NetSuite Launches Cloud for ISVs

I overlooked this piece of news from last week — until I spotted it on Jeff Kaplan’s blog: NetSuite, one of the better-known ERP software as a service (SaaS) providers, has launched a cloud for ISVs (independent software vendors) to develop and deploy new applications. But this isn’t the only way to build a cloud service.

I’m starting to feel just a bit overwhelmed by the growing cloud hype. Still, I have to admit: I’m a true believer in cloud computing, mostly because Nine Lives Media Inc.‘s business applications live in a range of clouds. (Nine Lives Media Inc. is MSPmentor’s parent.)

Watching the Horizon

For managed service providers and solutions providers, it’s clear the IT world is evolving to offer multiple cloud models:

• Platform-specific but partner friendly clouds from proprietary SaaS software companies — such as Salesforce.com and NetSuite’s new SuiteCloud.
• Vendor-neutral clouds that can mix and match third-party operating systems (Linux, Windows) and applications (both open and closed source). Here, think of Amazon Web Services as one of many possibilities.
•  Internetworking clouds: Stay tuned for this one. Jackie Ross, VP of marketing for server access and virtualization at Cisco, mentioned this during a private press briefing March 20.
• (Did I miss any other cloud models?)

Oh, And About Cisco

Apparently, Cisco expects businesses to build private clouds that someday may need to be networked up. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Cisco spent the early 1990s focused on building networks of networks — or Internetworks. Looking ahead, Cisco apparently plans to help customers build clouds that can connect to one another based on specific company privileges.

In the meantime, companies like NetSuite are reaching out to ISVs — hoping to pull them into specific clouds. I wonder if MSPs will follow, or watch from afar.

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