Keynote Session 2, Nasscom Emergeout 3rd edition: How SaaS and cloud computing are changing the IT industry and what the Opportunities they present?
Speakers:
Prasad Ram, Head Engineering, Google India
Steve McWhirter, President, APAC, SalesForce.com
Chairperson: Ashish Gupta- MD, Helion Venture Capital
Prasad Ram started out the session with his presentation, the theme of his talk being Cloud computing and what it means for a developer, he described the raging sentiments on cloud computing with a thermometer, on one end Richard Stallman saying, “It’s stupidity!” and Google with others on the other end.
Then Prasad set out comparing how difficult it was for a developer in mainframe age with poor accessibility and then the PC age with increased storage and computing with increased accessibility to developer, one question he tried to answer in the session was -
What’s going to be different in Cloud computing?
Prasad pointed out that Cloud computing is not about making Client devices to be any less powerful but to make cloud more accessible. He then compared the browser in 1995 and 2009, how it has evolved into a powerful client with sophisticated core with advancements such as Local server, local relational DB and asynchronous threads.
He said that Cloud has lowered the entry barriers for application developers, as it has cleared out the Technical hurdles and Operational challenges and lowered the upfront costs. He said that Google sees everything figured out on day 1.
Prasad said that Cloud Computing promotes innovation enabling users to adopt Launch and Iterate Model and transparent rollout of enhancements. He said Cloud computing democratizes application development with increased reach of fragmented users, eliminating distribution headaches and availability of large computing resources and that cloud computing removes the problem of deployment.
Comparing the Google home pages he said for the users, it seems nothing changed for the users except the logo, and he added there’s lot more we do than editing the logo.
Then he described how Google has drastically improved the search experience. About cloud computing he said that the success is in developing apps for niche users and now with cloud, cost of building is zero and cost only goes up proportionate to success.
Ending the speech with his last thought’s on a cloudy future, he said that web belongs to you, it belongs to us. It’s our platform together. The cloud would become more accessible through powerful clients and pervasive connectivity. All companies in the cloud business need to gain users’ trust.
Steve took over the session, he said the last few months has been very phenomenal to SAAS business and that increasingly more Indian companies are moving to the cloud.Steve pointed out how SAAS including salesforce.com provides instant infrastructure, he said 63,200+ companies are with salesforce and that salesforce provides solutions with low cost,zero risk and proven success.
He pointed out that salesforce.com is the world’s most complete cloud applications. He then described how Salesforce.com started off, he said it all began with an Idea, “End of Software” by that he meant end of software installation. He then said that SAAS never had a user learning curve, questioning when was the last time one had to sit for class for Gmail or Facebook.
Steve then pointed that with SAAS every user is on the same version and with multitenant environment no matter how big or small a customer is, he get’s the same benefits. Then there are automatic upgrades, pay-as-you go model and lot of elasticity.
Then steve trying to answer the security concerns over cloud pointed out that Salesforce.com has Citi, Cisco and Symantec as their customers and said who else will be worried more about security.
He said SME’s are looking to grow their business and not their costs and SAAS and cloud computing is the right way to achieve it. Ending the session he pointed to force platform, PAAS solution that salesforce provides which has more than 120,000 apps and counting.
