Rackspace strengthens OpenStack role with Platinum status

Rackspace has announced an enhanced commitment to the OpenInfra Foundation by joining its Board of Directors and becoming a Platinum Member of the OpenStack community.

Membership at this level grants Rackspace the opportunity to influence the strategic direction of the OpenInfra Foundation community and the industry. It also provides access to open group forums, work groups, and the ability to fast-track standards.

Rackspace Technology partnered with NASA in 2010 to launch OpenStack, an open-source cloud software project designed to power both public and private clouds. Since its inception, OpenStack has become one of the most active open-source projects, utilised by enterprises worldwide, providing a scalable and open cloud platform.

"As more organisations choose multicloud flexibility and hybrid infrastructure solutions to reclaim control of their infrastructure, OpenStack is experiencing record demand and accelerated adoption for companies to meet digital sovereignty and security requirements with cost-efficient cloud consumption," stated Lance Weaver, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Rackspace Private Cloud. "We look forward to expanding our contributions to the OpenInfra community through our continued commitment to OpenStack as a Platinum Member of the OpenInfra Foundation."

OpenStack is characterised by its ability to enable open-source, customised private clouds across on-premises and hosted infrastructure. The platform offers several benefits, including the flexibility to build private cloud data centres or edge locations, a foundation for deploying containers and orchestrators such as Kubernetes, and scalability options to meet organisational needs. It also supports business growth and scale, integrates automation tools for easier cloud management, and is compatible with a wide range of hardware, networking, and storage solutions.

The demand for OpenStack has resurged over a decade after its introduction. This resurgence is being driven by increasing demands for data sovereignty, privacy, and cost control as customers seek alternatives to public clouds.

"At the core of today's data transformation is the need for agility. Organisations need a dynamic set of core services that provide the capabilities that empower essential platforms for modern applications, such as Kubernetes," said Josh Villarreal, Rackspace Technology OpenStack GM. "Rackspace OpenStack solutions deliver the capability, scalability, and reliability of an enterprise-grade cloud platform at a fraction of the cost."

Industries such as retail, pharmaceuticals, and banking are leveraging OpenStack for various purposes. Retailers are seeking ways to avoid using public cloud competitors to host proprietary systems, pharmaceutical firms aim to keep sensitive patient data private, and banks are employing it to adhere to strict data sovereignty regulations.

Thierry Carrez, General Manager of the OpenInfra Foundation, expressed support for Rackspace's expanded role. "Rackspace Technology partnered with NASA to originally launch OpenStack, so we are thrilled about Rackspace's renewed commitment to OpenStack as a contributor and Platinum Member of the OpenInfra Foundation," he said. "Rackspace has accrued a lot of expertise at supporting OpenStack-based public and private cloud infrastructures, which they will be able to leverage as a key member of the OpenStack ecosystem."