eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
With demand for Node.js applications on the rise, NodeSource, which is committed to delivering enterprise-grade Node.js software, recently announced the availability of N|Support, an enterprise support offering to meet the demand of small, midsize and large companies looking to integrate Node.js into their IT infrastructure.
Node.js is a development platform built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications. It is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment for server-side and networking applications. Node.js applications are written in JavaScript and can be run within the Node.js runtime on OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, NonStop, IBM AIX, IBM System z and IBM i.
With the rapid adoption of Node.js in the enterprise, user organizations now have access to expertise on large-scale deployments of Node.js. Node.js is one of the fastest growing application platforms and has one of the largest package ecosystems ever created, npm. NodeSource offers Node.js and io.js support for enterprise organizations, including the likes of Uber, Walmart, PayPal and NASA. The company recently joined the newly formed Node Foundation and was a key player in the reconciliation of Node.js and io.js.
Although there are high-profile examples of Node.js being successfully implemented at major companies like Walmart and PayPal, many newcomers need assistance to increase code quality and reduce risk when adopting Node.js inside their IT organizations. With N|Support, companies can call on an experienced team of Node.js experts and community members to help ensure success with the platform.
“It’s been an exciting four months for NodeSource after closing our initial round of $3.4 million in seed funding, obtaining a gold membership in the Node.js Foundation and bringing on several high-profile new hires,” NodeSource co-founder and CEO Joe McCann said in a statement. “Now, with the rollout of our N|Support offering, we’re taking the next critical step in delivering on our mission to establish Node.js as a first-class technology solution for the enterprise.”
N|Support provides enterprise customers with three tiers of support to integrate Node.js into their IT infrastructure. This includes installation, configuration, troubleshooting and general usage assistance at every point in the software development life-cycle—from initial adoption through production, McCann said.
The three-tier subscription plans are N|Support Enterprise, N|Support Standard and N|Support Developer. N|Support Enterprise is targeted at organizations leveraging Node.js for business-critical applications. N|Support provides the back-stop for operations teams to operate production environments with 24/7 phone support, a dedicated support engineer and regular reviews with the NodeSource Support team. N|Support Standard is targeted at companies that are growing their Node.js use and moving Node.js into production. And N|Support Developer is targeted at development and operations teams that are new to Node.js. N|Support can help get an organization’s Node projects and processes off the ground by providing assistance with installing, configuring and using Node.js in a development environment.
In February, NodeSource announced a $3.4 million first-round seed funding from Crosslink Capital and Resolute Ventures. The company said the funding exemplified the pent-up demand for Node.js solutions as enterprises abandon their monolithic applications in favor of modern, scalable service-oriented architectures.
“Monolithic applications, mainly written in Java, are killing development cycles, stifling innovation and keeping Java-heavy IT organizations many steps behind their competitors, especially those who have embraced a micro services architecture,” McCann said. “Some of the world’s most innovative enterprise clients have purchased access to our best practices and software tools to securely and reliably integrate Node.js into their organizations. Our purpose for them and the market is to make sure they get the agility and efficiency from Node with the confidence of a mature development and deployment environment.”
At the time of the funding, McCann said NodeSource would use the funding to continue expansion with the release of upcoming products and partnerships with Fortune 500 companies.
“It is rare to see a small company make such an impact on critical enterprise functions, and when I met Joe, I knew the NodeSource team had an important advantage,” Eric Chin, general partner at Crosslink Capital, said in a statement. “In terms of knowledge transfer, NodeSource has the magic to keep Node.js pure and reliable, while future-proofing it for new architectural approaches.”
Brendan Eich, JavaScript creator and advisor to NodeSource, said: “JavaScript is no longer limited to just Websites. It is now running on the server, thanks to the massive adoption of Node.js. NodeSource, with their tools and expertise, is well-positioned to bring Node.js and server side JavaScript to the enterprise.”