Go Daddy Aims To Rival Amazon, Rackspace In The Cloud

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Go Daddy is preparing to launch a service called Data Center On Demand, a cloud hosting play and Infrastructure-as-a-Service offering.

According to Go Daddy's user forums, Data Center On Demand lets users "create a virtual data center with multiple servers working together. This 'cloud' hosting option lets you dynamically grow or shrink your environment as needed. You have complete control over the number of servers you use and their configuration."

Further, Go Daddy's Data Center On Demand also lets users add load balancers, multiple networks and create templates for their cloud environments.

A Go Daddy spokesperson told CRN Friday that Data Center On Demand is currently in a very limited, invite -only release as the company builds out its cloud infrastructure. The Data Center On Demand service is expected to be officially launched sometime in July.

Marketing documents published by GigaOm showcase Go Daddy's pending cloud service. The brochure indicates that Go Daddy will offer three options for users, each of which provides fixed resources for a monthly fee plus additional a la carte resources. Packages start at $49.99 per month for the economy package that offers one server with 1 GB of RAM and 40 GB of storage, unlimited inbound bandwidth, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth per month; and additional a la cart resources. On the high-end, the ultimate package runs $279.99 per month and offers six servers -- three with 2 GB of RAM and 40 GB of storage and three with 1 GB of RAM and 40 GB of storage, unlimited inbound bandwidth, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth per month and additional resources a la carte.

Go Daddy Data Center On Demand packages are available pay-as-you-go and in discounted pre-paid options of up to three years.

According to the spokesperson, Go Daddy customers have been asking for a cloud computing option. "It's simple to use for people who need this kind of cloud offering," he said.

Go Daddy already offers a reseller program for its Web hosting and domain registration. It was unclear Friday what type of reseller program Go Daddy has planned for Data Center On Demand.

Go Daddy's foray into the cloud infrastructure space comes as Amazon Web Services and Rackspace Hosting dominate the cloud market. While the spokesperson for Go Daddy wouldn't speak to the competitive nature of the Data Center On Demand offering, marketing materials indicate that Amazon and Rackspace are two major targets for the service and that Go Daddy, which is among the largest domain registrar's in the country, intends to battle them in price.