The Cloud is a major focus at Enterprise Apps World (which is why the event is paired with Cloud World Forum), and few companies understand cloud streaming better than OnLive. Best known for pioneering game streaming, OnLive has overcome business challenges and is now applying its streaming expertise to enterprise software delivery.
OnLive’s enterprise offering, CloudLift, delivers applications via streaming to simplify deployment, updates, and management while addressing the fragmentation and limitations of today’s device landscape. As more organizations adopt BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, IT teams struggle to deliver secure, consistent, cross-platform applications that provide a unified user experience across desktops, tablets, and phones. Cloud streaming removes much of that burden by running applications in the cloud and streaming the interface to any supported client device.
DeveloperTech spoke with OnLive’s Executive Chairman Mark Jung and General Manager Bruce Grove to learn how CloudLift works and why OnLive believes cloud streaming will be a major trend for both gaming and business applications.
Jung explains why OnLive is moving into enterprise markets: “Delivering hundreds of individual applications and games from the cloud to millions of users is a complex challenge — from network operations and quality of service to operations and scale. We perfected that process over the past four or five years.
We’ve gone four years without even a second of downtime. The nature of these applications pushed us to the edge of the network. Gamers have very low tolerance for latency. We realized that if we can do this for gaming, we can do it for any commercial application.”
Even while focusing on gaming, OnLive had been receiving requests to support productivity and business applications. Gamers often work in large organizations; executives and other employees who already use OnLive as consumers asked for the same streaming approach for their enterprise apps. CloudLift is OnLive’s response to that demand.
CloudLift does not change what the underlying applications can do, but it enables mass rollout to any device that supports OnLive’s clients. Major platforms are covered, and because applications run in the cloud, even low-spec devices can access resource-intensive software. That capability unlocks new opportunities for companies that want to standardize on a single application version without forcing hardware upgrades on employees.
Some critics question whether network infrastructure is reliable enough for streaming mission-critical applications. Jung points out that network reliability has improved significantly: “You can be on Mount Kilimanjaro and still get network access these days.” While he acknowledges this level of readiness arrived only recently, OnLive believes the timing is now right to expand into enterprise solutions.
Grove emphasizes the role of mobile broadband evolution: “LTE is a game changer. If you remove the data caps and adjust pricing models, 3G and 2G will largely fade away. 4G is a more efficient protocol in every respect and is a viable broadband solution. We run very well over LTE — it’s fast and low-latency — and it will also help bring connectivity to rural areas faster because building towers is often simpler than laying cable.”
One significant benefit of cloud streaming is that application providers don’t need to push frequent updates to accommodate new operating systems. Fragmentation is a persistent problem, particularly in the Android ecosystem where many devices run older versions, but it also affects iOS and desktop platforms. With streaming, a user on iOS 4 can get the same application experience as someone using a modern version, because the app executes in the cloud and streams its interface.
Jung sums up the advantage: “Our clients can’t keep up with all the operating system changes. When they must release an application that works across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, they don’t want distinct versions for each platform because their user base spans all of them.”
Cloud streaming through platforms like CloudLift promises simplified application management, consistent user experience across devices, and reduced client-side requirements. As networks continue to improve and organizations seek ways to support diverse device fleets securely and efficiently, streaming could become a mainstream delivery model for enterprise software.
Do you think cloud streaming will change how enterprise applications are delivered? Share your thoughts in the comments.