- Spaghetti coding
- Security
- Low barriers to entry
- Flexibility
- Copy-paste hacking
- Elegant OOP
- Documentation
- Community and perception

Each aspect is elaborated on by programmers with plenty of experience using PHP, yielding quite an interesting picture of the way the language is being used these days. The main impression one gets is that PHP's defining feature is its ease-of-use, namely the fact that there are many ways to get something done (many of which are not complex) and, as a result, it represents a very time-efficient route to creating a viable product. The flipside is that things can get messy if many people are working on a single project (since everyone might have their own quirks of working) and, when it comes to stuff outside of web development, one needs to seriously weigh up if PHP is right for the job.

The other interesting thing about the piece is that each programmer also recommends a favourite PHP app, which is a great way to discover handy extra tools for making a programmer's day that little bit easier. All in all, a great idea for a post and a top read - get over to Mashable and see for yourself!

Amazon are unlikely to openly concede that their price cut is a response to the launch of Google's free rival, but there can be no doubt that the reduction will make AWS more competitive against the GAE (N.B. the AWS price cuts are significant; heavier users could save somewhere in the region of 25%).

With Google's App Engine still a limited beta release, and offering programmers fewer options than AWS, it will be a little while before Google can catch Amazon in this field. However, the price cuts show Amazon are taking nothing for granted - and are ensuring that their range of services continues to represent good value for money.

The real winners in this competition are developers, who now have cheaper access to AWS, as well as the option of Google's free alternative. Amazon's Jeff Bezos has publicly said that he doubts this sector will be a 'winner takes all space', but services do seem certain to overlap (and hence compete) in at least some areas.

While we eagerly anticipate for future developments to unfold, it's worth taking a minute to consider the status of Google's product, now about to enter the second month of its lifespan:

- The Google App Engine currently offers only free accounts (each with 500 MB of persistent storage, and enough CPU and Bandwidth for around 5 million views a month). There are plans to launch purchasable services in the future.

- The GAE supports only one programming language; Python, and frameworks that speak CGI or WSGI (with a CGI adaptor).

- Full integration with Google accounts is standard.

- The GAE is a lock-in platform.

As a result, in its current state the GAE still lags well behind the more established AWS. Many programmers see no reason to abandon PHP 5 in favour of Python (though it is expected that Google will ultimately support more languages in later versions). In addition there is the scalability issue. With Google's current limits on bandwidth and storage, developers can find themselves locked in to a service that ends up holding them back once their big idea takes off.

However, the Google accounts integration will be a significant draw for some developers - and then there is always the question of the bottom line. Google's services are seductively and irresistibly free, thereby greatly lowering the barriers to entry for prospective start-ups and new developers. Despite certain current (but only temporary) limitations on services, the free aspect will more than trump any reservations for many enterprises.

Amazon may lead Google in terms of both users and services at the moment, but Google's strategy in essence represents a bid for the market of the future. Their hope is that the initial appeal of a free service will stimulate activity and increase the level of innovation from users (and why not - the GAE is free, and hence developers have less to lose in trying something a little bit daring).

Inevitably some of these initiatives will develop into seriously successful applications, which will then require many of Google's purchasable services to continue to grow. Due to the platform lock-in, by the time an app gets this big, moving it away from the GAE would be massively cost ineffective (and in some cases impossible). Then Google really starts to look clever, with developers having little choice but to pay up or otherwise let their creation be stifled by inadequate support.

We must remember that Google's service is still very new - and that Amazon's Web Service is currently far superior in terms of what it offers - but at a price. It will probably be a few more months before we have a clearer idea of where Google and Amazon will choose to fight for users, though cost is already quite an obvious battle front. Ultimately, the increased competition is providing developers with many more opportunities than before, and for this reason I think even Amazon loyalists can't begrudge the Google App Engine a little 'happy first month' cheer...

Dejan Levi

The company oversees a complex global operation, catering for the bespoke needs of every one of their clients - all of whom are premier global brands in the fashion and luxury accessories industry. The company runs several locations around the world, supporting a variety of flexible production and delivery processes.

In order to drive efficiency and integrate many complex daily company activities, Simon Harrison asked EtonDigital to design and deliver a Workflow and Resource Management solution that would not only replicate their current operation but also accommodate the future needs of the company as their business continues to expand.

EtonDigital first developed a deep understanding of the Simon Harrison business processes, enabling them to deliver a tailored ERP platform, which now manages all aspects of their operation; from Product Lifecycle, Stock Management and Work-In-Progress; through bespoke Customer order entry, Supply chain, Production scheduling, Delivery allocations, Quality tracking and analysis, Invoicing and Reporting. The platform is also able to support multiple currencies and international taxation while offering many features to allow users to customize available options, as the business evolves.

The technology solution was implemented using PHP, MySQL, and AJAX techniques, enabling Simon Harrison Ltd to oversee all core aspects of their operation from a single, integrated system (see our featured work section).

This fully integrated ERP model now allows information to be shared between departments and global locations easily and accurately, improving customer service and raising internal efficiency. As a result of implementing the Eton Digital designed system, Simon Harrison Ltd now expects to see heightened business efficiency and improved customer and supplier relationships . Ultimately, this ERP platform delivers a powerful, integrated, long-term solution for lowering costs and improving efficiency.

The biggest IT challenge for every growing businesses can lie in the high cost and relative inflexibility of an off-the-shelf system, meaning that ERP adoption often represents a huge and irreversible operational and financial commitment; start up costs also mean ERP is an option that has remained inaccessible to many Small & Medium Businesses until recently. For some industries like manufacturing, an integrated ERP platform is still the only path that will allow the business to increase it's ability to compete and grow while achieving maximum productivity. ERP, therefore, is an attractive, while daunting, step for such companies.

Until now, common ERP implementations include very significant start-up costs which often run into the millions. Even so, a recent survey by the Meta group, showed that an average ERP adoption produces an annual saving of $1.6 million; which in many cases means that investment pays for itself within a few years of implementation. However, Eton Digital built this custom ERP platform for a fraction of the usual costs while Simon Harrison Limited received a system designed and built precisely around their business needs.

With ERP solutions being offered using a Software-as-a-Service approach, the start up costs are rapidly coming down. Judging by the current growth in the ERP provision market (market leader SAP generated 9.4 billion EUR revenue in 2006) it seems more and more modern companies are waking up to this fact, and taking advantage of the competitive advantages that can be delivered through an ERP implementation.

Dejan Levi