RALEIGH – HQ Raleigh member ConsenSys, is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to make enterprise blockchain cloud platforms faster and easier to deploy. The idea is to provide AWS cloud customers an “easy button” to use blockchain.

Blockchain platforms record all transactions on a public, distributed ledger that reduces disputes, eliminates the need for third parties in the transactions, and is faster and more secure than other methods. It is the technology underlying the virtual currency, bitcoin.

ConsenSys Systems invests in companies developing applications on the Ethereum blockchain and operates an incubator. It also offers blockchain consulting services. 

AWS will use the ConsenSys company Kaleido’s blockchain business cloud, which is aimed at speeding and simplifying a enterprise’s ability to use the technology. ConsenSys introduced Kaleido May 15.

Although organizations across many industries are increasingly evaluating blockchain, many are now coming to grips with the fact that there are significant hurdles to getting their arms around the technology. For example, a live blockchain network requires a shared IT infrastructure across all involved parties, which has proven to be difficult and costly.

Many early adopters have spent millions of dollars and months or even years writing thousands of lines of custom code, only to stall or pull the plug on projects entirely.

Changing  the economic equation

Steve Cerveny, Kaleido founder, said in a statement, “If blockchain doesn’t become dramatically easier to use, then companies will have to walk back their investments and our society will be far too slow in realizing blockchain’s significant promise. We designed the Kaleido platform from scratch with new user experiences and tools to radically simplify the entire enterprise journey. This all-in-one Blockchain Business Cloud changes the economic equation of an enterprise blockchain project.”

He added, “By offering a full solution way beyond do-it-yourself scripts or templates, Kaleido significantly speeds up development and deployment cycles and dramatically lowers operating costs. What Salesforce did for CRMs, Kaleido will do for blockchain.”

“Introducing Kaleido to AWS customers is going to help them move fasters and not worry ab out managing blockchain themselves,” AWS said in a statement. It added that it will be the first blockchain software as a service (SaaS) solution available in the AWS marketplace and “It will help rapidly advance blockchain projects.”

Joseph Lubin, founder of ConsenSys, told CNBC, “This is a heavy duty, full stack way of getting the company into blockchain solutions.”

ConsenSys says it is dedicated to growing the Ethereum-based blockchain ecosystem through various domains including ConsenSys Solutions, ConsenSys Capital, ConsenSys Labs, and ConsenSys Academy.

Lubin told CNBC he sees increasing interest in blockchain technologies. Companies exploring uses for blockchain include IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, Accenture, Deloitte, JP Morgan, and thousands of others.