Archive for the 'Venture Capital' Category
January 8, 2009
Written by Ameed Taylor
Even though the Consumer Electronic Show’s (CES) focus is on electronic gadgets, there are a couple of companies that are unveiling cloud based storage appliances and services at years show.
Ctera Networks introduced its Cloud Attached Storage Solution; CloudPlug, at CES. CloudPlug is a device that combines Network Attached and Cloud Storage into a small appliance. Ctera is aiming its Cloud Attached Storage solutions at ISP’s and MSP’s.
Pogoplug; developed by San Francisco based Cloud Engines, is a consumer orientated cloud storage appliance that is due to ship in March 2009. It is unique in that users can use an USB external hard drive or memory stick with the appliance and the devices have built in IPhone Support
July 31, 2008
Written by Ameed Taylor
One of the highest profile “spinoffs” to date in the Software As A Service Industry, Zuora aims to disrupt the OnDemand Subscription Billing Industry just like Salesforce.com disrupted the software industry a few years ago.
Based in Redwood City, Zuora provides a OnDemand solution that automates and simplifies online subscription billing services. Zuora’s flagship product is Z-Billing.
Z-Billing is a fully integrated Billing as Service Platform that offers features that are critical to On Demand subscription based businesses such as advanced pricing models, integrated business intelligence and metrics, account management and provisioning, multi-currency support and automated credit card processing.
Z-Billing offers full integration with Salesforce.com but also has an impressive list of pre built integrations for mid level ERP and CRM packages as well as Enterprise level software like Oracle and SAP’s Business Suites. A robust web services API rounds out Z-Billing’s integration offerings and allow a customer to integrate Z-Billing with all of its internal products and systems.
The pricing of the Z-Billing service starts out at 2% of invoiced revenue with additional discounts based on billing volume. Targeted originally towards subscription based online businesses, the Z-Billing team is also focusing on investment firms, analog companies like NetJet and ZipCar and the greater SMB market with its recently announced partnership with StrikeIron.
With 17 live customers since Z-Billing’s May 20th release, Zuora has all the key ingredients in place for success. It has an all star management team lead by CEO Tien Tzuo, former Chief Strategy Officer at Salesforce.com, K.V. Rao; former senior VP at Web Ex and Cheng Zuo; Zuora CTO, who built Web Ex’s Subscription billing systems. Zuora also has a 6.5 million initial funding round led by Benchmark Capital with a substantial investment from the Software as a Service titan; Marc Benioff.
Initial Z-Billing customers include Coremetrics, Cloud 9 Analytics and Marketo. Zuora’s competitors include OpSource (LeCayla), Aria Systems and Evapt.
June 2, 2008
Written by Ameed Taylor
Reuven Cohen; Founder and CTO of Toronto based Enomaly Inc, has proposed a CloudCamp for the Bay area. The initial CloudCamp San Francisco will be held on June 24th 2008 from 5 – 9 pm PST at Microsoft’s San Francisco Office.
Per Reuven; the CloudCamp will be a chance for Entrepreneurs, founders, leaders of start-up/early-stage companies and VC’s to see presentations on Cloud Computing, understand how to attract VC’s and discuss how successful start-ups have built their business using Cloud Computing solutions.
The CloudCamp website was launched last week at www.cloudcamp.com.
Interest is strong in the CloudCamp at this point and all interested in attending are urged to register their interest on the CloudCamp website. Registering will help in getting additional sponsorship (Sun has expressed interest in hosting the event) and topics for the event.
Check back here in a couple of weeks as I will post an update once the final venue and agenda have been announced for CloudCamp.
Update 5 June
Cloud Camp Agenda Updates and Social Media Contacts
Update 13 June
Venue is set for Microsoft San Francisco and Registration is via Yahoo Upcoming
May 20, 2008
Written by Ameed Taylor
 The Enterprise 2.0 conference is coming June 9-12, 2008 at the Westin Waterfront hotel in Boston. The conference organizers and advisory board have tweaked the format of the Enterprise 2.0 conference for 2008 and it should be a great event.
One of the more anticipated events in 2008 is the Enterprise 2.0 Launch Pad organized by Stowe Boyd. The Enterprise 2.0 Launch Pad is now down to 8 semi-finalists and the public (you) can review 2 minute demonstrations of each semi-finalists Enterprise 2.0 solution and vote online to help whittle the field down to 4 finalists. One of the 4 finalists will be chosen by Enterprise 2.0 conference attendees as the 2008 Launch Pad winner.
I will be blogging and twittering this year from Enterprise 2.0 and hope to meet most of the Demo Pavilion and Launch Pad companies and check out their Enterprise 2.0 products in more detail. Follow me during the conference on the blog or via twitter @ondemandbeat.
The conference organizers have generously offered 1 free conference pass (this is really cool..about a $2,200 value) that I will give away to one of the OnDemand Beat’s readers.
The first person who can publicly answer via twitter to @ondemandbeat or via a comment to this post with the answer to the following 2 questions gets the free pass. (The 2nd question is tough..did not think I would make it that easy did you:)
- Andrew McAfee, is an Associate Professor at what University?
- What were the final scores of EACH game of the 3 GAME SWEEP of the Chicago White Sox over the Boston Red Sox in the 2005 American League Division Series?
If you don’t win the free pass…don’t despair. All OnDemand Beat readers can save $100 off registration or get a Free Expo Pass to Enterprise 2.0 by using the code CMBMEB14 during registration.
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