Longjump, a PaaS offering to build applications (see our earlier coverage on the PaaS players here) announced an on premise version of its software last week. The company cites lack of cloud control reasons for enterprises to try out their software on premise. By cloud control, I mean gaining visibility and governance supporting compliance (typically legal), and audit requirements. (See overview of Longjump below - image courtesy: Longjump)

Companies who need to know the location of their customer’s data may not really know where their data is when using a cloud provider, unless this was found and put in writing during the initial talks. Data that is used less frequently may also be backed up in data centers that are globally distributed where regulations change per region. Such issues can be compounded when using a cloud storage provider. While the on premise offering negates the benefits derived from a multi tenant environment, however, is a right move from a governance view point in the absense of a legal framework on adequate controls in cloud environments.