AppFog buys Nodester to bolster Node.js support

Platform-as-a-Service startup AppFog has acquired leading Node.js PaaS Nodester in a move that gives AppFog even greater versatility for the 60,000 developers using its service.

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AppFog’s PaaS offers developers an incredible range of languages to work with including Java, Python, Node, .Net, Ruby, PHP, MySQL, Mongo, Django, and PostgreSQL. However, AppFog was missing WebSocket support while Nodester did offer it. So AppFog is buying Nodester to fill in the blanks and extend its reach even further to the many developers excited about Node.js.

“This adds needed breadth and depth to our Node.js support,” AppFog CEO Lucas Carlson told me. “It’s a slam dunk and makes perfect sense.”

Carlson said the number of developers selecting AppFog for their PaaS of choice has substantially increased as of late. “A year ago, we had 10,000 developers,” Carlson said. “A month ago, we had 40,000 developers. Today, we have 60,000 developers. It’s exponential.”

AppFog is smart to jump on Node. As my colleague Jolie O’Dell noted, it’s the most hyped-up programming technology since Ruby on Rails and the most popular repository on Github. Notably, PaaS provider Engine Yard launched its platform-as-a-service offering for Node just a week ago.

Ideally, with Nodester in its pocket, AppFog wants to be the most powerful and flexible Node supporter in the PaaS arena. Take a look at the AppFog-provided chart below to see some comparisons of AppFog versus Heroku, Google, Microsoft, and others.

Portland, Ore.-based AppFog has raised $9.8 million in funding to date. Investors include Ignition Partners, Madrona Venture Group, First Round Capital, and Founder’s Co-op.

The terms of the AppFog/Nodester deal were not revealed. You can read a lengthy interview with AppFog’s Carlson here.

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Photo credits: AppFog

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