Google Cloud Platform vs Rackspace

August 19, 2023 | Author: Michael Stromann
16
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform is a set of modular cloud-based services that allow you to create anything from simple websites to complex applications. Cloud Platform provides the building blocks so you can quickly develop everything from simple websites to complex applications. Explore how you can make Cloud Platform work for you.
7
Rackspace
Rackspace Cloud offers four alternative hosting products: Cloud Servers for on-demand computing power; Cloud Sites for robust web hosting; Cloud Load Balancers for easy, on-demand load balancing and high availability; and Cloud Files for elastic online file storage and CDN.Rackspace Cloud hosting customers never need to worry about buying new hardware to meet increasing traffic demands or huge traffic spikes.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Rackspace are both popular cloud computing providers, but they have significant differences in terms of features, infrastructure, and service offerings.

Google Cloud Platform, offered by Google, provides a comprehensive set of cloud services and tools for computing, storage, networking, machine learning, and more. GCP's infrastructure is built on Google's vast global network and data centers, offering high scalability, reliability, and performance. It provides services like Google Compute Engine for virtual machines, Google Cloud Storage for object storage, Google Kubernetes Engine for containerized applications, and Google BigQuery for data analytics.

Rackspace, on the other hand, is a managed cloud service provider that offers a range of cloud hosting solutions, including public and private clouds, dedicated servers, and managed services. Rackspace's infrastructure is built on their own data centers, which are strategically located around the world. They provide services like Rackspace Public Cloud for scalable virtual machines, Rackspace Private Cloud for dedicated environments, and managed services for cloud migration, security, and support.

One key difference between GCP and Rackspace is the focus on managed services. Rackspace specializes in providing managed services and personalized support to customers, offering expertise in areas like cloud migration, architecture design, and ongoing management. Google Cloud Platform, on the other hand, provides a wide range of self-service cloud services that allow users to have more control and flexibility over their infrastructure and configurations.

Another difference lies in the ecosystem and integration with other services. GCP has a strong integration with other Google services like Google Workspace, Google Analytics, and Google AI platform, which can provide a seamless experience for customers using multiple Google products. Rackspace, although it has partnerships with various technology vendors, may have a different range of integrations and partnerships compared to GCP.

See also: Top 10 Public Cloud Platforms
Google Cloud Platform vs Rackspace in our news:

2022. Google Cloud will shutter its IoT Core service next year



This week, Google Cloud made the announcement that it will be discontinuing its IoT Core service, allowing customers a one-year timeframe to transition to a partner for the management of their IoT devices. Google believes that relying on partners to handle the process on behalf of customers is a more effective approach. A Google spokesperson explained, "Since the launch of IoT Core, it has become evident that our customers' needs can be better met by our network of partners who specialize in IoT applications and services. We have diligently worked to offer customers migration options and alternative solutions, and we are providing a year-long transition period before discontinuing IoT Core."


2022. Google expands Vertex, its managed AI service, with new features



Roughly one year ago, Google introduced Vertex AI, a managed AI platform designed to expedite the deployment of AI models for businesses. Today, Google has announced upcoming enhancements for Vertex, including a dedicated server for AI system training and the introduction of "example-based" explanations. As Google has consistently emphasized, Vertex offers the advantage of integrating Google Cloud services for AI within a unified user interface (UI) and application programming interface (API). According to Google, notable customers such as Ford, Seagate, Wayfair, Cashapp, Cruise, and Lowe's utilize Vertex to construct, train, and deploy machine learning models within a single environment, effectively transitioning from experimental stages to production.


2019. Google Cloud gets a new family of cheaper general-purpose compute instances



Google Cloud has recently introduced its new E2 family of compute instances, specifically designed for general-purpose workloads. These instances offer a significant cost advantage, delivering savings of approximately 31% when compared to the existing N1 general-purpose instances. Moreover, the new system incorporates enhanced intelligence in terms of VM placement, granting the flexibility to migrate them to alternative hosts as required. To achieve these advancements, Google has developed a custom CPU scheduler. Unlike comparable alternatives offered by other cloud providers, E2 VMs from Google can sustain high CPU loads without artificial throttling or complex pricing structures. It will be intriguing to witness benchmark tests that compare the performance of the E2 family against similar offerings from AWS and Azure.


2018. Rackspace acquired Salesforce specialist RelationEdge



Rackspace has completed the acquisition of RelationEdge, a recognized partner specializing in Salesforce implementation. While Rackspace has established itself as a prominent provider of hosting and managed cloud services, the company is determined to broaden its portfolio and incorporate managed services for SaaS applications. This strategic move follows Rackspace's previous acquisition of TriCore, a company operating in the enterprise application management sector, signaling the company's commitment to expanding its capabilities in this domain. Through the acquisition of RelationEdge, Rackspace aims to further enhance its offerings and strengthen its position in the market.


