Can Twitter's backbone handle sudden jump in popularity?

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IT Infrastructure and Unexpected Growth

Interesting post. It seems as if the cost factor vexed Twitter from the beginning. There's no way that Twitter management could have made the case for an expensive mainframe--much less two--upon founding the company. Who would have guessed that the application would have become so popular?

Amidst the rumors of a buy-out from Google or LinkedIn and with no discernible revenue model yet, it's unlikely that Twitter's management would make this investment now.

Note that Twitter's challenges are hardly unique. When eBay's growth expanded beyond the capacity of its hardware, the site experienced more than a few system outages.

I suppose that Twitter needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up. If its management decides that it wants to be a stand-alone company, then it should probably bite the bullet and either buy a mainframe or make some type of increased investment in technology to support its viral growth. If not, then it should look for an exit strategy soon. Too many "system errors" will only inhibit its growth and drive its users to its competitors.

Posted by: philsimonsystems   Posted on: 04/11/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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