Computenext Secures $4M for Cloud Services
A couple years ago, Sundar Kannan had an ambitious idea that involved comparing public cloud services side by side in order to present the best option to customers based on their needs. He wanted to build upon this idea and make the transaction and actual server provisioning happen in one place instead of the traditional model of simply referring the website visitor to a cloud provider. This radical idea has now become a reality. Kannan’s venture called Computenext has just received $4M in funding. This is a huge step in the right direction for Computenext who is seeking a total of $10M in funding. Kannan once worked at Microsoft with the Azure team, and his direct exposure to the industry gave him a clear idea of what consumers expected and what metrics potential cloud customers use when they are comparing cloud services.
This insider knowledge has allowed Kannan to parlay his venture into an engine that helps consumers know which cloud is best for their environment. The CEO is quoted as calling his company “The Expedia for Cloud Computing.” Computenext takes the cloud buying process a step further. Kannan explains that “You can access our site with a single sign-on, buy resources from any provider, procure it, provision it, pay for it and bill it as well.”
Kannan calls his type of website an end to end marketplace. He’s broadened this concept so that he can datacenters all across the world can use this concept to better help customers get the services the need. Equinix is a prime example of this. Kannan said, “Imagine if Equinix launched a transactional marketplace, where you could not only come and search for something within the ecosystem, but also procure and provision.”
While this idea enters an arena filled with tough competition, Computenext thinks that its unique approach coupled with Kannan’s industry knowledge could be the catalyst that makes this startup a rousing success.
