So yesterday one of our (OnApp) competitors sent out a mailshot announcing that ‘At last’ there was an alternative to OnApp for use by hosting companies.

After due consideration, here’s my reaction to their mail:

Now, why did I feel like that ?

It’s not that their competing product is bad. It’s good tech: I know some of the people who work there, and they’re all nice chaps trying to do the same thing we are, create good software that clients can use to make money, make their own lives easier, and make things better for their end users.

While they do have some cool features, we are years ahead on what we can deliver. But more important, what they’re saying is old news. It’s still just “Cloud, Cloud”… that’s so 2010! For us, for our clients, cloud is no longer enough. Hosts and service providers need more, and we’re delivering what that ‘more’ is.

I think that’s pretty clear to our customers, too, so I found it a bit confusing that they started using our name in their marketing in this way. And initially I was a bit annoyed that they had the nerve to try punching above their weight like this. But then I was honoured. It’s pretty nice to be confirmed as the industry leader by one of your competitors, after all.

And so, with tongue in cheek, it is a bit like the Fiat 500 vs the Veyron. They both have 4 wheels. They’ll both take you from A to B. On the surface they do the same thing – but one of them will take you there faster, in more style, with better engineering and a much bigger smile on your face.

And of course, the intended audience (perhaps that hot blonde by the coffee shop) will notice you more in the Bugatti. It’s just a fact of life! OnApp is not just an excellent platform, it’s the COOLEST cloud management platform out there, and our customers love it.

Now, you might argue that while they both do the same thing, you should go for the Fiat because it’s cheaper: it might not have all the bells and whistles, like a quad-turbo or CDN, but for the price it does the job, right?

Then I looked at the price of this competing product, and it seems to range from very slightly less, to way more than ours. So, whats the catch? I don’t know, but something feels wrong :]

In the end, all I can take from this is to be proud we are recognised as the leader in the market, the one to beat, and nearly 2.5 years since we started selling the product (and over 4 years of development) I am so proud of what we achieved. Especially when we’ve created a product so unique and desirable that it’s left to competitors to try and catch up and be associated as a player in the same space as us.

It’s good to be a Veyron!

PS – so that my CEO won’t kill me, it’s of course my duty to state that my opinions are my own and not my company’s… but I’m pretty sure he would agree with everything I just said…