Mezeo Software Corporationtag:mezeo.dcig.com,2008-11-20:/452012-03-30T19:33:17ZMezeo Software provides a deployable, software-only REST API accessible cloud storage platform that helps organizations reduce the cost and complexity of managing quickly growing storage requirements. The MezeoCloud storage platform is a massively scalable solution that transforms traditional distributed file systems and object stores with their associated storage devices into a multi-tenant storage cloud. Mezeo provides for multiple storage technologies to seamlessly integrate into a single storage cloud, and provides solutions for cloud federation.Movable Type Pro 4.37Organizations Need File Sync & Share AND a Complementary Development Platformtag:mezeo.dcig.com,2012://45.22902012-03-29T10:00:00Z2012-03-29T10:00:00ZManaged File Transfer (MFT) companies are kicking off 2012 by positioning their products in the enterprise File Synchronization and Share (FSS) market. Their positioning is based on an organic growth and adoption trend of consumer-FSS by small, medium and large enterprises and organizations.Joshua L. Konklehttp://www.dcig.com/about/joshualkonkle Consumer-FSS exposes content control and audit requirements which drive the adoption of enterprise-FSS. For IT to truly maintain control, identifying and deploying an enterprise-FSS means purchasing an on-premises solution. This keeps corporate IT, not a third party, responsible for the security and compliance of corporate data.
But for an ultimate win, corporate IT should look beyond a simple FSS solution that solves only one, immediate need, and instead look for a platform that can meet the FSS need, while also offering added benefits to IT.
FSS is a bootstrap application developed by vendors targeting consumer adoption of cloud storage. Vendors with success in the consumer space are leveraging unmanaged adoption of FSS by expanding their products as development platforms. This activity is exemplified by consumer-FSS vendors adding innovation networks and developer kits within the last 12 months.
And MFT vendors who have traditionally been in the enterprise space are trying to reinvent their solutions to take advantage of the FSS bubble. Because adoption of FSS solutions are occurring so quickly - IT is often reacting to the immediate security problem of storing confidential data on public clouds at the expense of also investigating a longer term solution - a platform that provides both FSS and mobile first application development.
Jeff Moore, Database Administrator at Austin Convention Center, has been developing mobile applications using FileMaker Go and FileMaker. In a recent interview series, Mr. Moore said "our current architecture performs a one way synch between FileMaker databases."
One database is behind a firewall, the other is in a perimeter zone for the Center maintenance staff. Mr. Moore said "our current infrastructure meets our immediate business goal, but at some point we need to step back and stop the tail from wagging the dog." Mr. Moore suggested they could synchronize to FileMaker or any other target, provided he can meet his business goals. Mr. Moore and his team are evaluating cloud storage technologies.
Organizations like Austin Convention Center who expand their requirements will discover the lowest cost infrastructure is NOT a managed file transfer product, but is instead a storage cloud product. Minimum requirements for an enterprise storage cloud product should be:
Secure FSS - add security to the hottest user application driving storage clouds.
Scalable and flexible - can be a target for multiple secure data sources, provisions and manages any available hardware, but does not reflect negative infrastructures changes to applications as they grow.
Expand uses for storage clouds - use APIs to enable disaster recovery through cloud-based backups and archiving.
Private, Public and Hybrid - accessible to the public network AND secure behind firewalls.
A clear solution that meets the requirements above is the MezeoCloud and MezeoFile combination from Mezeo Software. Mezeo is a leading storage cloud vendor for mobile application development shipping a FSS bundle. The MezeoCloud product provides the storage services layer for cloud scale applications.
MezeoFile is a bundled set of File Sync and Share clients for enterprises and service providers. The MezeoFile access clients can be white labeled, carrying a corporate brand. The clients are available in IOS, Android, Desktop, and Web browser offerings. In addition, Mezeo offers multiple APIs for mobile application development and storage infrastructure management. MezeoCloud also provides a WebDAV access capability.
