A brief history of our serverless future

The article discusses the evolution of serverless computing, focusing on the launch of AWS Lambda in 2014, which marked a significant shift in cloud services. Tim Wagner's pitch for Lambda, an event-driven service designed to facilitate interactions between AWS services, was initially met with skepticism but ultimately received approval from Andy Jassy, then head of AWS. Lambda was characterized by its limitations, such as restricted memory and runtime, which positioned it as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for traditional server-based computing. Over time, Lambda evolved, adding more capabilities and runtimes, leading to its recognition as a key player in the serverless paradigm. The term "serverless" itself, coined by Ken Elkabany in 2010, aimed to differentiate services that did not require users to manage servers. Despite its popularity, the term has faced criticism for being misleading. The article also highlights the success of AWS S3, which embodies serverless principles but is often overlooked in discussions about serverless computing. Overall, the narrative illustrates the challenges and triumphs of serverless technology, emphasizing its growing importance in modern cloud infrastructure.

- AWS Lambda was launched in 2014, marking a pivotal moment in serverless computing.

- The term "serverless" was coined to differentiate services that do not require server management.

- AWS S3, while not typically classified as serverless, exemplifies key serverless features.

- Serverless computing has evolved significantly, gaining traction despite initial skepticism.

- The article reflects on the challenges faced by early serverless platforms like PiCloud and Iron.io.