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Today open source content management company MODX is launching a hosted cloud service to commercialize the product, much as Acquia and WordPress.com have done for Drupal and WordPress.

MODX started out as a volunteer open source project in 2004, but also became a company in 2010 after its first user conference. The service is focused mostly on attracting agencies that build websites for clients and emphasizes the ability to extensively customize the appearance and structure of a site.

Users can just sign up for an account and start building sites for their clients without ever worrying about what’s under the hood, but for those who want it, MODX is trying to add a much deeper layer of customization than I’m used to seeing from hosted web CMSes.

The service runs on SoftLayer‘s infrastructure. And much like PagodaBox (coverage), the MODX Cloud is attempting to blur the lines between different types of cloud computing. In MODX’s case, there are advanced features that enable users to manage the underlying cloud infrastructure and even install additional software if they so choose.

Some of the features include:

- The ability to take a “snapshot” of a configuration and save it to be used as a template for projects. 0 - Users will also be able to buy and sell these snapshots.
- Scheduled backups.
- A dashboard that lets users see the load on various servers and manage infrastructure.
- The ability to control version upgrades through a one-click process.

Not only is the service hosted by SoftLayer, but MODX also participated in SoftLayer’s Catalyst startup incubator. >>Read more

Source: TechCrunch

SoftLayer Technologies has received top honors from the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship taking away a 2011 Dallas 100 Entrepreneur Award. SoftLayer was recognized as the fastest-growing company in the Dallas area. The institute is part of the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. Last year, SoftLayer was named the fifth fastest growing company in Dallas, and has since moved into the first place spot for 2011.

The Dallas 100 Entrepreneur Awards celebrate and promote businesses currently driving economic growth and innovation. The award winners are chosen on various criteria including increased revenue growth, percentage of growth and absolute dollar growth over three years preceding the event.

"We're honored to be named first on a list that incorporates not only technology companies, but enterprises from every area of business," said Lance Crosby, CEO for SoftLayer. "This has been a banner year for SoftLayer, both in terms of customer adoption and revenue growth. We've expanded internationally, and we continue to innovate our industry by making technology more accessible and easier to manage while improving the bottom line." >>Read more

Source: CloudComputingJournal

RightScale is adding OpenStack and SoftLayer to the list of cloud services that can be managed from its RightScale Cloud Management Platform.

The SoftLayer support is planned for the first quarter next year, and the OpenStack support will follow by the end of the first half, RightScale CEO and founder Michael Crandell said in an interview. That's a conservative estimate, he added, meaning the OpenStack support could come sooner.

RightScale sells tools to design, deploy and clone server environments in the cloud, and to manage and monitor those servers even across different cloud platforms from different service providers. Its customers include Zynga, CBS Interactive and Intercontinental Hotel Group.

Each cloud platform has its own unique architecture, for example the way its storage systems are designed, so RightScale has to develop a version of its software for each cloud environment. Today it works with Amazon Web Services, Cloud.com, Rackspace, Eucalyptus, Japan's IDC Frontier, and one or two others. >>Read more

Source: Resellernews

Wanted to share this good cloud computing ppt by Softlayer about cloud hosting.

Parallels APAC Summit 2011 Lance Crosby Keynote