A storage cloud can offer an enterprise enhanced application integration beyond FSS. Mezeo has integrated backup and archiving offerings with vendors like CommVault. If you choose to host a portion of your offering behind your corporate firewall, you can also choose to use a Mezeo Ready Cloud at a hosting provider.
It is clear; companies who purchase Consumer-FSS can expand their use of FSS infrastructure to mobile-first application development. Therefore, companies who require an on-premises solution must choose an offering that delivers on Enterprise File Share and Sync (FSS) AND a mobile-first application development platform like the offering from Mezeo.
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Cloud Storage is about Application Delivery, not Cheap Backuptag:mezeo.dcig.com,2012://45.22232012-01-09T11:00:00Z2012-01-09T11:00:00Z2012 ushers in the Consumerization of IT (CoIT) within the enterprise as the most strategic opportunity in IT infrastructure. CoIT is generally defined as consuming applications and content within your work life the same way you do it in your personal life. For enterprises to deliver equivalent applications they need more than an Enterprise App Store, they require a storage cloud supporting customers, partners and employees.Joshua L. Konklehttp://www.dcig.com/about/joshualkonklemost strategic opportunity in IT infrastructure. CoIT is generally defined as consuming applications and content within your work life the same way you do it in your personal life. For enterprises to deliver equivalent applications they need more than an Enterprise App Store, they require a storage cloud supporting customers, partners and employees.
2011 led us to believe that cloud storage is bulk cheap - 12 cents per gigabyte storage for backup and archiving delivered as a service. Cheap cloud storage made it easy to miss highly productive applications based on public cloud storage.
For example, Evernote continues to drive enterprise users to the public cloud. The proliferation of applications like Evernote is sending a clear signal to Enterprises everywhere -- cloud storage is about application delivery.
CIOs are scrambling to engage in some form of enterprise application delivery based on CoIT. CIOs realize Enterprise App Stores require a mobile-first development model. "Mobile-first" development assumes your application is first developed for mobility and App Stores, as shared by Kevin Spain in a guest post on forbes.com.
Mobile-first applications store data differently because they are designed for delivery via App Stores. Mobile-first products will not use traditional storage, file systems, databases and content management systems. Deployments of mobile-first enterprise CoIT applications require Storage Cloud software.
Applications have evolved from browser-based to App Store-based since the introduction of Apple iTunes and Apple Store. Browser-based applications use data services provided by simple databases, file systems and even traditional content management systems. Those data services work well behind a firewall or within a perimeter zone.
Perimeter zone data services do not translate well to the needs of enterprise CoIT applications. CoIT applications developed by the enterprise for customers, partners and employees require scalable back end data storage, exposed as a simple API storage pool.
CoIT scalable back end storage for the enterprise is defined as on-premise storage expanding via eventually consistent replication across public-private cloud storage data centers by policy
CoIT applications designed to use CoIT data services improve the usability of thin client applications. Usability is improved because the application is richer, consumption is flexible and manipulation is made possible. Thin client application provisioning is made possible by Enterprise App Stores. However, the anytime and anywhere CoIT data services are made possible through scalable and simple storage.
Figure 1 visualizes Enterprise CoIT applications using Storage Cloud software as the panacea of application and desktop deployment once envisioned by virtual desktop. VMware's late 2011 announcement of re-purposing Zimbra for Enterprise App Store data services indicates their support of Figure 1. The silent move is in response to their March announcement of VMWare View and the extreme adoption path of VMWare View over a 6 month period.
Mezeo understands why VMWare has a sudden and aggressive interest to support enterprise CoIT applications. VMWare realizes an Enterprise App Store combined with on-premise hybrid cloud storage is more natural than virtual desktops.
Supporting Mezeo's strategy and VMWare's announcements, there were multiple enterprise CoIT application examples in the news in the latter half of 2011. The following are examples of enterprise organizations adopting App Stores and Storage Cloud software.
