Commercial Open Source Software

Open Source Cloud: Bitrock launches Bitnami Cloud Hosting

Bitnami Cloud hosting – a new service aimed at simplifying the deployment of open source stacks in the hosting open source applications in the cloud (faq) – after few months of private beta-testing just went live today.

Erica Brescia, BitRock CEO, answered few questions about open source in the cloud.

How open source and cloud computing are converging in your opinion?

The cloud offers the opportunity of a new business model for commercial open source companies. At BitRock we have as clients many of the leading open source companies, whom we help package and distribute their products in a variety of platforms (coverage). The cloud is a natural extension to the services we provide and these companies are very excited about the possibilities BitNami offer to complement or replace their cloud strategy.

This makes sense for many open source vendors. Looking at the list of supported applications I noticed that along with the usual suspects there are also lesser known, but not all the BitNami Stacks, probably because BitNami Cloud Hosting is focusing on applications that would be useful for businesses.

How BitRock gives back to the open source world?

Through BitNami and BitNami Cloud Hosting, we help spread the adoption of open source software by making it easier to deploy and manage, especially for users who are less technical. There are a lot of people out there that could benefit from running a Wiki, a CRM system or a document management solution, but they do not have the technical skills traditionally necessary to install them and get them running. By simplifying the process, we help open source projects expand their user base while at the same time reducing the installation-related support burden. If you visit any open source project forums, the one with the more entries is usually the installation one 🙂 Since our stacks are free and can run natively, virtually and in the cloud, it gives BitNami users an ‘abstraction layer’ that allows them to move around different hosting providers.

Easing the installation process is important indeed, SOS Open Source enhanced a metric only to reflect the importance of this aspect. Newbies can face barriers to entry when trying to  install an open source package, and applications never get a second chance to make a first impression (after installation)!

Thanks Erica, and please keep us updated about new stacks and applications!