The cloud market is a competitive space that is filled with numerous large companies that are all vying for a share.
Away from the cloud goliaths of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google’s Cloud Platform, there are smaller companies offering more tailored services to particular industries.
CBR has identified five of these companies, detailing what it is they are offering in a handy list.
1. Dimension Data
Dimension Data is a global systems integration and ICT solution provider that offers a global presence by operating in 58 different countries.
The company’s cloud business unit offers a mixture of cloud and managed cloud services for all sizes of business, ISVs and software developers.
Included in its portfolio is a public cloud-self service IaaS offering and both public and private managed cloud services.
The public cloud element allows for the automated provisioning of virtual servers on both Windows and Linux operating systems and up to 10TB of block-based storage per server.
Dimension Data recently announced with Cisco the launch of Cisco Spark and Spark Hybrid Services. Cisco Spark will offer a cloud-based business communication solution and the Spark Hybrid Services offering will allow clients’ existing on-premises collaboration capabilities to connect to Cisco Spark in the Dimension Data Collaboration Cloud.
The partnership between the two companies has been going on for 25 years and gives Dimension Data a strong communication collaboration boost to its cloud offering.
2. Netsuite
Netsuite is another of those companies that rings a bell and it is probably best known for its ERP and CRM software.
The American based business offers numerous cloud based solutions. In addition to the SaaS ERP and CRM systems it has the NetSuite OpenAir product.
OpenAir is a professional services automation solution that aims to give real-time visibility into the performance and profitability of the service organisation. It monitors resource management, project management, project accounting, advanced billing and invoicing.
The enterprise resource planning suite basically works as a back office to the business with its core offerings mixing standard accounting features with stock and fixed asset management. In addition to this it also offers customer relationship management, sales and marketing and time-tracking activities.
3. Twilio
Twilio describes itself as a cloud communications platform that is built for voice and messaging applications on an API.
Founded in 2007, the company operates in a difficult space in the market, made particularly difficult by Cisco’s dominance in the communications field.
The company says that it operates around nine values which include messaging such as "live the spirit of challenge," and "empower others." Aside from that the company offers services around voice and video, messaging, and tools for monitoring.
The Twilio voice services offers dynamic call routing technology to try and ensure low latency, it is also interconnected with 3,200 carriers and has an inventory of millions of numbers that are all available via an API.
Last year the company launched several services including IP messaging, conference call services and high-volume SMS tools.
The main appeal comes with the IP messaging offering which allows developers to basically build WhatsApp-like messaging into any of their applications.
The company is really aimed at software developers that are aiming to put in real-time communications into their software applications and it does it through APIs.
4. Slacker
Slacker may not be a familiar name to the ear but it is a rival to the likes of Spotify except it allows users to create their own radio stations through the app Slacker Radio.
The company offers a free plan in addition to two paid subscription plans one at $3.99 a month and one at $9.99 a month.
Although it offers a very large audio library it can’t match the number of songs that Spotify offers, this could be said of the majority of services, but what it does offer is a lot more functionality and a more social music experience.
The service trumps its competitors in the access to sports and comedy channels and puts its analytics to good use with suggestions of what to listen to.
It may not have the same market share as Spotify but it has carved out its own place in the cloud music streaming market since it was founded in 2006.
5. Navisite
Navisite is a Time Warner Cable Company that provides cloud enabled hosting along with managed applications and services.
One of its main services is the Cloud Desktop-as-a-Service. The virtual desktop solutions are designed to deal with desktop administration and management. The DaaS portfolio consists of a turnkey solution which it says will help customers use desktop virtualisation without having to invest in more costly IT services.
The solution includes consulting and implementation services, desktop image management services and all year round help.
The company was acquired by Time Warner Cable in 2011 for around $230 million as the company sought to strengthen its cloud portfolio. The benefit for Navisite is that it could tap into the TWC customer base in addition to its global reach.
Another of NaviSite’s solutions was recently chosen by Highways England’s Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads application. The hybrid cloud solution was chosen to help it develop the application in order to take advantage of new and emerging technologies.