NASA was one of the first organizations to share its success with Storage Cloud software. Its cloud storage infrastructure is called Nebula. One year later, NASA kicked off its organizational App Store. InformationWeek Government quotes NASA Goddard CIO Arian Gardner as saying, "We are looking at how we can virtualize the desktop so you can gain access to your resources from any device, anyplace, anywhere." NASA is realizing the convergence of CoIT with its application and cloud storage infrastructure, much like Mezeo knows and VMware recently discovered.
RehabCare, a Healthcare organization in St. Louis, MO, reduced its information technology infrastructure costs by 92%. In addition, it generally eliminated "shadow IT costs." Shadow IT is when a business unit or group of workers procure technology outside of the normal IT business process. RehabCare CIO, Dick Escue, shares his story in a VentureBeat article. Mr. Escue employed tablets, CoIT applications and services like "Apple Devices, Force.com and Google" have led to the reduction in costs. You can learn more about RehabCare custom application based on cloud storage from force.com on apple.com iPAD for business.
Throughout 2011 Mezeo was quietly enabling cloud storage infrastructure throughout the US and Asia. Mezeo's business strategy and product offerings are aligned with strategic choices made in 2012 for an Enterprise App Store using REST-based Storage Cloud software.
For an enterprise solution that is like Dropbox™, consider Mezeo Cloud for your enterprise. Mezeo has developed and will make available this quarter a file-share-synch product. Mezeo knows cloud storage is not about 12 cents per gigabyte storage; it is about enabling your enterprise CoIT App Store for customers, partners and employees. ]]>
Dell, IBM, HP Incomplete; Enterprise Buyers Replete with Amazon Web Services at $1 Billion in Revenuetag:mezeo.dcig.com,2011://45.22072011-12-12T11:00:00Z2011-12-12T11:00:00ZIn the product and investing world, $1 billion dollars is interesting. Interesting markets draw new and existing companies. Derrick Harris of Gigaom believes Amazon's latest filing indicates they will have exceeded $1 billion dollars in revenue for Amazon Web Services by year end. $1 billion dollars creates a lot of interest by existing and venture backed product companies.Joshua L. Konklehttp://www.dcig.com/about/joshualkonkle$1 billion dollars is interesting. Interesting markets draw new and existing companies. Derrick Harris of Gigaom believes Amazon's latest filing indicates they will have exceeded $1 billion dollars in revenue for Amazon Web Services by year end. $1 billion dollars creates a lot of interest by existing and venture backed product companies.
The deluge of product offerings from existing and startup companies will only increase into 2012. Enterprise buyers must understand the interests of existing companies like Dell, HP and IBM, and the deficiencies of Telco's. New entrants have a product enterprise buyers need to reduce costs and improve business agility. In cloud storage, new entrants like Mezeo, Nirvanix and Oxygen Cloud have the upper hand because reduced costs and business agility are the needs driving enterprise adoption of cloud storage.
Enterprise buyer needs are rooted in applications that create and manipulate content anywhere, anytime and from any device. Moreover, innovation through "Consumerization of IT (CoIT)" is driving enterprise users to consumer based applications.
Examples include content centric business workflow, and mobile device applications, such as Box, Dropbox, and Evernote. CoIT applications cannot make use of restrictive licensing and antiquated access constructs used by file systems, relational databases and/or content management from major players like EMC, IBM, Microsoft, NetApp, Oracle, etc.
Existing companies are concerned about existing revenues and margin erosion. The erosion is triggered by enterprise buyer's application content and storage needs being independently met by the eight functional areas of Cloud Storage (See Amazon S3 has 187% CAGR; Enterprise Buyer priorities for Hybrid Cloud.)
Amazon Revenue Growth has AT&T, Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Microsoft, NetApp, Rackspace, etc. Attention
Dell and HP have both launched quasi competitive solutions to any Telco who wants to offer Cloud Storage and/or infrastructure in the cloud. In all cases, these Cloud Storage products and business units are directly competitive to existing revenue generating groups.
