github.com/tickoalcantara12/micro/v3@v3.0.0-20221007104245-9d75b9bcbab9/docs/blog/_posts/2021-10-20-m3o-an-open-source-aws-alternative.md (about)

     1  ---
     2  layout: post
     3  title:  "M3O - An open source AWS alternative"
     4  author: Asim Aslam
     5  date:   2021-10-20 10:00:00
     6  ---
     7  <p style="text-align: center;">
     8    <a href="https://m3o.com"><img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/m3o/m3o/main/docs/assets/images/m3o.png" /></a>
     9    <br>
    10  </p>
    11  <p align="center">M3O is an open source public cloud platform.<br>We are building an AWS alternative for the next generation of developers.</p>
    12  
    13  ---
    14  
    15  ## Overview
    16  
    17  AWS was a first generation public cloud provider started in 2006. It's infrastructure services and pay as go pricing model made it an incredibly 
    18  compelling choice for a previous generation of developers. But what about the future? 
    19  
    20  M3O is an attempt to build a new public cloud platform with higher level building blocks for the next generation of developers. 
    21  M3O is powered by the open source [Micro](https://github.com/tickoalcantara12/micro) platform and programmable real world [Micro Services](https://github.com/micro/services).
    22  
    23  ## Features
    24  
    25  - **🔥 Dev UX** - The developer experience is first priority. A slick new UX for the next generation of developers.
    26  - **☝️ One Token** - Use one Micro API token to fulfill all your API needs. Access multiple public APIs with a single token.
    27  - **⚡ Fast Access** - Using a new API is easy - no need to learn yet another API, it's all the same Micro developer experience.
    28  - **🆓 Free to start** - It's a simple pay as you go model and everything is priced per request. Top up your account and start making calls.
    29  - **🚫 Anti AWS Billing** - Don't get lost in a sea of infinite cloud billing. We show you exactly what you use and don't hide any of the costs.
    30  - **✔️ Open Source Software** - Built on an open source foundation and services which anyone can contribute to with a simple PR.
    31  
    32  ## Rationale
    33  
    34  AWS is a fairly complex beast which makes it hard for new developers to get started. In the past we needed VMs and file storage, but today with the Jamstack 
    35  and other modern development models, the building blocks we're looking for are changing. They're mostly now third party APIs. M3O is looking to 
    36  aggregate all those third party public APIs into a single uniform offering with a slick new dev UX.
    37  
    38  ## Services
    39  
    40  So far there are over 35+ services. Here are some of the highlights:
    41  
    42  ### Backend
    43  
    44  - [**Cache**](https://m3o.com/cache) - Quick access key-value storage
    45  - [**DB**](https://m3o.com/db) - Simple database service
    46  - [**Events**](https://m3o.com/event) - Publish and subscribe to messages
    47  - [**Functions**](https://m3o.com/function) - Serverless compute as a service
    48  - [**User**](https://m3o.com/user) - User management and authentication
    49  - [**File**](https://m3o.com/file) - Store, list, and retrieve text files
    50  
    51  ### Logistics
    52  
    53  - [**Address**](https://m3o.com/address) - Address lookup by postcode
    54  - [**Geocoding**](https://m3o.com/geocoding) - Geocode an address to gps location and the reverse.
    55  - [**Location**](https://m3o.com/location) - Real time GPS location tracking and search
    56  - [**Routing**](https://m3o.com/routing) - Etas, routes and turn by turn directions
    57  - [**IP**](https://m3o.com/ip) - IP to geolocation lookup
    58  
    59  ### Web
    60  
    61  - [**Email**](https://m3o.com/email) - Send emails in a flash
    62  - [**Image**](https://m3o.com/image) - Quickly upload, resize, and convert images
    63  - [**OTP**](https://m3o.com/otp) - One time password generation
    64  - [**QR Codes**](https://m3o.com/qr) - QR code generator
    65  - [**SMS**](https://m3o.com/sms) - Send an SMS message
    66  - [**Weather**](https://m3o.com/weather) - Real time weather forecast
    67  
    68  See the full list at [m3o.com/explore](https://m3o.com/explore) or the source at [github.com/micro/services](https://github.com/micro/services).
    69  
    70  ## Getting Started
    71  
    72  - Head to [m3o.com](https://m3o.com) and signup for a free account.
    73  - Generate an API key on the [Settings page](https://m3o.com/settings/keys).
