Let me start by stating I am the release manager for Codenvy and Che. When trying to decide if a cloud IDE is right for you like so many things in life "It depe

Let me start by stating I am the release manager for Codenvy and Che. When trying to decide if a cloud IDE is right for you like so many things in life "It depends". A local IDE probably works "fine" for most single developers or small teams. Developers that have been using a certain local IDE may find that it is better to stick with it than to invest time in learning about and how to use a cloud IDE. Also certain program development can only be done with specific local IDE software. Codenvy is trying to fit into as many developer needs as we can but we know we will not always be right for everyone. However, Codenvy and Che does have advantages over local IDEs. The biggest in my opinion is having a consistent programming environment that can be distributed quickly. We leverage the use of Docker in creating workspaces that run machine(s) which are Docker containers. Source code, compilers, debuggers and executables are all "contained" in the same runtime environment. This means consistency in compiling, executing and debugging. When a developer get's something to work successfully others will be able to do the same consistently. Also, transitioning from development environment to production in most cases is more consistent and faster if your production environment uses or can use Docker containers in production. Running the IDE on a dedicated server also can increase compile performance and reduce local machine hardware requirements. One special advantage that Che and Codenvy over traditional IDE's is some embedded systems. A developer could include a built-in IDE in their embedded system. When the embedded system is connected to a network the developer could use Codenvy or Che to directly reprogram the device using the device's ipaddress and a web browser. Downside to having the IDE on the embedded system though is processing power but could work in some cases. Alternatively, a cross compile development environment could be setup with Che and Codenvy that could upload the binary/assembly to the embedded device after compiling. This is actually what we are doing Samsung's Artik development board with the Artik IDE. On the topic of leaving a developer "high and dry" if the product fails, is why open source is a good idea for an IDE. Open sourcing Che, which Codenvy is built on, ensures that the product has the ability to live on without us if for some reason Codenvy fails. Not only is Che open sourced but is part of the Eclipse foundation. This is a great topic and glad to see all the interest. It's good to see what developers feel about and want from cloud IDE's.