Cloud Management Software Provider OpenStack Unveils the OpenStack Foundation

By Steve Anderson, Contributing TMCnet Writer

OpenStack has recently launched its OpenStack Foundation following a year of preparation, which in turn divorces OpenStack's cloud management software from the control of previous hosting provider RackSpace. The OpenStack system, which operates on an open source code, is taking its cues from a fairly major name in computing, the Linux Foundation (News - Alert).

RackSpace had been overseeing the development of OpenStack's community for two years after the project first began, but only last year, the project leaders began to get the idea that they might be better off if the software were ran without the consideration of vendors, much in the same way that the Linux kernel is managed by the Linux Foundation. So Rackspace (News - Alert), in turn, transferred the OpenStack trademark, as well as the community management activities that went along with it to the OpenStack Foundation.

The executive director of the OpenStack Foundation, Jonathan Bryce, explained the motivation behind moving to a foundation with his remarks, "Putting OpenStack in an independent and vendor neutral foundation is one way to make sure you don't get stuck with a single vendor. OpenStack will be around for years to come. [Vendor] acquisitions get made, product lines get slashed, and strategies get changed. The foundation provides an independent home that will be the long term way that OpenStack will continue to be developed and supported."

Given that the OpenStack Foundation's ranking membership comprises some fairly major names--the organization is run by a board of 24, including eight Platinum sponsors, eight Gold sponsors and eight individuals—like HP, IBM, and AT&T (News - Alert), who are among the Platinum Members who each get a seat on the board, it's safe to say that the Foundation will have plenty of expertise along to advise it to new possibilities. Gold and individual members, meanwhile, elect a slate of eight to sit on the Foundation's board.

It will be interesting to see just where the OpenStack Foundation takes its newly-minted board and its variety of potentially conflicting viewpoints. If they have even half the success that the Linux Foundation has had so far, well, there's every bit of possibility that this could turn out well indeed. But then again, there's every bit of possibility that this could fall flat. Only time will tell the ultimate implications of the OpenStack Foundation has on cloud management software, but it's a fair bet this will pay some dividends eventually.

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(source: http://cloud-management-software.tmcnet.com/articles/308881-cloud-management-software-provider-openstack-unveils-openstack-foundation.htm)