    74  - Browse the APIs on the [Explore page](https://m3o.com/explore).
    75  - Call any API using your token in the `Authorization: Bearer [Token]` header and `https://api.m3o.com/v1/[service]/[endpoint]` url.
    76  - See the [m3o/cli](https://github.com/m3o/m3o/tree/main/cli) for command line usage.
    77  
    78  ## Learn More
    79  
    80  - Checkout the [Examples](examples) to see what you can build
    81  - Follow us on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/m3oservices)
    82  - Join the [Slack](https://slack.m3o.com) community
    83  - Join the [Discord](https://discord.gg/TBR9bRjd6Z) server
    84  - Email [Support](mailto:support@m3o.com) for help
    85  
    86  ## How it Works
    87  
    88  M3O is built on existing public cloud infrastructure using managed kubernetes along with our own [infrastructure automation](https://github.com/m3o/platform) 
    89  and abstraction layer for existing third party public APIs. We host the open source [Micro](https://github.com/tickoalcantara12/micro) project as our base OS and 
    90  use it to power all the [Micro Services](https://github.com/micro/services), which provide simpler building blocks for existing cloud primitives.
    91  
    92  ### UX
    93  
    94  We host our own custom dev UX ([m3o/cloud](https://github.com/m3o/cloud)) on top of the infrastructure stack and a [backend](https://github.com/m3o/backend) 
    95  which acts as the management control plane.
    96  
    97  ### Services
    98  
    99  Developers build and contribute to services in [github.com/micro/services](https://github.com/micro/services), a vendor neutral home. We then automate the 
   100  building and publishing of those services and client libraries. This creates a shared and fully managed platform for everyone to leverage.
   101  
   102  ### Infrastructure
   103  
   104  We primarily use existing open source software, fully managed services and third party public APIs as the backing infrastructure then layer a standard interface 
   105  on top. With all the services on one platform, accessible with one API token, we drastically improve the Dev UX.
   106  
   107  ## Development
   108  
   109  This project is a combination of open source projects and a platform managed by the Micro team. Our goal is to enable any developer to 
   110  contribute to the open source while benefiting from the platform as a shared resource.
   111  
   112  ### Cloud Hosting
   113  
   114  The cloud hosted providers of Micro services:
   115  
   116  - [m3o.com](https://m3o.com) - a fully managed offering of micro services
   117  
   118  ### Open Source
   119  
   120  The core cloud OS and services exists in a vendor neutral org
   121  
   122  - [micro/micro](https://github.com/tickoalcantara12/micro) - an open source operating system for the cloud
   123  - [micro/services](https://github.com/micro/services) - open source micro services powering m3o.com
   124  
   125  ### M3O Dev UX
   126  
   127  The hosting of Micro services on [m3o.com](https://m3o.com) is powered by the following:
   128  
   129  - [m3o/cloud](https://github.com/m3o/cloud) - locally hostable angular based dev UX for the website
   130  - [m3o/platform](https://github.com/m3o/platform) - the infrastructure automation for cloud hosted stack
   131  - [m3o/backend](https://github.com/m3o/backend) - the services which power the m3o.com product backend
   132  
   133  ## Publish APIs
   134  
   135  If you'd like to publish your own APIs on the M3O platform [fill in this form](https://forms.gle/9SQV6DdLNDzSRQ477) and we'll get back to you.
   136  
   137  ## Contributing
   138  
   139  - Write examples - [m3o/examples](https://github.com/m3o/m3o/tree/main/examples) provides a place to showcase things built on top which we'll feature on the website
   140  - Write services - [micro/services](https://github.com/micro/services) are all the services we host and hope for more devs to help
   141  - Write docs - [m3o/docs](https://github.com/m3o/m3o/tree/main/docs) is where our docs will live and we know without great docs this isn't going to work
   142  - Show support - Tweet [@m3oservices](https://twitter.com/m3oservices) and let the world know what we're building so that more people can get involved
   143  
   144  ## Thanks for reading
   145  
   146  Hopefully you buy into what we're talking about and the need for something new in the public cloud space.
   147  If you like what you’re hearing, [Signup for Free](https://m3o.com) or send us some [feedback](mailto:contact@m3o.com). 
   148  Reach out on [slack](https://slack.m3o.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/m3oservices) if you have any questions.
   149  
   150