A very interesting article appeared in Slate recently that looked at the dwindling number of startups actually attempting to go public. Thanks to open-source software and cloud computing, companies can build businesses at a fraction of what it would have cost just a few years ago.
More cloud-based services mean less people needed to support applications, servers etc. Which means the dollar can stretch further than ever before.
Forrester Research analyst James Staten calls cloud computing “classic disruptive innovation where the mainstream dismisses the product and small companies have time to create a real differentiated value.”
Both Amazon and Google are gearing cloud offerings toward SMBs and even AT&T has jumped in with its Synaptic Hosting service which can add capacity in the event of a site's usage spike.
Some cloud-computing solutions worth checking out:
- Napera Networks: Network Access Control for SMBs - keep those roaming laptops healthy
- Elastra: Design, deploy & manage database and application infrastructure in the Cloud (Amazon recently participated in their financing)
- TrackVia: online databases - break through the limitations of excel and build your own database
