Question: How will platform as service initiative from SFDC like companies impact cloud computing ecosystem?
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Question: How will platform as service initiative from SFDC like companies impact cloud computing ecosystem?
To answer this question or comment please hit the 'Comments' tab and participate in the conversation.
The "Forece.com" platform as a service (PaaS) offering from Salesforce.com (SRDC) is an interesting idea. I believe the most useful question to ask when considering moving an application into the Cloud is "where is the master copy of the data?" Three main scenarios could be considered:
1/ If the application being developed contains the master copy of all the data (e.g., a new application developed were all the data is entered by the users), it makes sense to use such a platform (as one of many), especially as a cheap way of testing the viability of the application.
2/ If the application is an extension to the SalesForce.com CRM application, it make complete sense to add additional applications round it.
3/ However, if the main data is created and maintained at a non-sales.force location, then limitations of the speed of light become significant. It may be possible to get small amounts of transaction data from another site. It may be possible to upload a summary of end-of-reporting data to the Force.com site. But it general such mixed location systems architecture should be avoided were at all possible.
SalesForce.com will be competing on price for scenario 1 projects; it will challenged to make money. Scenario 3 is unstable and is likely to have high churn, and be expensive to market. Scenario 3 is the most promising, and in my opinion where Force.com will be most successful.
Bottom line: The PaaS announcement from SFDC improves the SFDC CRM ecosystem for its customers, but is not likely to do much beyond it.
Posted By:David Floyer| Sun Nov 23, 2008 04:17
In David's Scenario I, it would seem logical that SFDC customers could tap into the arrangement made with Amazon for EC2 and S3.
In this scenario I would see SFDC's services as a demand driver for cloud computing and another step on the long road to cloud's advancing its maturity model.
Posted By:David Vellante| Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:19
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