Cambridge, MA based startup Basho Technologies recently announced the availability of Riak CS, a cloud storage solution that targets cloud products and services. Basho’s press release outlines three immediate use cases for Riak CS: (1) Cloud service providers can leverage Riak CS as the underlying cloud storage technology for their cloud solution; (2) Enterprises with private clouds can use Riak CS as the cloud storage platform for their private cloud environment; and (3) Companies with web-based applications can turn to Riak CS for their cloud storage needs. Importantly, Riak CS is compatible with the Amazon Web Services S3 API, thereby allowing customers to migrate data back and forth between AWS S3 and their Basho cloud storage solution as needed. The principal customers envisioned for Riak CS feature IaaS providers, telecommunications qua cloud service providers and enterprises seeking either storage for their private cloud or a dedicated storage solution. The launch of Riak CS positions Basho as a leading player in the hotly contested enterprise storage space alongside the likes of Box, Nirvanix, Zetta, Mezeo, Scality and Egnyte. Besides its implications for the world of enterprise cloud storage, the Riak CS product underscores the prevailing currency of Amazon Web Services APIs as a standard with which cloud vendors seek compatibility.
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