This week’s cloud business news roundup highlights the rise of niche cloud services. Some cloud vendors are now making their marks by laser-targeting certain niches in the market; a smart move, considering the big guys are taking on the general consumer/small business/enterprise cloud markets.
As reported by CloudTweaks, according to a cloud services study on US-based small and medium business conducted by AMI-Partners, US SMBs are having strong interest in cloud business applications, as the cloud computing solutions enable them to access enterprise-class solutions on a budget.
By going niche, both cloud service providers and clients can expect mutually beneficial relationship. Businesses adopting cloud computing are prioritizing on niche-related cloud services with an assumption that such niche cloud services understand their niches very well, as well as the convenience in acquiring niche-tailored cloud services.
Let’s take this week’s update on niche cloud businesses:
Optimum LIghtpath announces cloud-based phone service
Optimum Lightpath has announced the availability of a cloud phone service – Optimum Lightpath Hosted Voice – to cater the needs of mid-market and large businesses in a more affordable, flat-rate pricing model – so, no huge upfront costs for clients.
Autodesk launches Autodesk Cloud – a cloud computing solutions for designers
Designers can now access design capabilities in the cloud – thanks to Autodesk Cloud. With Autodesk Cloud, designers can now access dozens of cloud-based tools, that include cloud-based rendering and design optimization, visualization and collaboration.
A premier real estate firm chooses cloud fax services from Retarus
Slifer Smith & Frampton, a leading real estate firm from Vail Valley, has partnered with Retarus for its Faxolution for Desktops, cloud fax services to fulfill their fax messaging needs. Faxolution for Desktops offers innovative, fully redundant cloud fax environment with total transparency in the messaging process.
CareClouds, cloud solutions for doctors, raises $20 million
CareCloud, a provider of cloud-based practice management tools for healthcare providers based in Miami, just raised more than $20 million from investors. The fund will help CareCloud to further develop cloud apps for doctors that already include a community collaboration and communication platform to securely share patient information, a medical practice management system for billing and scheduling as well as a revenue cycle management app.
Niche cloud services are growing well and we predict the trend will continue – there will be more niche-related and business operation-related cloud solutions to cater businesses’ specific need for cloud services. What’s your take?
