SugarCRM has announced that it will offer its CRM applications on the Windows Azure to enable its customers and value-added resellers (VARs) to benefit from the real-time scalability, high availability and on-demand infrastructure of the Microsoft cloud platform for Web applications and services.
SugarCRM has announced that it will offer its CRM applications on
the Windows Azure to enable its customers and value-added resellers
(VARs) to benefit from the real-time scalability, high availability and
on-demand infrastructure of the Microsoft cloud platform for Web
applications and services.
SugarCRM announced its plans at the Microsoft Professional
Developers Conference (PDC) 2009 here. In a meeting with eWEEK, Larry
Augustin, CEO of SugarCRM, said, "We ported Sugar over to Azure to
provide our customers with more choice. We're a PHP app and Microsoft's
support for PHP in the platform was a big part of that. Also, SQL
Server played a part n our decision as well."
In a statement, Augustin noted that, "With Windows Azure, Microsoft
has built a true cloud computing platform going well beyond the simple
hosted infrastructure that most service providers offer today. Windows
Azure enables SugarCRM value added resellers to create and deploy
unique solutions for customers around the globe. This new service is
another key component of the Sugar Open Cloud, the SugarCRM cloud
strategy for delivering simple, affordable CRM anywhere based on
customer need. Sugar on Windows Azure combines the most user-friendly
CRM application on the market with a highly available, scalable and
secure cloud computing platform."
Moreover, Augustin said Microsoft and SugarCRM began working
together in 2006 to deliver Sugar applications on top of Microsoft
technology. SugarCRM supports IIS as well as Active Directory,
Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Exchange
Server. The two companies have continued to collaborate as part of the
Interop Vendor Alliance. In August, SugarCRM announced Sugar Community
Edition on the Microsoft Web Platform, a framework for developing,
deploying and hosting Web applications.
The process for making SugarCRM applications available on Microsoft
Windows Azure was simple and straightforward, taking just a couple
weeks of development time, Augustin said.
"We are pleased to have SugarCRM running on Windows Azure," said
Doug Hauger, general manager of Windows Azure at Microsoft, in a
statement. "The ease by which SugarCRM was able to offer its CRM
services demonstrates how the openness of the Windows Azure platform
allowed it to deliver Web applications using its tools of choice."
Meanwhile, Augustin said he also is very interested in the data-as-a
service solution Microsoft announced at the PDC, codenamed "Dallas."
According to Augustin, "There is a lot of interesting potential in the
data services play Microsoft is getting into there. We could see the
data service adding value for a variety of things from bringing in
leads to service validation.
Clint Oram, SugarCRM's vice president of product management and
co-founder of the company, said SugarCRM has had data services
partnerships with companies such as Jigsaw, Hoover's and LinkedIn, and
he could see potential opportunities in teaming with or using
Microsoft's "Dallas" offering.
Augustin, who has been successful in launching several businesses
based on open source technology, said he is "excited" to see that
Microsoft continues to recognize the value of open source software.
"They recognize there is value in the open source position. One thing
Microsoft has done very well is support developers. And they recognize
there are a lot of open source developers out there."
On a different note, SugarCRM on November 17 announced the
appointment of Augustin to the role of full-time CEO. Augustin joined
SugarCRM as interim CEO in May of 2009.
Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.
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