Above is the four-minute highlight version of the Rackspace Managed Cloud interview. If you like this, and we think you will, you’ll want to watch the full-length version posted just below.
We usually talk to other companies about what they’re doing, but today Rackspace has big some news of its own: the launch of Managed Cloud. Rackspace’s CTO tells us about the new service, which offers in-depth support for your cloud infrastructure—so you can relax while the promise of the cloud comes true.
“Up until now, the cloud had support associated with it, but it wasn’t as deep as our traditional managed hosting services,” explains John Engates, Rackspace’s Chief Technology Officer. “Traditionally with the cloud we’d support things like portal, and the use of basic things like the API, but now we’re bringing full support in terms of managing things like the operating system, the core applications that run inside the operating system, and patching those, monitoring those, giving customers advice around those. This is really a full managed service suite on top of our cloud services.”
The cloud just might be the biggest thing to hit the internet in years, but that doesn’t mean it’s a cinch to keep it running perfectly. Almost every company has stories of early mistakes they made in setting up their cloud architecture—remember Flipboard’s first day?
“The cloud gives you that elastic scaling, that ability to spin up new resources very quickly, maybe even automate those resources in sort of an elastic fashion, an API-driven application,” says Engates. “The other piece is the architecture itself. No matter how many resources you have, if you’ve got the architecture wrong, you won’t be able to scale to meet the needs of your traffic and your customers. So what we provide and have always provided, as a part of Rackspace’s managed hosting services, is consultation around how to get that architecture right.… Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know. And I think Rackspace can help you with that.”
Managed Cloud is a lifesaver on Black Friday, or the day Oprah comes calling, says Engates—and that’s when Rackspace’s Fanatical Support is vital. “We’re trying to really make sort of a sweet spot, where it’s good technology—really good technology—with a great customer service experience, top-notch data centers, people with the expertise you need, and put that all together to get you to the right outcome,” says Engates. “If you’re missing one of those, it’s like that three-legged stool. You pull one thing out, and it sort of topples over. We want to make sure that it’s the right fit for our customers, and that it has the right support underneath it.”
More info:
Rackspace Managed Cloud web site: http://www.rackspacecloud.com/managed_cloud/
Blog post from Lew Moorman, Rackspace Cloud’s Chief Strategy Officer: http://www.rackspacecloud.com/blog/2010/12/14/rackspace-will-take-care-of-your-cloud-while-you-manage-your-business/
Managed Cloud webinar: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=jhz5gfsgeujc
The Rackspace Cloud on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rackcloud
Watch the full interview with John Engates: