Cloudant

Cloudant is a cloud-based, non-relational database service and software brand associated with IBM. It provides managed storage and processing for JSON documents and is designed for web, mobile, and other distributed applications that need a database capable of scaling across multiple machines. The service is based principally on Apache CouchDB and on BigCouch, an open-source project that added clustering and distributed-database capabilities to the CouchDB ecosystem. The business began as an independent startup in 2008. Its founders, Alan Hoffman, Adam Kocoloski, and Michael Miller, met while working with large scientific datasets in the physics department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their experience with data generated by experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider informed the company’s focus on what was then commonly described as the big-data problem: storing and serving growing volumes of information without requiring customers to operate database infrastructure themselves. Cloudant received early support from Y Combinator and later obtained a seed investment from Avalon Ventures. Cloudant developed a hosted database service that automatically distributed data across multiple servers. Its offering combined database hosting with administration tools, commercial support, consulting, and training. In addition to document storage, the platform provided search and analytics capabilities, including facilities for querying and processing data used by web applications. Cloudant databases were intended to be accessed through APIs and to retain compatibility with the CouchDB programming model while offering additional operational features through the hosted service. The company released BigCouch under the Apache License in 2010 and delivered its first product during the third quarter of that year. By January 2011, the hosted service reportedly had more than 2,500 customers. During its independent period, Cloudant was recognized in technology and startup coverage for its open-source database work and its position in Boston’s cloud-computing ecosystem. IBM announced an agreement to acquire Cloudant on February 24, 2014. The transaction closed on March 4, 2014, and Cloudant became part of IBM’s Information and Analytics Group. The Cloudant name continued as an IBM software and cloud-service brand, later operating within the IBM Cloud portfolio. IBM’s ownership gave the service access to a larger enterprise software and infrastructure ecosystem while preserving its focus on distributed document databases. Cloudant’s technology also contributed to the broader CouchDB community. In 2016, IBM completed the donation of the BigCouch project to the Apache Software Foundation. The resulting Apache CouchDB 2.0 release incorporated improvements associated with BigCouch and Cloudant, including clustering, query capabilities, and performance work. Cloudant therefore occupies two related positions: it is an IBM-managed commercial database service, and it is a significant contributor to the open-source CouchDB technology lineage. The product has supported JSON document storage, redundant distribution across machines, full-text search, geospatial queries, analytics, and application-programming interfaces for programmatic access. Cloudant’s shared plan was scheduled for retirement and migration to IBM Cloud by March 31, 2018. Its current identity is best understood as an IBM Cloud database product rather than as an independent startup company.

Cloudant was founded in 2008 by Alan Hoffman, Adam Kocoloski, and Michael Miller, who met in the physics department at MIT while working with very large scientific datasets. Their experiences with data-intensive research led them to develop a cloud-oriented approach to database management. Rather than requiring each customer to build and maintain its own database cluster, Cloudant aimed to distribute data automatically across multiple servers and provide the surrounding hosting, administration, and support services. The founders’ early work attracted Y Combinator, which provided seed funding of $20,000 in early 2008. Cloudant later received a $1 million seed round from Avalon Ventures in August 2010. The company’s technology was built around CouchDB, an open-source document database, and BigCouch, a project intended to extend CouchDB with distributed and clustered operation. Cloudant released BigCouch as free software under the Apache License in August 2010. It also offered commercial support, consulting, and training alongside its hosted database service. The first Cloudant product was delivered in the third quarter of 2010, and the company reported more than 2,500 hosted-service customers by January 2011. Its platform was designed for applications that required JSON document storage, horizontal scaling, redundant distribution, and API-based access. Additional capabilities included search, analytics, map-reduce processing, and geospatial queries. Cloudant’s hosted service extended the conventional CouchDB model in several ways. It supplied operational management and distributed hosting, while also offering features such as chained map-reduce views, a Java view server for certain analytics workloads, and API keys for programmatic database access. These features positioned Cloudant as a commercial service for developers and organizations that wanted CouchDB compatibility without managing the underlying infrastructure. IBM announced its agreement to acquire Cloudant on February 24, 2014. The transaction closed on March 4, 2014, and Cloudant became part of IBM’s Information and Analytics Group. The acquisition changed Cloudant from an independent venture-backed startup into an IBM software product and later an IBM Cloud service. IBM’s cloud and enterprise infrastructure provided the broader platform on which Cloudant was delivered. Cloudant also influenced the open-source development of CouchDB. In September 2016, IBM completed the donation of BigCouch to the Apache Software Foundation. The resulting Apache CouchDB 2.0 release incorporated technology and improvements associated with Cloudant and BigCouch, including clustering, declarative querying, and performance enhancements. This transfer connected Cloudant’s commercial development work with the wider Apache CouchDB project. By March 31, 2018, Cloudant Shared Plan was scheduled to be retired and migrated to IBM Cloud. The change reflected the product’s integration into IBM’s broader cloud-service structure. Cloudant is therefore primarily recognized today as an IBM database product whose technical heritage combines CouchDB, BigCouch, distributed document storage, and managed cloud operations.

