Zoho Opens Its In-House Cloud Platform to Developers and Offers Free Access to Students
Indian multinational software company Zoho has developed its own cloud infrastructure instead of relying on major technology providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, according to co-founder Sridhar Vembu.
The company has invested in building its own technology ecosystem to support its growing range of software products. Rather than depending on third-party cloud platforms, Zoho developed essential systems for databases, data storage, computing, messaging, search and identity management.
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According to Vembu, these systems operate on hardware owned by the company and combine internally developed software frameworks with open-source technologies. This approach allows Zoho to maintain greater control over its infrastructure, technology development, operational costs and data management.
The strategy also reflects Zoho’s long-term focus on technological independence and reducing its reliance on external cloud service providers. By managing its own infrastructure, the company can develop and optimise its systems according to the specific requirements of its software products.
Now, Zoho is taking another step by making its infrastructure available to external developers through Catalyst, its serverless application development platform. The service enables developers to build, deploy and manage applications without having to manage the underlying server infrastructure.
The company also plans to provide students with free access to the platform, giving them an opportunity to develop and deploy their own applications without worrying about cloud infrastructure expenses.
The initiative could help students, startups and independent developers experiment with software development, build digital products and gain practical experience using cloud-based technologies.
Zoho’s move highlights an alternative approach to cloud computing, where software companies invest in owning and operating their infrastructure rather than depending entirely on established cloud providers such as AWS and Google Cloud.
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