Google introduced App Engine on Monday, a service that lets developers run web applications on the company’s infrastructure. Google components in the software development kit are intended to simplify creation of reliable applications, while the infrastructure provides scalability as usage grows. App Engine initially entered a free preview limited to 10,000 participants. The service marks Google’s entry into the field known as platform as a service.
Google presents scalability as an important App Engine advantage. A web application that begins small can gain access to increasing resources in Google’s computing cloud. Google File System and Bigtable provide storage, including for structured data. The development environment also supplies components such as APIs for user authentication and email delivery. Google intends developers to spend less time on administration and more on application development.
The preview remains limited. Only 10,000 developers can participate initially, and Python is the sole supported programming language. Storage, computing power, and bandwidth are capped. “We expect most applications to be able to serve around five million page views per month,” Product Manager Paul McDonald wrote in the official blog. McDonald said the limited quotas are expected to remain free over the long term. Google plans an option to purchase additional resources when needed.
“Google App Engine SDK is a step in the right direction,” Frost & Sullivan analyst Shomik Banerjee said. Google Apps had not reached the business market to the desired extent, and entering platform as a service could change that. Amazon Web Services appears to be the direct competitor to Google’s complete offering, while Salesforce targets business-application developers and advertises its service as the world’s first platform as a service.
Further Links:
- Google App Engine
Amazon Web Services
Salesforce
