Cloud Cruiser

Cloud Cruiser was a cloud-based financial management software company founded in January 2010 by David Zabrowski and Gregory Howard. The company developed tools intended to help organizations measure, analyze, and manage the financial dimensions of cloud and infrastructure services. Its business was associated with the growing need for visibility into consumption, allocation, pricing, and cost management as enterprises adopted private, public, and hybrid cloud models. The company was based in Silicon Valley and maintained offices in Roseville and San Jose, California, as well as an office presence in the Netherlands. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing technology brand, Cloud Cruiser focused on enterprise software and partnerships with infrastructure and platform providers. Its reported partners included Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, VMware, Amazon Marketplace, and Cisco. The company also developed integrations for OpenStack, reflecting its focus on cloud environments assembled from multiple technologies and vendors. Cloud Cruiser emerged from stealth in March 2011 and released its eponymous software later that year. The product was positioned as a financial-management layer for cloud services, supporting organizations that needed to understand the cost and business implications of infrastructure usage. Its development and distribution strategy emphasized compatibility with established enterprise platforms. In 2013, the software became available for Windows Server 2012 R2 through Microsoft Azure. In February 2014, it was made available to OpenStack users through Rackspace, extending its reach into another major cloud ecosystem. Cloud Cruiser 4 was released in October 2014. The company raised an initial financing round in July 2010 led by Wavepoint Ventures, with participation from Roger Akers of Akers Capital and other San Francisco Bay Area angel investors. In June 2012, it raised a further $6 million Series B round led by ONSET Ventures. These financings supported product development, commercialization, and integration work during a period when cloud adoption was accelerating and enterprises were seeking more formal approaches to technology cost governance. Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired Cloud Cruiser in 2017. The acquisition ended Cloud Cruiser's existence as an independent company and brought its technology and capabilities into HPE's broader enterprise cloud and infrastructure portfolio. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate current operating identity, product catalog, or standalone website for the Cloud Cruiser brand after the acquisition.

Cloud Cruiser was established in January 2010 by David Zabrowski and Gregory Howard as enterprise demand for cloud infrastructure created a need for stronger financial controls and usage transparency. The company was based in Silicon Valley, with offices in Roseville and San Jose, California, and in the Netherlands. Its work centered on software for financial management of cloud and infrastructure services rather than on providing general-purpose cloud hosting. During its early development, Cloud Cruiser built relationships with major technology companies and infrastructure ecosystems, including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, VMware, Amazon Marketplace, and Cisco. These relationships were important to the company's strategy because enterprise cloud environments were commonly assembled from multiple vendors and deployment models. Cloud Cruiser also began offering OpenStack integration in 2011, supporting organizations using the open-source cloud platform. In July 2010, Wavepoint Ventures led the company's first reported funding round. The round also included Roger Akers of Akers Capital and other San Francisco Bay Area angel investors. Cloud Cruiser remained in stealth until March 2011, when it publicly introduced the company and subsequently released its eponymous software. The product was designed to give organizations a way to analyze infrastructure consumption and its associated financial impact, helping them manage cloud costs and service economics. The company secured additional capital in June 2012 through a $6 million Series B round led by ONSET Ventures. It continued to expand the environments in which its software could be deployed. In 2013, Cloud Cruiser became available for Windows Server 2012 R2 through Microsoft Azure. The following year, the company made the software available to OpenStack users through Rackspace. Cloud Cruiser 4 was released in October 2014, marking a further product-generation update. Cloud Cruiser's history reflects the early enterprise-cloud market's movement from infrastructure deployment toward operational and financial governance. Its products addressed a specialized problem: understanding how infrastructure resources were consumed, allocated, and economically managed across complex environments. The company therefore occupied a position between cloud infrastructure platforms and the business-management functions that enterprises needed to operate those platforms sustainably. In 2017, Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired Cloud Cruiser. The transaction brought the company's technology into HPE's enterprise infrastructure and cloud portfolio. Available reference material does not provide a detailed account of the acquisition terms or identify a continuing standalone Cloud Cruiser operation. The brand is consequently treated as no longer independent, with its post-acquisition product and organizational status requiring further verification from HPE archival or corporate sources.

• 2017

  Acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired Cloud Cruiser, ending its operation as an independent company.

• 2014

  OpenStack availability and Cloud Cruiser 4

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  The software became available to OpenStack users through Rackspace, and Cloud Cruiser 4 was released in October.

