Xeround Cloud Database, the zero-management database-as-a-service for MySQL applications, is now available in Rackspace’s UK datacenter, enabling cloud users running their apps in Rackspace’s UK datacenter to create their Xeround DB instances in the same datacenter and enjoy Xeround’s no-downtime guarantee and true elasticity.

Xeround Cloud Database, which has run in Rackspace’s U.S. datacenter for more than a year, ensures high-availability and unlimited scalability of your database in the cloud with just one click – eliminating the need for extensive configuration, management overhead or code changes on your part. You simply create your cloud database, connect your application and you’re good to go!

Xeround’s service includes:

• Auto scaling – your database scales up or out across multiple nodes when more capacity or throughput are required and shrinks back down when it is underutilized.
• No downtime SLA guarantee – Xeround’s built-in replicas and auto-healing architecture ensure your database is always available.
• Scheduled backups
• Unlimited throughput
• Phone, email and web support
• Zero maintenance
• No code changes to your app!

The first 30 days of using Xeround on Rackspace are free! No credit card is required.

• Sign up today to create your cloud database on Rackspace
• Watch the short Product Tour (1:30 minutes) to see how Xeround works on Rackspace

Not Just The Database: Learn The Benefits Of An All-Cloud-Services Strategy

We believe that developers should focus on their code and not on the IT/operations side of things. And we’re not the only ones who believe that.

As more and more applications are being migrated to the cloud, developers are choosing to integrate best-of-breed managed cloud services with their applications rather than develop the components themselves or (worse yet) be bothered with the infrastructure hassles like in the past.

Read this case study of Blue-Saki Online, a Xeround customer running on Rackspace who chose an all-cloud-services strategy to develop its video marketing platform.

By examining the reasons for choosing only cloud services – from application server and load balancers, to database service, CDN, email delivery, load testing, monitoring, financial services and more - we can see how the cloud helps developers cut down on development and operational costs, enable faster time-to-deployment and improve reliability for mission-critical applications.

It wasn’t that long ago that Rackspace was just three guys and an idea.  Now we want to recognize, encourage, celebrate and assist the small teams of today that are embarking on quests to do big things.

From Walt and Roy Disney starting what became The Walt Disney Company™ in their uncle’s one-car garage in 1923 to four guys from Liverpool leveraging the power of television to help change rock and roll forever, small teams of people can impact the world in ways their numbers suggest is impossible.

On our website, we’ll be celebrating Small Teams Big Impact by featuring content focused on everything from the latest startup to evolving technology.  We’ll have Robert Scoble interviews with entrepreneurs and innovators along with blog posts, guest columns, weekly web shows, education series, live streams and webinars.

We’re kicking things off TODAY with the first of our live streaming speaker series from 4PM to 6PM PST out of our new San Francisco studio.  Robert Scoble will be talking with our chairman, Graham Weston, our CEO, Lanham Napier and others about the growth of cloud computing, how it’s changing IT and what the future has in store.  He’ll also sit down with several small teams having a big impact today, including GoPro, Loggly , New Relic and Foodspotting.

Finally, Mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, will share his thoughts about the San Francisco tech community and the wealth of developer talent that is available there.

Just go to http://www.rackspace.com/impact, click on the Live Streaming Event button and enjoy the show!  And while you’re there, be sure to tell us your own Small Teams Big Impact stories by clicking on the SXSW 2012 button at the bottom of the page.  We’re going to recognize and celebrate our favorites at South by Southwest in March!

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Graham is the Strategic Marketing Manager, Small Teams Big Impact, at Rackspace.