7 PaaS Startups To Watch
As virtualization advancements such as container technologies emerge, PaaS is hitting its stride. While you may have heard of a couple of the PaaS providers on our list, we're betting there are a few more here that aren't on your radar yet. Here's why these seven firms are worth your attention.
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The seven unique Platform-as-a-Service startups we're spotlighting here offer a wide range of options, from mobile-friendly tools, to services designed for industrial Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. While you may have heard of a couple of the PaaS providers on our list, we're betting there are a few more here that aren't on your radar yet.
Compared to other cloud platform services, such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), the PaaS segment has taken much longer to evolve. It's also more complex compared to SaaS and IaaS when it comes to identifying a clear ROI for its customers. Now, as virtualization advancements such as container technologies emerge, PaaS is hitting its stride.
In the past, PaaS customers often struggled, because, unlike IaaS or SaaS, there was relatively little standardization from one service provider to the next. Each provider developed its own services, which were different enough to make it difficult on customers who wanted to work with multiple providers.
PaaS providers have taken on this challenge from two different approaches. In some cases, the provider diversifies itself so much from the competition its customers feel no need or desire to use multiple vendors. To the customer, PaaS acts somewhat similar to a SaaS model, but with far more flexibility in terms of backend programmability.
Other PaaS vendors are opting to become more homogeneous in order to play nice with the competition –- primarily through the use of containers, which give customers great flexibility. In this regard, PaaS can also act similarly to an IaaS, minus the underlying headaches of having to manage the infrastructure.
Last month, I wrote about why Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is expected to be the cloud platform of choice when it comes to IoT. And while this is true, it's not the only area of IT where PaaS shines.
As you review the PaaS startups we're highlighting here, you'll likely see the firms we're most excited about falling into one of the above categories: total diversification of offerings, or a homogenous approach. Neither strategy is better or worse than the other. Instead, it's all about what the customer needs.
Once you've reviewed the startups featured here, let us know what you think. Is PaaS something you're exploring in your enterprise? Have you already deployed a PaaS product? Do you seek homogeneity or diversification from your PaaS provider? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.
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ContainerShip can be implemented in a private or public/hybrid cloud setting. The company's strength is in its openness. The platform allows administrators and developers the ability to automate server and application moves, using containers, anywhere you choose. It makes expansion and full migrations as simple as a few clicks of a mouse.
Lastmile offers a PaaS suite of customizable identification and/or payment capabilities. Whether it's electronic banking, package delivery, or digital verification of people and locations, using wireless-capable devices to remotely perform these tasks is becoming easier to accomplish and faster to implement than ever. The flexibility of a solution such as this allows many different industry verticals to roll out their own unique last-mile solutions under the same unified platform.
Locus, a remote tracking and management logistics PaaS, is highly adaptable for any number of market verticals. This includes shipment tracking, route optimization, alerting, and automated employee management. Instead of building a logistics platform from scratch, you can get a head start using the Locus PaaS.
The Xively platform supports a wide range of protocols, APIs, and SDKs for developing a virtually limitless number of IoT-connected device solutions. If you have an IoT project and aren't sure where to start, looking at all the possibilities within the Xively PaaS is a great first step.
Xively, formerly known as Cosm and Pachube, is a division of LogMeIn.
Apprenda was recently in the news due to its acquisition of Kismatic -- the firm leading the charge for commercializing Kubernetes.
Kubernetes is a popular open-source container automation and management platform. The acquisition of Kismatic by Apprenda will almost certainly propel enterprise-class PaaS solutions based on Kubernetes to the forefront. And that's something we're excited to see.
For those who are interested specifically in the development of industrial IoT, let me introduce you to Meshify. The company describes its PaaS as a "complete industrial IoT solution." And exactly what does that entail? For starters it provides a pre-built data collection and analytics platform that can be molded around your specific industrial IoT requirements. And the best part? It has the ability to rapidly scale up -- something IoT deployments are likely to require.
Vonage was a great startup in its own right in the world of low-cost alternatives to the PSTN in the early 2000s. You may not have heard much about the company lately, but all that may change after its acquisition of Nexmo.
Nexmo is a communication platform-as-a-service (CPaaS) -- which means it provides a platform through which customers can streamline the development of their own SMS, voice, chat, mobile verification, and automated phone number analytics applications, without having to do most of the heavy lifting. Right now, Nexmo is one of the more popular startups in the CPaaS field. If the pairing works out, it could propel Vonage back into the spotlight.
Platform services are certainly not the right tools for every job. The seven PaaS startups featured here prove, in certain segments, you can get closer to the ideal platform in terms of flexibility and lowered management overhead. If you're in the market for a new cloud provider, you can peer beyond SaaS or IaaS models and take a good look at whether a PaaS provides more long-term value. You might be surprised by what you find.
Platform services are certainly not the right tools for every job. The seven PaaS startups featured here prove, in certain segments, you can get closer to the ideal platform in terms of flexibility and lowered management overhead. If you're in the market for a new cloud provider, you can peer beyond SaaS or IaaS models and take a good look at whether a PaaS provides more long-term value. You might be surprised by what you find.
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