Google extends SLA for App Engine platform

Exits preview mode after 3.5 years.

Google has extended its enterprise-focused uptime agreement to more users of its cloud-based application development platform, App Engine, after graduating it from “preview mode” today.

App Engine supports more than 300,000 applications by about 100,000 developers, including users of a premier service that launched on October 11.

App Engine offers server and storage infrastructure, SQL database and software tools as a free version, a paid version ($US9 per app per month) or premier version.

Until today, only premier accounts had access to support, unlimited applications, select pay-per-use APIs and a 99.95 percent uptime service level agreement for $US500 a month.

But now that Google is launching App Engine as a fully supported product, the company has announced a “business-friendly terms of service and acceptable use policy” and has promised to maintain 99.95 percent availability for all paid users.

Speaking at the Google Developer Day in Sydney this morning, Google+ lead product manager Brad Abrams said App Engine had been used for “small, departmental apps to large enterprise apps to Silicon Valley start-ups and everything in between”.

Abrams said the platform allowed developers to outsource deployment, maintenance and management work so that they might focus more closely on user requirements.

Users included real estate group Ray White, “Angry Birds” game developer Rovio and e-commerce site Shoes of Prey, which relied on Google to handle traffic spikes.