp, a cloud application builder.
- Revealed: Confidence trick at heart of cloud computing
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In part one of this article I introduced Phil Wainewright’s five layer PaaS model. Phil asked readers to say which layer they would prefer to use for building a SaaS application. Readers had cast 173 votes by May 15th.
In part two I looked at layer one: do-it-yourself and layer two: managed-hosting. Neither is suitable for SaaS ISVs. In part three I move up to PaaS layer three: cloud computing. Might this be more suitable for ISVs building SaaS solutions?
Cloud computing was the most popular choice of Phil’s readers. 27% said they would prefer it to develop a SaaS application. I wonder how many of them realise that cloud computing, just like banking, relies on a simple confidence trick…
- Managed hosting: Don’t migrate your on-premise apps
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In part one of this article I introduced Phil Wainewright’s five layer PaaS model.
Phil asked readers to say which layer they would prefer to use for building a SaaS application. Readers had cast 173 votes by May 15th.
Let’s work though these results and see what they mean for ISVs moving to SaaS.
- Understand the market: 5-layer model for PaaS vendors
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As an ISV moving to PaaS, you need to understand what choices are available to pick the right one. The Cloud Computing, Saas and PaaS market map is a good high-level view, but does not go into enough detail. To understand PaaS vendor positioning we need something more.
Phil Wainewright has a good five-layer PaaS model on the Software as Services blog that is more helpful. Phil splits the PaaS market into the following five layers:
- Understand the market: Cloud computing, SaaS and PaaS
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Peter Laird, formerly from BEA Systems has been kind enough to publish a market map that, while not claiming to be comprehensive, is a good place to start.
Peter helps us to understand cloud computing, SaaS, PaaS and others by spliting the market into four main areas:
- SaaS ISVs: Know your customers or risk going to jail
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ISVs must consider their jurisdiction, as well as that of their customers, suppliers, processing utilities and data storage providers. Not knowing enough about your customers can be expensive, and could even land you in jail. PaaS providers can add value to European ISVs by abstracting these jurisdiction issues and keeping track of future legal changes.
In Is jetting to Cuba this summer a bad idea for European SaaS ISVs? I reported on how the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) can impact non-US companies. A European travel agent appeared on the OFAC blacklist for selling Cuban holidays.
- German SaaS survey: 2548 ISVs asleep at the wheel!
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A recent survey of 5,200 small to medium-sized German ISVs caught my attention last week. A report by ComputerWoche summarised the findings of a SoftGuide survey on SaaS. SoftGuide is a software and IT services buyer’s guide for the German-speaking market.
- Could it be true: SaaS is really Spying-as-a-Service?
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We Europeans are complex when it comes to privacy.
At one extreme the UK has probably the world’s highest density of security cameras. At the other, tax returns in Norway have been public information since 1863.
Many share intimate details on Facebook and other social networks. When it comes to business data, however, they expect much more.
- Jetting to Cuba: A bad idea for European SaaS ISVs?
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While Cuba is a popular holiday spot for Europeans, a 46-year old trade ban puts Cuba off-limits to Americans. Strictly enforced laws prevent US companies from doing direct or indirect business with Cuba.
The US trade ban became a big problem for travel agent Tour & Marketing International. Although based in Spain, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) added them to a blacklist. Why? For selling Cuban holidays to Europeans (US citizens cannot travel to Cuba).
As a result, their US-based domain register blocked about 80 of their .com domains for Cuba-related websites. The domain register gave no notice and refused to transfer the domains (they must freeze all US-based assets).
- Amazon EC2: Squeezing the profits from SaaS apps?
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As an SaaS ISV you can’t build a data centre; CPU cycles must come from utility providers. Amazon’s EC2 cloud computing platform is the current market leader. Microsoft is coming soon; Google and IBM will likely follow.
Relying on one CPU service provider, no matter who it is, is a bad idea. There is a risk a future monopoly provider could lock you in. Running your SaaS applications is a major part of your running costs. If your CPU service provider can lock you there’s a good chance your costs will increase.
- Hiding by abstraction: Not enough for SaaS applications
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Whether using frameworks, cross-platform toolkits or even application generators, abstraction has worked well for the different combinations of OS, database, networking and user interfaces that confront on-premise developers.
As an SaaS ISV you only have one platform–what technology doubts could you possibly have to worry about?
- Platform selection: SaaS doesn’t solve your platform troubles
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SaaS is a dream come true for ISV development managers; finally there is only one platform to worry about. The long years of cross-platform development are over.
The bad old days are over where every customer had a different combination of hardware and software. No more support calls asking you to confirm in writing that you support version x.y of product z.
In the new SaaS world there is only one platform–the one you choose to run your hosted application. Even better, you have total control of your platform. What’s more, not just making the first choice, but for all future upgrades and improvements as well. Luxury, pure luxury!
- PaaSTalk.com: A blog about Platform as a Service (PaaS)
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The PaaS Talk blog is about what Platform as a Service (PaaS) will mean to independent software vendors (ISVs) making the move from using traditional tools and techniques to the very different mindset and approach required to build, deploy and operate Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.
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