Hurray!
We've launched an updated version of Zimki our utility based Javascript development environment.
I'm a happy man, the team has been working hard and done a great job.
Zimki is an online development environment that is designed to make developing web apps - quick and easy.
We use javascript both for front and back-end to simplify language choice. Objects can be created and saved in a persistant environment included as extensions to the language and building web services is simplicity itself.
Hosting and everything of that ilk is taken care of, and the whole system works on a utility based model - you pay for what you use, no more, no less.
The whole idea behind Zimki came from removing all the obvious barriers to developing a fun web app (startup cost, hosting, setup, server environment, backups, scaling etc) and reducing the complexity of others (database, persistance, users, login etc), thus enabling developers to get on with the art of developing.
It fits in-between SaaS and HaaS - and hopefully will become a platform for developing SaaS like apps in the future.
There is a change occuring in the software industry - a positive one of commoditisation which will open the door to new future opportunities, in much the same way that today's industry is built upon the past commoditisation of power (utility electricity providers) and data processing (the silicon chip).
It is an exciting time.