Looking for Alternatives to AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure?
Savvy developers, SMBs, and service providers are drawn to the simplicity and price-performance of alternative cloud providers like Linode. Learn more about this growing category and how it may fit into your infrastructure strategy.
The Rise of the Alternative Cloud
New Techstrong Research from a survey of 500+ development professionals, managers, and senior managers across 20 industries covers multicloud and alternative cloud usage by DevOps teams.
What is an Alternative Cloud Provider?
451 Research analyst Liam Eagle defines The Alternative Cloud.
Alternative Cloud Provider Requirements
While alternative cloud providers don’t offer all the complex services of an AWS, they deliver the core services and performance SMBs need for most workloads.
Undeniable Price-Performance Advantage
Same or better performance at a much lower price. Alternative providers deliver simple, predictable, and often bundled services, at half the cost of hyperscalers.
Global Footprint
Ubiquitous network infrastructure available via world-class data centers placed strategically around the world.
Core Cloud Functions
Must provide the ~20 core functions (primitives) to satisfy most workloads, including virtual machines (dedicated and shared), Kubernetes, DDoS protection, object storage, and other key infrastructure services.
Industry-Comparative Hardware
Enterprise server-grade hardware like AMD's new 64 core EPYC processors or NVIDIA's RTX GPU's, means that you can move workloads from hyperscalers to alternative providers and expect similar or better performance.
Global 24/7/365 Support
Whether you're a startup, SMB, or enterprise business, you need high-quality 24/7/365 support. Alternative cloud providers must have a support organization capable of meeting global customer expectations.
API, CLI, UI
Alternative cloud providers must provide the necessary interfaces developers expect, such as full-featured APIs, CLIs, and a web-based cloud manager.
Extensive Technical Documentation & Guides
Developers expect comprehensive documentation and helpful guides from providers like AWS and GCP. For alternative cloud companies, it's no different. Extensive product documentation is a must.
One-Click App Marketplace
Ready-to-run apps and services save developers time and make it easier to scale their infrastructure. One-click app marketplaces are seen as an important cloud provider prerequisite.
Security and Compliance
Enterprise security requirements for data centers, networking, and security-focused products are critical checkboxes for considering alternative cloud providers.
"There is still room for alternative cloud providers to add value as enterprises increasingly adopt multicloud strategies, and smaller companies opt for services that intentionally skew away from the complexity of hyperscale cloud."
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