Skytap
Encyclopedia
Skytap, Inc., founded in 2006, is a cloud computing
provider that provides virtual lab automation
as a cloud service. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington
. Skytap is funded by Ignition Partners, Madrona Ventures, and Bezos Expeditions (investments of Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame).
Skytap is a cloud computing
platform that enables existing and new applications
, virtual machines and systems to run unchanged in the cloud on industry-standard platforms. Skytap cloud infrastructure supports the leading hypervisors, including VMware
and Xen
, and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows
and Linux
. Skytap provides management and automation capabilities so companies can integrate cloud infrastructure into their existing IT environments.
solution as a cloud service in April 2008. Skytap Virtual Lab provides virtual infrastructure on demand, a Web-based virtual lab management application and a pre-populated virtual machine library for creating new virtual machine configurations. Skytap offers the ability to access virtual machines from any location using a Web browser, including mobile devices such as the iPhone
.
Skytap introduces the concept of templates to represent one or more pre-built VM images. These templates can be very simple and contain one VM, or they can be very complex and house several. The latter case is particularly useful when you are working with applications that multiple machines (i.e. database + app server + web server). Skytap users can use the pre-built templates as well as create their own. One of the interesting ways Skytap can be used by development teams is to create templates that reproduce bugs or build breaks. Because a template can be very complex (i.e. they can house many VM's), even the most complicated deployment environment can be easily replicated.
In order to use a Skytap template, you install it into your virtual lab. This notion enables a development team to instantiate multiple instances of a single template - enabling different teams to work in parallel.
In 2009, Seattle Business Magazine chooses Skytap CEO as 2009 Top Innovator and Entrepreneur.
In 2010, Skytap was named in the Lead411's Hottest Seattle Companies list
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
provider that provides virtual lab automation
Virtual lab automation
Virtual Lab Automation refers to a category of software solutions to automate IT labs using virtualization technology. Virtual Lab Automation solutions are available as on-premise packaged software or as a cloud service.-History:...
as a cloud service. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Skytap is funded by Ignition Partners, Madrona Ventures, and Bezos Expeditions (investments of Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame).
Skytap is a cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
platform that enables existing and new applications
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
, virtual machines and systems to run unchanged in the cloud on industry-standard platforms. Skytap cloud infrastructure supports the leading hypervisors, including VMware
VMware
VMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
and Xen
Xen
Xen is a virtual-machine monitor providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently....
, and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. Skytap provides management and automation capabilities so companies can integrate cloud infrastructure into their existing IT environments.
Virtual Lab Automation as a Cloud Service
Skytap launched a virtual lab automationVirtual lab automation
Virtual Lab Automation refers to a category of software solutions to automate IT labs using virtualization technology. Virtual Lab Automation solutions are available as on-premise packaged software or as a cloud service.-History:...
solution as a cloud service in April 2008. Skytap Virtual Lab provides virtual infrastructure on demand, a Web-based virtual lab management application and a pre-populated virtual machine library for creating new virtual machine configurations. Skytap offers the ability to access virtual machines from any location using a Web browser, including mobile devices such as the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
Skytap introduces the concept of templates to represent one or more pre-built VM images. These templates can be very simple and contain one VM, or they can be very complex and house several. The latter case is particularly useful when you are working with applications that multiple machines (i.e. database + app server + web server). Skytap users can use the pre-built templates as well as create their own. One of the interesting ways Skytap can be used by development teams is to create templates that reproduce bugs or build breaks. Because a template can be very complex (i.e. they can house many VM's), even the most complicated deployment environment can be easily replicated.
In order to use a Skytap template, you install it into your virtual lab. This notion enables a development team to instantiate multiple instances of a single template - enabling different teams to work in parallel.
Awards
In 2008, Skytap was nominated for "Best Virtual Lab Automation"In 2009, Seattle Business Magazine chooses Skytap CEO as 2009 Top Innovator and Entrepreneur.
In 2010, Skytap was named in the Lead411's Hottest Seattle Companies list
Competitors
There are several competitors to Skytap in the virtual lab automation market. Here is a list of the leading competitors:- CloudShareCloudShareCloudShare is a cloud computing provider which enables users to create, replicate and share fully functional IT environments in the Cloud. The company was founded in January 2007 in Israel and is now headquartered in San Mateo, California...
(originally IT Structures) - Hatsize
- Surgient
- Toolwire
- VMWare Lab Manager
- VMLogix
- SoftwareDEMO