As a follow-up to my earlier post discussing the announcement of the Dell Cloud Solution for Web Applications, here are further details on the actual offering.
1. Why have Dell and Joyent focused on web applications?
Joyent’s Cloud Operating System, also known as the SmartDataCenter, provides application virtualization, meaning that essentially everything from the guest OS to the bare metal and network layers are managed by the Joyent software. This frees developers from the burden of having to simultaneously manage their app and handle cumbersome operating systems and networking administration. It is also a much more efficient model because you don’t have to carry the overhead of separate host and guest operating systems. Naturally, this environment is ideal for Web and Mobile app developers because apps can take advantage of a greater percentage of system resources and developers can focus on creating and launching products.
To this we have specifically added core functionality in the Joyent software that takes advantage of our architecture, including automatic CPU bursting which allows apps to leverage up to 95% of available system resources, SmartCache which repurposes unused system memory to significantly improve disk IO, and transparency tools like DTrace, for real-time diagnostics.
2. Who is the customer for Dell Cloud Solution for Web Applications?
This solution is really for anyone interested in running their own cloud, whether they plan to offer a cloud service to internal customers in a company or more broadly to external customers such as a Service Provider. In fact, the first customers will be Service Providers, telcos and ISPs who are interested in expanding their portfolios to include cloud solutions, but may not necessarily have a full ops team or the resources required for the type of complicated cloud installations available in the market today.
That’s what makes this solution so powerful – it is based on Joyent’s experience of running a public cloud for the past five years and delivered on hyperscale grade Dell hardware with the Dell comprehensive service and support you need to be successful. Easy to setup. Easy to manage. Easy to run.
Shortly after launch, we expect to expand the sales channels to include gaming, social media, e-commerce/retail and financial services.
3. What customer pain points does the Dell and Joyent solution address?
Commodity cloud solutions are either 1) too complicated, 2) not proven to scale or 3) don’t present a strong business proposition. What makes the Dell solution for web applications so unique is that it is designed to maximize the ability of “datacenter markers” to effectively compete with the other public clouds running commoditized software.
A Comprehensive Solution on Leading Cloud Technology. Joyent’s software is a fast, secure, scalable and reliable cloud operating system built on top of the same Dell hyperscale grade hardware that powers the most successful web properties and cloud-enabled apps today.
A Proven Business Model: The Dell cloud solution is based on the same hardware and software stack that has powered Joyent.com for the past 5 years. Our experience running a public cloud and developing the software to run and manage it is now available to you directly from Dell.
Fast Launch and Integration Support: Dell delivers a complete solution including assessment, deployment, integration, application migration, support and technical consulting services for fast delivery and launch.
4. Why partner with Dell?
That’s easy. Joyent’s public cloud is built on Dell hardware – it is a field-tested and proven stack. Dell shares our vision for building hyper-scale platforms on systems that are designed to handle today’s most demanding web and mobile applications. But what really sold us was the troika of our software with Dell’s awesome hardware and services. Our customers don’t want technology – they want solutions. The Dell Cloud Solution for Web Applications is the cloud “solution”.
5. What advantage does Dell give to the customer?
Again, I can’t state this enough. Solution. Solution. Solution. We’re not throwing random hardware and commodity software at a problem and hoping that something sticks. Our customers don’t want that anyway. They have real business problems and they want a solution. This is that solution. It has been proven on an existing public cloud. It comes pre-tested and custom configured for your needs. And best of all, the brand I trust the most stands behind it: Dell.