The Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra), which oversees the development of the open-source cloud platform OpenStack, has announced its integration into the Linux Foundation. This strategic move aims to strengthen collaboration between major open-source projects such as Kubernetes and the Linux operating system, driving innovation and efficiency across the cloud infrastructure ecosystem.
OpenStack’s resurgence comes at a pivotal moment. Companies and organizations are increasingly looking for flexible, cost-effective alternatives in the face of rising licensing fees from vendors like VMware — a trend exacerbated by Broadcom’s recent pricing changes. Additionally, the growing demand for maximizing GPU usage for artificial intelligence workloads, along with stricter data sovereignty regulations, has prompted many organizations to repatriate cloud workloads to local data centers.
Jonathan Bryce, executive director of OpenInfra, emphasized that aligning with the Linux Foundation will not only streamline deployments but also enhance resource sharing and reduce the overall cost of maintaining open-source projects. OpenInfra’s global community, with more than 110,000 contributors, also supports key projects such as Kata Containers, StarlingX, and Zuul, which will all benefit from this integration.
David Carrero, co-founder of Stackscale (Grupo Aire), a European cloud infrastructure provider and partner to companies deploying OpenStack-based solutions, welcomed the announcement:
“This integration between OpenStack and the Linux Foundation is a natural step forward for the open-source ecosystem. At Stackscale, we see firsthand how OpenStack empowers enterprises and service providers to create robust, scalable private and hybrid clouds. The closer collaboration with Kubernetes and other key technologies under the Linux Foundation umbrella will accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to organizations looking for flexible cloud solutions outside of hyperscalers.”
Since its launch 15 years ago, OpenStack has released 31 major updates and remains a trusted platform, particularly in telecommunications and enterprise sectors. Companies such as GEICO have recently shifted workloads back from the public cloud to Kubernetes environments running on top of OpenStack, highlighting the platform’s continuing relevance.
Key OpenStack components such as Nova for virtual machine provisioning, Neutron for networking, and Cinder for block storage offer robust infrastructure building blocks for organizations seeking independence from commercial cloud providers.
According to Carrero, the partnership with the Linux Foundation will benefit not only developers and maintainers but also cloud providers and enterprises that rely on OpenStack for mission-critical workloads:
“Our customers require reliable, sovereign cloud environments that comply with European data protection laws and can adapt to rapidly changing AI and big data demands. OpenStack’s evolution under the Linux Foundation will strengthen its ecosystem and provide greater trust and stability for companies deploying their infrastructure with open technologies.”
With this alliance, OpenStack positions itself at the heart of a collaborative global ecosystem, offering organizations the ability to build open, secure, and cost-effective infrastructure to meet the complex digital challenges of the future.