• 2013

  Microsoft Azure availability

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Cloud Cruiser became available for Windows Server 2012 R2 through Microsoft Azure.

• 2012

  Series B financing

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  ONSET Ventures led a $6 million Series B financing round.

• 2011

  Company emerges from stealth

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Cloud Cruiser came out of stealth in March and released its eponymous software later that year.

• 2010

  Cloud Cruiser founded

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  David Zabrowski and Gregory Howard founded Cloud Cruiser in January as a cloud-focused financial management software company.

• 2010

  First financing round

  [1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Wavepoint Ventures led the company's first reported funding round, joined by Roger Akers and other angel investors.

Enterprise cloud financial management and cost-visibility software for organizations operating private, public, and hybrid infrastructure environments.

• Cloud financial management software · 2011

  Cloud Cruiser

  Cloud Cruiser's eponymous software was designed to help enterprises understand and manage the financial dimensions of cloud and infrastructure usage. It supported the company's focus on cost visibility and financial governance across complex environments involving private infrastructure, public cloud services, and technology from multiple vendors. The software was associated with integrations for OpenStack and Microsoft environments and was distributed through channels including Microsoft Azure and Rackspace.

• Enterprise cloud management software · 2014

  Cloud Cruiser 4

  Cloud Cruiser 4 was the fourth major release of the company's software, introduced in October 2014. It represented the product's continued development as Cloud Cruiser expanded its support for enterprise cloud environments and infrastructure ecosystems. Public reference material does not provide a complete feature list or establish the product's later release history after Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired the company.

• 2017

  Acquisition by Hewlett Packard EnterpriseM&A

  Background

  Cloud Cruiser had developed enterprise cloud financial-management capabilities and relationships across major infrastructure platforms.

  Action taken

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired the company.

  Aftermath

  Cloud Cruiser ceased to operate as an independent company. The available reference does not specify the transaction value, detailed integration plan, or the subsequent standalone status of its products.

  Source

• 2014

  OpenStack channel expansionStrategy

  Background

  OpenStack was becoming an important open-source option for organizations building private and hybrid cloud environments.

  Action taken

  Cloud Cruiser made its software available to OpenStack users through Rackspace, building on an integration it had begun offering in 2011.

  Aftermath

  The decision extended Cloud Cruiser's reach beyond proprietary infrastructure ecosystems and reinforced its multi-platform positioning.

  Source

• 2013

  Expansion through Microsoft AzureStrategy

  Background

  Enterprise customers increasingly used Microsoft infrastructure and cloud services, making platform availability an important route to distribution.

  Action taken

  Cloud Cruiser made its software available for Windows Server 2012 R2 through Microsoft Azure.

  Aftermath

  The move broadened the software's availability within Microsoft's enterprise ecosystem.

  Source

• 2011

  Public launch of Cloud Cruiser softwareProduct launch

  Background

  After operating in stealth, Cloud Cruiser entered the market during a period of rapid enterprise adoption of cloud infrastructure and growing concern about cloud cost control.

  Action taken

  The company publicly emerged from stealth in March and released its eponymous software later in 2011.

  Aftermath

  The launch established Cloud Cruiser as a specialist provider of cloud financial-management software and was followed by further platform integrations.

  Source

• 2017

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquires Cloud Cruiser[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired Cloud Cruiser, ending the company's independent corporate existence.

• 2014

  Cloud Cruiser software reaches OpenStack users through Rackspace[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The software was made available to OpenStack users through Rackspace, building on the company's earlier OpenStack integration work.

• 2014

  Cloud Cruiser 4 released[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Cloud Cruiser released the fourth major version of its software in October.

• 2013

  Cloud Cruiser becomes available through Microsoft Azure[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Cloud Cruiser software became available for Windows Server 2012 R2 through Microsoft Azure.

• 2012

  Cloud Cruiser completes $6 million Series B financing[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  ONSET Ventures led a $6 million Series B financing intended to support the company's continued development and expansion.

• 2011

  Cloud Cruiser exits stealth and releases its software[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The company publicly emerged from stealth in March and released its eponymous cloud financial-management software later in the year.

• 2010

  Cloud Cruiser raises first funding round[1]Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Wavepoint Ventures led Cloud Cruiser's first reported financing, with participation from Roger Akers of Akers Capital and other Bay Area angel investors.

1. 1Cloud Cruiseren.wikipedia.org