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Thread Amazon EC2
Wed, Mar 30 2011 6:36 AMPermanent Link

Adam Brett

Orixa Systems

Sorry to have missed this post for a few weeks Tim!

>>I remember seeing this on Hacker News a while back.  What did you find
>>"scary", the actual technology or the price ? Smiley

... I guess what I find scary is the fact that people with really very little knowledge of DB architecture can now build their own apps for "no cost" (i.e. you build your own stuff using their tools for free). While the resulting products may be rubbish, I have to compete with this as a developer.

... I agree that once you are signed on & using the product it isn't cheap at all ... the per-user-per-month fee structure is a lovely money-printing device ... I wish I could make it work with my customers! The thing is that plenty of organisations will happily absorb fees on that basis & only really realise the full expense when they are hopelessly entangled.
Wed, Mar 30 2011 11:24 AMPermanent Link

Tim Young [Elevate Software]

Elevate Software, Inc.

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Email timyoung@elevatesoft.com

Adam,

<< .. I guess what I find scary is the fact that people with really very
little knowledge of DB architecture can now build their own apps for "no
cost" (i.e. you build your own stuff using their tools for free). While the
resulting products may be rubbish, I have to compete with this as a
developer. >>

Good point. Frown

<< .. I agree that once you are signed on & using the product it isn't cheap
at all ... the per-user-per-month fee structure is a lovely money-printing
device ... I wish I could make it work with my customers! The thing is that
plenty of organisations will happily absorb fees on that basis & only really
realise the full expense when they are hopelessly entangled. >>

This is the real driving force behind web services that do a "freemium"
model.  I like to call it the "crack" model. Wink

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com
Thu, Mar 31 2011 10:23 AMPermanent Link

Adam Brett

Orixa Systems

>>This is the real driving force behind web services that do a "freemium"
>>model.  I like to call it the "crack" model. Wink

Yup: You have to put a hell of a lot of resources into developing the "IDE" (i.e. the framework within which users develop their applications) ... which you don't get paid for ... but once it is running in theory there is very little input.

You allow users to build their own systems & then charge them for using them. If your backend is MySQL / Linux / OpenSource Web-application development you don't actually have any per-user / licensing costs to cover.

I have to say, having looked at their framework I certainly considered building an Application or 2 with it to test out its capability! If I just charged people to build Applications of that type for them I think my life might be easier. At least I wouldn't have to mess around with maintaining my own IDE, or deal with setting up the LANs WANs & VPNs of customers!

If I was a newbie right now I think I would probably learn how to work that way ...
Mon, Apr 4 2011 2:59 PMPermanent Link

Tim Young [Elevate Software]

Elevate Software, Inc.

Avatar

Email timyoung@elevatesoft.com

Adam,

<< I have to say, having looked at their framework I certainly considered
building an Application or 2 with it to test out its capability! If I just
charged people to build Applications of that type for them I think my life
might be easier. At least I wouldn't have to mess around with maintaining my
own IDE, or deal with setting up the LANs WANs & VPNs of customers!

If I was a newbie right now I think I would probably learn how to work that
way ... >>

Frankly, I don't think I'd be willing to throw my customers to the whims of
such a business.  There are a lot of ways for such a business to screw them
over, and most of their business model relies on everything always working
okay, which we all know to be a pipe dream.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com
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