OpenStack, Paris Summit: Day One Insights

Depending on your point of view, there are different ways to assess the progress of the evolving OpenStack project. Yesterday, I profiled “three reasons” why I believe there are encouraging signs that demonstrate how OpenStack has matured -- and I gave an example of existing application case studies, as a key indicator.

I prefer to view the OpenStack upside potential through the lens of a business innovation consultant, where the technology is a means to an end – that being a desired commercial transformation. I referred to “superior digital business processes” as a primary motivation for exploring cloud computing services. So, what do I foresee, and how did I become fascinated by this particular topic?

I believe that today’s Global Networked Economy will lower any remaining geographic boundaries that may have previously limited competition in those industries that, to date, were largely untouched by the disruption made possible by the public Internet. The nascent Internet of Things has my attention – I want to be prepared for whatever comes next.

Freedom to Innovate with Cloud Services

Clearly, I’m not alone. IDC recently revealed its CIO Agenda Predictions for 2015. At the top of their list is the following expectation: By 2017, 80% of the CIO’s time will be focused on analytics, cybersecurity and creating new revenue streams through digital services. Now, just try to picture that scenario in your mind – how CIOs must move from where they’re devoting the majority of their time today, compared to where they’ll need to be focused in two-to-three years. It’s truly daunting, isn’t it?

That thought brings me to the next reason why I’m encouraged by the apparent progress within the OpenStack community. Now that most of the basic cloud infrastructure components are coming together nicely, some higher order issues are also being addressed -- such as, tools for simplification.

It seems logical, to me, that open hybrid cloud computing deployments will become commonplace once routine manual processes for cloud service brokering and cross-cloud service provisioning tasks become more automated. Comprehensive management tools can free-up time that can be reinvested in other more strategic activities – such as creating those “superior digital business processes” I mentioned earlier.

Demand for Advanced Systems Management

Announced yesterday at the Paris Summit, Red Hat Cloud Infrastructure Version 5 is designed to address this need and enables organizations to build and manage a private cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) based upon datacenter virtualization and management technologies for traditional workloads, while providing an on-ramp to a highly scalable public-cloud-like infrastructure based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform.

Red Hat is proud to be a headline sponsor at the Paris Summit. We’re excited to connect with the thriving OpenStack community, and our team of employees in attendance are eager to engage with you onsite. Stop by booth A1 in the Marketplace Expo to meet with subject-matter experts from Red Hat, eNovance, and Inktank. They’ll be prepared to discuss our full service portfolio offerings, including:

• What’s new in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform, Red Hat Satellite and Red Hat CloudForms.
• Integration of eNovance and Inktank solutions in a complete stack of Red Hat solutions.
• Community momentum with RDO, CentOS, and the ManageIQ project.
• Our collaboration with the extensive Red Hat OpenStack partner ecosystem.

Red Hat and eNovance team members participated in the following sessions yesterday, among others. Once again, if you were unable to attend the event in person, please check the OpenStack Foundation site for details about the session video recording availability online.

Ask the Experts: Challenges for OpenStack Storage
The Open NFV Organization, Neutron, and OpenDaylight
Open Source OpenStack Provisioning Tools: What, Why, and How
Developing OpenStack as a Framework for NFV