2018. Google Cloud adds new applications performance monitoring tool



Google has introduced a significant addition for developers working on applications within the Google Cloud Platform. They now have access to a comprehensive suite of application performance management tools known as Stackdriver APM. This suite empowers developers to directly track and address issues within the applications they have built, eliminating the need to rely solely on operations teams. The underlying idea is that developers, being intimately familiar with the code, are best positioned to comprehend the signals emanating from it. Stackdriver APM consists of three primary tools: Profiler, Trace, and Debugger. While Trace and Debugger were already available, the integration of Profiler allows all three tools to seamlessly collaborate in identifying, monitoring, and resolving code-related issues.


2018. Google Compute Engine adds simple machine learning service


Google has introduced AutoML, a groundbreaking service available on Google Compute Engine that empowers developers, even those without prior machine learning (ML) expertise, to construct personalized models for image recognition. The scarcity of machine learning experts and data scientists in today's market is widely acknowledged. To address this challenge, Google's new service enables virtually anyone to submit their images, upload them (and import or create tags within the application), and automatically generate a custom machine learning model using Google's advanced systems. The entire process, from data importation to tagging and model training, is facilitated through a user-friendly drag and drop interface. It's important to note that this service goes beyond the capabilities of Microsoft's Azure ML studio, which offers a Yahoo Pipes-like interface for model building, training, and evaluation.


2017. Google Cloud Platform cuts the price of GPUs by up to 36 percent



Google is implementing a price reduction for Nvidia's Tesla GPUs on its Compute Engine service, with savings of up to 36 percent. In U.S. regions, the cost of utilizing the slightly older K80 GPUs has been reduced to $0.45 per hour, while the more advanced and powerful P100 machines will now cost $1.46 per hour, both with per-second billing. By doing so, Google aims to attract developers who seek to execute their own machine learning workloads on its cloud platform. Additionally, various other applications, such as physical simulations and molecular modeling, can greatly benefit from the extensive number of cores provided by these GPUs.


2017. Rackspace acquires multi-platform hybrid IT management solution Datapipe



Rackspace has announced its acquisition of Datapipe, a major competitor in the managed public and private cloud services industry. While Datapipe has achieved significant success with enterprise and government clients, Rackspace has traditionally focused on the mid-market segment. Notably, the two companies have not consistently competed for the same deals, and their product portfolios differ substantially. Rackspace acknowledges that it could have attained similar technical capabilities through multiple smaller acquisitions, but this approach would have been more time-consuming and may not have granted Rackspace access to Datapipe's current customer base. Among Datapipe's customers are numerous large public-sector organizations, including the U.S. departments of defense, energy, and justice, as well as the U.K.'s cabinet office, ministry of justice, and department of transportation.


2017. Google Cloud Platform gets a cheaper, lower-performance networking tier



Google is introducing a new networking option for users of its Cloud Platform that offers a more affordable solution. Developers now have the choice between a premium tier, which prioritizes routing traffic over Google's high-speed networks to minimize distance and hops, and a standard tier, which relies on the public internet with potential slowdowns and additional hops. The standard tier is priced 24-33 percent lower than the premium tier in North America and Europe. However, Google applies different pricing models to each tier. The premium tier's pricing is based on the source and destination of the traffic, accounting for the distance it travels over Google's network. In contrast, the standard tier's prices are determined solely by the source location. This new offering provides Cloud Platform users with increased flexibility and cost savings depending on their networking requirements.


2017. Google Cloud Platform improved its free tier



Google has introduced an enhanced always-free tier and trial program for its Cloud Platform. The free tier has been upgraded to provide sufficient resources for running a small application on Google's cloud infrastructure. Users can now utilize a small (f1-micro) instance in Compute Engine, along with free usage of Cloud Pub/Sub, Google Cloud Storage, and Cloud Functions. In total, the free tier encompasses 15 services. Notably, the inclusion of the Compute Engine instance and 5GB of free Cloud Storage usage is a significant update, as these services form the foundation of most cloud applications. Detailed limits and specifications can be found here. This development clearly showcases Google's heightened efforts to compete against AWS by offering a comparable, but more expansive, free tier program to its users.

Author: Michael Stromann
Michael is an expert in IT Service Management, IT Security and software development. With his extensive experience as a software developer and active involvement in multiple ERP implementation projects, Michael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his writings. Having previously worked at SAP, he has honed his expertise and gained a deep understanding of software development and implementation processes. Currently, as a freelance developer, Michael continues to contribute to the IT community by sharing his insights through guest articles published on several IT portals. You can contact Michael by email stromann@liventerprise.com