The Cloud 100, a ranking of the “coolest cloud computing vendors,” has been the definitive source for finding top providers of cloud solutions. Conducted yearly by CRN, the source for news, analysis, and perspective for Value Added Resellers and Technology Integrators; the Cloud 100 provides legitimate means for selection and vetting of cloud software providers. What is covered in this study? Who topped the list?
Introduced in the infancy of the cloud, this list has offered knowledge since the cloud was nothing more than an industry buzzword. In 2014, the fifth year of the Cloud 100, “the cloud” is now mainstream and the shift from a traditional on-premise solution provider model to a cloud-based services model is not just a trend, but in many cases a crucial move for survival.
Specifically covered in this list are the top 20 vendors in the following categories:
- Cloud Infrastructure (IaaS)
- Platform-as-a-Service Providers (PaaS)
- Cloud Security
- Cloud Storage
- Software-as-a-Service
Who is on the Cloud 100?
The Top 20 in each Category includes providers of all sizes, from large performers to new competitors. The Top 20 in each category are as follows.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service
Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) — or the delivery of compute, storage and network resources via the cloud — continues to be the fastest-growing segment of the overall public cloud services market. Gartner last year projected the IaaS market to grow as much as 47.3 percent in 2013 alone, reaching a value of $9 billion.
Platform-as-a-Service and Cloud Development
Rapid innovation and fast growth are par for the course in the Platform-as-a-Service market. Researcher IDC sees the market soaring from just $3.8 billion in 2012 to $14 billion in 2017. Companies employing the platforms, meanwhile, are seeing huge cost reduction, including data center cost reduction of two-thirds for companies using Eucalyptus.
Cloud Storage Vendors
The volumes of data collected and stored by businesses is rapidly growing — and so is the cost of storing all that data. So businesses are increasingly looking to the cloud as an enterprise data repository. That’s prodding IT companies, both new and established, to develop cloud-based products and services for inexpensively storing and sharing data. For the full List of the Top 20 in Cloud Storage, head over to the CRN Cloud Storage 20.
Cloud Security Vendors
The growing use of Web-based services and the frequent deployment of cloud-hosted server deployments have forced traditional security vendors to offer SaaS security offerings and prompted the emergence of a new breed of security startups. Cloud-enabled security platforms provide businesses with a variety of features to reduce risks and meet compliance mandates.
Some offer protection from malware, hacking and other threats, while others specialize in authentication, file integrity monitoring and data encryption. Here are 20 that have especially caught our attention. Look for the market around cloud security platforms to be in a state of change, with the potential for mergers and acquisitions as more established vendors attempt to build out their capabilities. Check out the 20 Coolest Cloud Security Vendors for more information.
Cloud Software Vendors
Fifteen years after Salesforce.com introduced its cloud CRM apps, cloud computing is quickly becoming the de facto method for delivery applications to users. Businesses are turning to the cloud for software capabilities without the headaches of on-premise applications. And software vendors, from established players like Oracle and SAP to startups such as FinancialForce and Insightly, are rushing to meet the growing demand for cloud apps. Look at the 20 Coolest Cloud Software Vendors on CRN.
Intacct on the Cloud 100
As a main competitor in the Cloud Software environment, Intacct has been a mainstay on the Top 20 Coolest Cloud Software Vendors since the award’s incorporation. Always making news, always improving the accounting plans of SMBs, and always improving; Intacct will continue to win awards.
Intacct offers cloud-based accounting, financial reporting and financial management software. The company has been on a strong growth path: It reported a 150 percent increase in sales bookings in its first fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30. And the company said a great deal of that growth is coming from its VARs. –CRN Top 20 Profile
InCloud360 is an Intacct Vendor that specializes in helping SMBs improve their financial reporting and planning. Check out 10 reasons to upgrade from QuickBooks to Intacct, learn more from the Cloud Academy, and Contact InCloud360 to learn more about the Intacct Difference.