Open-source developers take advantage of the cloud

Cloud computing has been a boon to open source developers, Cynthia Harvey wrote in a recent Datamation report. According to Harvey, open source developers and users have used cloud computing to their advantage in several ways.

The main draw of the cloud for developers is the prominence of Software-as-a-Service. SaaS allows open source apps to be hosted in the cloud and provide their creators with revenue opportunities that did not exist before. It also gives users easy access to apps and programs without having to pay for expensive traditional software.

Additionally, non-SaaS open source programs can still be easy to use on the cloud through public cloud hosting services. Public clouds are simple to deploy, wrote Harvey, making them a popular choice for open source developers.

Lastly, several developers have created software that enhances cloud computing, offering infrastructure and middleware that makes it easier for companies to run cloud services.

One such software is the recently launched Navajo System. Navajo encrypts end-user data as it is sent to the cloud, making it unreadable in case it is compromised while in storage. The data is then decrypted when it is sent back to the user.