• 2018

  Cloudant Shared Plan migration

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Cloudant Shared Plan was scheduled for retirement and migration to IBM Cloud by March 31, 2018.

• 2016

  BigCouch is donated to the Apache Software Foundation

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  IBM completed the donation of BigCouch, whose work contributed to Apache CouchDB 2.0.

• 2014

  IBM acquires Cloudant

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  IBM announced the acquisition on February 24 and completed it on March 4, bringing Cloudant into its Information and Analytics Group.

• 2011

  Hosted service exceeds 2,500 customers

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Cloudant was reported to have more than 2,500 hosted-service customers by January 2011.

• 2010

  Avalon Ventures provides seed investment

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Avalon Ventures supplied a $1 million seed round in August 2010.

• 2010

  BigCouch is released under the Apache License

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Cloudant released BigCouch as open-source software, extending the CouchDB ecosystem toward distributed database operation.

• 2010

  First Cloudant product is delivered

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Cloudant delivered its first product during the third quarter of 2010.

• 2008

  Cloudant is founded

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Alan Hoffman, Adam Kocoloski, and Michael Miller founded Cloudant after working with large scientific datasets at MIT.

• 2008

  Y Combinator provides early seed funding

  [1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Cloudant’s early data-management concept attracted Y Combinator and received $20,000 in seed funding.

A developer-oriented, enterprise-ready managed NoSQL database service for distributed applications and JSON document workloads.

• Managed cloud database · 2010

  Cloudant NoSQL DB

  Cloudant NoSQL DB is a managed, distributed document-database service based on CouchDB and BigCouch technology. It stores JSON documents and is designed to scale across multiple machines, reducing the need for customers to operate database clusters themselves. The service combines storage with hosting, administration, search, analytics, API access, and commercial support. It is aimed at web and application developers as well as organizations requiring resilient cloud database infrastructure.

• Open-source distributed database technology · 2010

  BigCouch

  BigCouch was an open-source project developed in the Cloudant ecosystem to extend CouchDB with clustering and distributed operation. Cloudant released it under the Apache License in 2010. IBM later donated the project to the Apache Software Foundation, and its technical work contributed to Apache CouchDB 2.0, including improvements related to clustering, query capabilities, and performance.

• 2018

  Retirement and migration of Cloudant Shared PlanStrategy

  Background

  Cloudant had become part of IBM’s broader cloud-service portfolio following the acquisition.

  Action taken

  The Cloudant Shared Plan was scheduled for retirement and migration to IBM Cloud by March 31, 2018.

  Aftermath

  The decision further integrated Cloudant service delivery into IBM Cloud.

  Source

• 2016

  Donation of BigCouch to the Apache Software FoundationStrategy

  Background

  BigCouch contained distributed-database improvements developed in the Cloudant ecosystem and was closely related to the open-source CouchDB project.

  Action taken

  IBM completed the donation of BigCouch to the Apache Software Foundation.

  Aftermath

  BigCouch technology contributed to Apache CouchDB 2.0, including clustering, declarative query, and performance improvements.

  Source

• 2014

  IBM acquisition of CloudantM&A

  Background

  Cloudant had developed a hosted, distributed CouchDB-based database service for web and data-intensive applications. IBM announced an agreement to acquire the company as part of its expansion in cloud and information-management software.

  Action taken

  IBM announced the transaction on February 24, 2014, and completed it on March 4, bringing Cloudant into the Information and Analytics Group.

  Aftermath

  Cloudant continued as an IBM software and cloud database brand and became associated with IBM Cloud.

  Source

• 2018

  Cloudant Shared Plan scheduled for IBM Cloud migration[1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The Cloudant Shared Plan was scheduled for retirement and migration to IBM Cloud by March 31, 2018.

• 2016

  BigCouch contribution supports Apache CouchDB 2.0[1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Other

  IBM completed the donation of BigCouch to the Apache Software Foundation. Features developed in the Cloudant and BigCouch ecosystem were incorporated into Apache CouchDB 2.0.

• 2014

  IBM announces agreement to acquire Cloudant[1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  IBM announced that it would acquire Cloudant, expanding its cloud and information-management capabilities with a hosted NoSQL database service.

• 2014

  IBM completes Cloudant acquisition[1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The acquisition of Cloudant by IBM closed on March 4, after which Cloudant joined IBM’s Information and Analytics Group.

• 2010

  Cloudant releases BigCouch as open-source software[1]Cloudanten.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Cloudant released BigCouch under the Apache License, making its distributed CouchDB-related technology available to the open-source community.

1. 1Cloudanten.wikipedia.org