More large network and software vendors are getting on board with OpenStack and are becoming key contributors to the platform's development. Cisco and HP recently announced new tools that leverage OpenStack, while human resources company Workday also declared that it was working on an a compatible cloud environment.
Updates to OpenStack have made it easier for enterprises to use software-defined technologies for better network management. According to InformationWeek's Charles Babcock, the OpenStack tools that provide control over virtualized cloud storage, networks and servers have been taken up by numerous vendors, putting pressure on some of the category leaders.
For example, Cisco revealed that it would make its UCS data switching apparatus compatible with OpenStack. Deployments such as Red Hat, Suse and Ubuntu will also be supported. The move comes at a time when enterprises need convenient ways to set up and access hybrid and private cloud resources. OpenStack has been the core of many tools that enable businesses to achieve the scalability of public cloud resources while retaining control over projects like big data initiatives.
The influence of OpenStack on the networking and PaaS markets can also be seen in HP's decision to power its HP Public Cloud Console with OpenStack Horizon. Reporting for Data Center Knowledge, Jason Verge stated that HP had turned to OpenStack to promote interoperability and collaboration.
"With proprietary offerings, cloud users are trapped in single-vendor solutions, hindering industry collaboration," HP senior vice president Saar Gillai told the source.
Workday, which provides software-as-a-service solutions to the human resources industry, also expressed its commitment to OpenStack cloud infrastructure. ZDNet's Rob O'Neill stated that work on an OpenStack cloud had commenced in January 2013 and may be completed within the next few months. Workday opted for OpenStack over competing solutions in order to meet its needs for high-performing cloud solutions.