If their products don't control those areas, they risk revenue erosion on existing storage software and hardware. However, it is not just the storage business units at larger firms that are looking over their shoulder.
Expect a disruptive REST API included in cloud storage products to be an enterprise license friendly version Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS). CMIS is very similar in terms of API functionality to Amazon S3.
Moreover, CMIS is available on Alfresco, Apache Chemistry, Documentum, FileNet and Microsoft SharePoint. Expect Cloud Storage vendors to include CMIS in their REST API product offering in 2012. The ongoing disruption by cloud storage to business -as-usual is not limited to vendors. Telco's have been shaken as well.
AT&T introduced a competitive storage service to Amazon in 2009 called AT&T Synaptic Storage. Verizon acquired Terremark in early 2011, and then CenturyLink acquired Savvis, Savvis owned the Cable and Wireless assets. These acquisitions signal more is coming in the Telco Cloud Storage space, but those acquisitions and existing products may not be sufficient.
Telco's will require specific products to build a channel with the existing storage and services VAR, as well as keeping their current customers happy. Telco table stakes from the eight functional areas are:
Billing data
Multi-tenancy for customers and resellers
REST API access
In 2010, Telco's were poised to take leadership in Cloud Storage, but they didn't understand the integral role that VARs play in scaling cloud services revenue. On the other hand, companies like Dell, HP and IBM understand that VARs must be successful to scale cloud services revenues and equally important, they understand how to work with them. Telco's must begin supporting and operating within the VAR channel of traditional server and storage vendors.
Telco's would like to sell cloud storage to the customers who purchase storage from VARs. The VAR has the lens on those customer businesses that determines, if not defines the fit, for Cloud Storage. If Telco's do not engage VARs, then companies like Dell, HP and IBM will begin winning in the space where VARs are recommending and reselling Cloud Storage.
In addition to VAR alignment, Telco's face an equally compelling business challenge from consumers. Telco's require cloud storage products to keep their internet, TV and telephone customers' interest. If customers have content stored with their Internet and TV provider, they may be less likely to switch providers. However, consumer cloud storage products are orthogonal to nurturing a presence with VARs, thus Telcos continue to be pulled in opposite directions where cloud storage is concerned.
Hoe the Fertile Grounds of Cloud Storage
Regardless of your business - Telco, SMB/Enterprise or Information Technology Company, the success of Amazon must have your attention. While Amazon addresses all eight functional areas for cloud storage, they lack the ability to bring cloud storage software to an enterprise data center. But, there are a handful of startups who capitalize on this shortcoming.
Mezeo, Nirvanix and Oxygen Cloud are new entrant companies taking a stand by offering software and services for the enterprise cloud storage software market. Each company offers products that can be installed on existing servers, leverages existing storage resources and expands vertically, horizontally and geographically.
Mezeo is the only vendor taking an approach that has garnered the attention of application developers and storage managers in recent years. Tucked away in their latest product release is a NOSQL system. In Mid-2011 Mezeo released version 4.0 of their product which included Basho's Riak.
Riak is the system powering Mezeo's scalability to levels at which EMC, HP, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle must take notice. The line of demarcation is clear; a scalable NOSQL database powering a cloud storage system is paramount when supporting these enterprise buyer functional areas:
REST API
Geo-capabilities
Data management and automated provisioning
Mezeo has addressed the eight functional areas critical to multiple customer requirements. Moreover, they have introduced a NOSQL infrastructure supporting global scale for content. Mezeo's Cloud Storage Licensing and enterprise scalability should be more attractive than a relational database, traditional file system or a license restrictive content management system.
Regardless of your space - Fortune 1000 storage or application professional, Telco or Information Technology business development - you must start a conversation with Mezeo, or any company claiming to support the eight functional areas with an equivalent NOSQL based Hybrid Cloud Storage software product. ]]>
