10 Cloud Computing Add-Ons To Watch

The Cloud Can't Stand Alone

As cloud computing and cloud applications continue to make inroads and cloud adoption climbs, a host of supplementary cloud computing solutions -- ones that bolt onto the cloud to add additional functionality like management capabilities, archiving, e-discovery and continuity -- have hit the market to round out a cloud environment. Many of these companies make the cloud pop, adding features not available in just vanilla cloud.

Here, CRN takes a look at 10 supplemental cloud computing solutions that add new functionality to the cloud.

Aprigo

Waltham, Mass.-based Aprigo makes an on-demand data management platform dubbed NINJA that lets IT departments reduce storage costs and control access to sensitive data. Aprigo NINJA puts data management in the cloud. The SaaS tool requires no changes to existing infrastructure or processes, has no agents or databases to install and makes it easy to manage data in multiple remote sites.

And Aprigo's recent addition of NINJA for Google Docs to the Google Apps Marketplace furthers its cloud presence. NINJA for Google Docs lets IT admins see which data is exposed to which users and examine other metrics concerning that data, for example how old it is, how important the information is and other details. NINJA for Google Docs offers data governance and control over documents and other unstructured data in Google Apps and lets users view and manage how documents are shared and what data can be shared inside or outside the company.

Backupify

Backupify launched earlier this year with its enterprise-focused offering to backup, archive and export enterprise data using Google Apps. Essentially, Backupify's service lets users automatically and securely backup all data stored in Gmail, Google Docs, Calendar, Contact and Sites accounts. Using Amazon S3 cloud storage, Cambridge, Mass.-based Backupify performs independent daily backups and also protects from data loss due to hacking, user error and malicious deletion. Users can select backups to download to their PC or to be stored in the cloud.

GoodData

GoodData, found in 2007, puts business intelligence into the cloud. It takes business intelligence and offers it as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to give customers and partners operational dashboards, advanced reporting and data warehousing. The San Francisco-based company's cloud-based BI takes sales, marketing, operations, finance, HR or any other data and displays it all on one page. The Gooddata.com service runs on Amazon Web Services' cloud.

Mimecast

E-mail management in the cloud? Yup. Mimecast offers cloud-based enterprise e-mail management that includes archiving, discovery, continuity, security and policy. With its unified mail management offerings, Mimecast's philosophy is that unifying disparate and fragmented e-mail environments into one holistic solution that is always available from the cloud. Mimecast is headquartered in London with its U.S. headquarters in Waltham, Mass.

Nasuni

Nasuni makes a cloud storage gateway, the Nasuni Filer, a virtual NAS file server that runs on VMware and leverages the cloud to ease file storage and protection. The midmarket-focused companies virtual appliance works like a NAS appliance, but any files stored on the Nasuni Filer are sent to a storage cloud from Rackspace, Amazon, Nirvanix or Iron Mountain.

Okta

For cloud application management and identity management in the cloud, look no further than Okta. The San Francisco-based companies service lets users of all sizes transform their cloud applications into an integrated "Cloud Area Network" where they can consolidate, manage and control their users, applications and data in the cloud and behind the firewall. Okta also gets props for its name: Okta is a unit of measure for cloud cover (yeah, we thought it was Klingon too).

Ping Identity

With so many cloud applications, a single sign-on becomes a necessity. That's where Ping Identity comes in. The company specializes in "Internet Identity Security" with on-demand software for Internet Single Sign-On, Identity-Enabled Web Services and Internet User Account Management.

Denver-based Ping Identity currently works with hundreds of SaaS and cloud applications including Salesforce, Google Apps, ADP, Concur, WebEx, Workday and a host of others.

Telerik

Telerik, based in Waltham, Mass., offers agile software development for the cloud. Late last year the company added the ability for developers to create application that span the cloud and behind the firewall and support Microsoft Windows Azure. That means developers can connect to databases in the Azure cloud just as they would connect to an on-premise database. Users can use the same Telerik RadControls for ASP, .NET and AJAX to build for the cloud.

Veracode

Veracode lets developers bring cloud-based security testing into their software development lifecycles by integrating its SecurityReview application security testing SaaS service directly into Java, .Net, C/C+++, ColdFusion and PHP dev environments.

Veracode adds cloud application security testing to its roster of cloud-based application risk management that offers code analysis, dynamic Web assessments and e-learning. With its SecurityReview offering, Veracode offers a way to independently verify application security in both internally developed apps and third-party software without requiring source code.

Viewfinity

Viewfinity takes something as fundamental as desktop management and puts it in the cloud. Viewfinity leverages its history of systems and privilege management and puts it into the cloud to let IT management, support and control desktops, servers and laptops from the cloud. Viewfinity's management solutions use a technique the company calls application encapsulation to maintain the integrity of an enduser's desktop and enables quick rollback of user changes. Viewfinity can deliver software and policy management to enterprise desktops no matter where they're located, via the cloud.