The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2017

It's been seven years since CRN introduced the first 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors list, a comprehensive guide designed to help solution providers navigate the then-new world of cloud technology.

In the rapidly evolving technology ecosystem, seven years can seem like a lifetime. The aim of the project hasn't changed in 2017 and, in fact, one could argue that its insight is actually more valuable than ever.

Cloud is no longer an industry buzzword whose meaning is only understood by the high-tech savvy. It's no longer a space occupied by Amazon, Google and a variety of other vendors taking aim at various niche spaces.

Cloud is now thrown around in everyday conversation, providing us with a means to access our favorite music on-the-go and being referenced as fodder in high-profile celebrity mishaps.

With seemingly every major tech vendor touting a cloud offering, cloud in the enterprise is now an overwhelming market, where identifying the companies and technologies that set up the most lucrative recurring revenue plays can be invaluable for today's solution providers.

So here we present The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2017, once again broken up into five categories.

In the cloud storage arena, we examine the vendors providing everything from backup destinations to disaster recovery services, gateways to a wide-range of online storage offerings for business data.

In the platform space, we look at the Platform-as-a-Service solutions powering today's digital transformations.

In the cloud infrastructure services industry, we look at not only the four major companies -- Amazon, Microsoft, Google and IBM -- but also the upstarts taking advantage of the market's massive growth.

Across the cloud security spectrum, we look at the security companies that are stepping up to the plate with new offerings to protect public, private,and hybrid cloud environments.

And lastly, we explore the CRM and accounting applications, the business analytics tools, and the content management offerings from today's software companies that are truly helping businesses and their employees get work done.