Harnessing potential, avoiding problems with smaller PaaS providers
May 9, 2013
Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Karen Goulart.
When it comes to navigating new cloud territory, many CIOs tend to stick with what they know. But that might not always make for the most beneficial outcomes. There’s a sense of safety — and practicality — in entrusting a move to Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to the same vendor they’ve partnered with for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). A recent TechTarget survey bears this out. Among respondents to the 2013 Tech Target Cloud Pulse Survey who indicated that they’re using some type of PaaS, the top four providers they chose were Google AppEngine, Microsoft Windows Azure, Salesforce.com’s Force.com and Amazon Beanstalk.
Choosing a well-known provider is understandable, said Yefim Natis, vice president and distinguished analyst with Stamford, Conn-based Gartner, Inc. But while these big names have the benefit of history and established reputations on their side, CIOs who overlook smaller PaaS providers could be missing out on better service and greater, faster innovations. In this SearchCIO.com tip, Natis discusses the relative benefits and reasons companies choose smaller PaaS providers, as well as how to guard assets when working with a startup that may be here today, gone tomorrow (or in a few years)…
Take 1: The benefits of smaller PaaS providers
The choice between going with the mainstream, major providers and the smaller innovators is a dilemma with many technologies, even mature ones, Natis pointed out. As a young, developing technology, PaaS solutions are understandably in large part the domain of startups. Only very recently have the major tech vendors — think IBM, Oracle, SAP — made their moves into the PaaS space, Natis said. He contends that companies whose sole focus is on PaaS technology might well be better equipped to deliver desired results…
Read more from the source @ http://searchcio.techtarget.com/tip/Harnessing-potential-avoiding-problems-with-smaller-PaaS-providers