xTuple in the Cloud

One thing that has been important here at xTuple from day one has been customer choice.  You see that philosophy in the fact that xTuple runs on any combination of Windows, Mac, and Linux.  In the option to run the free PostBooks Edition or a commercially-licensed version.  And you've always had the choice between having your server onsite, or hosted elsewhere.

There's been a lot of talk lately about "cloud computing."  This generally means having software applications available over the internet, able to accomodate any level of usage dynamically, without having to worry about maintaining the hardware yourself.  For some people it also means a utility type of model, where you pay only for what you use.  For others, the appeal is mainly in having a reliable service available 24/7.

People have been asking us for some time, "does xTuple run in the cloud?"  The answer has always been yes - technically, for us, it's no different from other hosted scenarios.  But in an effort to meet the expanding needs of our users, particularly smaller users with limited budgets, we thought it was time to prove it.

So we're pleased to announce that starting with version 3.5.1, you can now run your xTuple database (PostBooks, Standard, Project, Manufacturing, or Enterprise) in the Amazon.com Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2).  This is a commercial service, billed monthly, to a credit card - here are details on pricing.

xTuple Cloud Access - Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  How is this different from the existing hosted demo?

  • A:  In addition to a noticeable performance improvement (thanks, Amazon), you'll also be able to run a full production database - including multiple users and all the administrative tools.  The hosted demo is only for a single user.

Q:  How do I sign up?  Do I use my existing xTuple website user name?

  • A:  No, this will be different.  The person that creates the database will have the user name "admin" and we will assign you a temporary password for accessing the database (you can change it later).  You will, however, choose a name for your company database; please try and make it something unique, that is, not "mycompany."  You'll be able to add more users (with real names) later.  To sign up, go to the xTuple Cloud Access order page (you'll need to be logged in your website user name).

Q:  How is this different from XTN Hosted?

  • A:  The Cloud Access service is really intended for someone who doesn't ever want to touch the server.  The pricing, frankly, is better suited for companies who don't have significant internal IT resources.  By contrast, XTN Hosted is intended for more advanced users who want the benefits of our premium XTN offering, hosted in a secure offsite data center, and - importantly - with full administrative access to the database by internal IT personnel.

Q:  So I don't have administrative access to the database with the Cloud Access service?

  • Right.  You can only connect to your database with your xTuple client, or, via the paid backup service on this website (see backup question below).

Q:  How much does xTuple Cloud Access cost?

  • A:  It depends on the number of users, and which Edition of xTuple you want to run.  Here are the details.  One important note:  We don't charge by usage time.  We want you to use the software to its fullest potential, and we believe that metered usage pricing has a way of discouraging that.

Q: What is the minimum number of users I need to purchase?

  • A:  One.

Q: What?  Really?  I can sign up with a single user?

  • A:  Yes.

Q: Do I need to give you any financial information now?

  • A:  Yes, when you sign up, we'll take your credit card information.

Q:  What about the free trial that you were doing with version 3.5.0?

  • A:  That's all finished.  Thanks to all who participated, and gave us their feedback over the course of those three months.

Q:  You call this a cloud?  Looks like just regular hosted / ASP / SaaS to me.

  • A:  Welcome to the world of software buzz-phrases.  The service lives in the Amazon cloud.  It's certainly true that if you wish, you could spin up your own private cloud database on Amazon EC2 or any other cloud service.  Then you would be in that "meter running" position we referred to above - and who knows, that might be more appealing to you.  We will be publishing a video soon that shows you how to do that, if you wish.  It's pretty easy, but of course you're still effectively maintaining a "server."  Our goal with this service is to take that maintenance off your hands.

Q:  Which Edition(s) of xTuple will be offered in the cloud?

  • A:  All five.  If you have an existing xTuple database (PostBooks, Standard, Project, Manufacturing, or Enterprise), we will setup that database in the cloud for a one-time fee.  If you want to start fresh, you can choose which Edition you want at signup time.  And all new cloud databases include our new QuickStart Wizard package, to help you get your initial database built out.

Q:  Which starter database (demo, quickstart, empty) will be offered in the cloud?

  • A:  Just the quickstart (which includes some default categories and a sample chart of accounts, but no master information).  If you want to work with the demo database, you're best to apply for a Hosted Demo database.  The completely empty database is recommended for advanced users only.

Q:  What about support?

  • A:  Since every cloud instance will be a commercially licensed copy of xTuple (even PostBooks), it does come with limited helpdesk support via our customer web portal.  That's one named support contact (i.e. person who is authorized to contact us), and only via the website.  You can upgrade to our standard support, which includes a second named support contact and business-hours telephone support.

Q:  How do I get backups of my data?

  • A:  The easiest way is to sign up for the XTN+Backup network service, which provides for nightly offsite backups, as well as xTuple-managed upgrades to the latest version of the software at a time you specify.  You can also request an ad-hoc backup, for a small fee - the backup file will be placed in your My Account download area.

Q:  What about upgrades?

  • A:   The basic cloud offering is just that, basic - you stay with the version you started with, unless there is an upgrade that is deemed essential by xTuple.  If you'd like a bundled subscription service that applies all upgrades for you, there are several tiers of the XTN network service available in the cloud.

Q:  What??  Upgrades aren't included?  That's not the cloud!  It's supposed to all magically happen in the background!

  • A:  See our discussion of buzz-phrases above.  Look, upgrading an ERP system is a serious matter, and it will - and should - require more attention and resources than a simple "point" application like email or even CRM.  Do you really want, for example, the system to start sending out invoices to your customers differently before you've learned how the new functionality works?  That's why we package and price XTN separately.

Q:  What about if I want to leave your lovely xTuple cloud?  What happens to my data then?

  • A:  We'll give you a full backup of your database, minus any code that is specific to one of the commercial Editions of xTuple (if applicable).  But we'll be very sad.

Q:  My question isn't answered here, or on your helpful pricing or signup pages!