2013-10-15 12:00:00
Zumero for SQL Server
It has been seven months (to the day) since our initial launch of Zumero.
We believe in launching early and iterating quickly, guided by customer feedback. This week, as a result of that feedback, we are releasing a preview of our second product, Zumero for SQL Server.
Background
Our initial MVP (now called Zumero Cloud) was (and still is) cloud-hosted. Since its launch in March, the number-one request we have received (by far) has been for an on-prem server. Amidst all the buzz around "cloud" and "Backend as a Service", we are hearing from an awful lot of people who want "Backend as a Product", provided to them as software they can install and manage for themselves. Go figure. :-)
Furthermore, these customers want an incremental solution. They're not starting from scratch and looking for a new platform. They already have data sitting in a SQL database. They already have web apps and other stuff which deal with that data. They don't want to change any of that. They just want to add "mobile" as a new ingredient in their soup.
Finally, 90% of this feedback (so far) is coming from people using Microsoft SQL Server.
So...
Zumero for SQL Server
ZSS is, well, exactly what those folks have been asking us for. It's an on-prem installable server which provides synchronization between SQL Server databases and mobile devices.
And ZSS is designed to cause no disruption to existing stuff. It plays nicely with others and does not assume that it has exclusive control over the data.
Our preview release is available for download now at http://zumero.com/dev-center/zss/.
Server and Manager
ZSS consists of two parts:
- ZSS Server
- ZSS Manager
The ZSS Server is a module for Internet Information Services (IIS). Simply point it at your SQL Server database (which need not be on the same machine) using an ODBC connection string. We include an easy-to-use installer as well as instructions for people who prefer to do the installation manually.
ZSS Manager is a desktop application used to setup your data for sync. You can specify which tables you want your mobile devices to see and/or modify. You can configure authentication and permissions for your mobile users.
ZSS does not require you to make any changes to your existing database schema, but it does need to install some new triggers and views. The ZSS Manager application generates the T-SQL for these items and displays it so that you can review everything before any changes to your database are made.
Availability and Pricing
The 1.0 release of ZSS is just a few weeks away.
Once we finalize pricing, we will be publishing it on our website. For now, email sales@zumero.com and ask for more info.