Why Service Providers Should Invest in OpenStack Cloud

The Rise of Multicloud Strategy and the Impact on Service Providers

Are your customers moving toward a multicloud strategy? According to one recent study on the use of the cloud, they probably are. The study showed that 81 percent of enterprises are choosing a multicloud strategy—that means they either are choosing to have multiple private clouds, are going with multiple public cloud providers or are using a hybrid solution.

451 Research notes in its report, “OpenStack: Enabler of Digital Transformation—How Service Providers Can Benefit,” that public cloud providers may not be suitable for every scenario. Customers could be concerned about recurring license or usage costs, data protection or regulatory requirements, or security issues—all of which limit the use of public cloud and proprietary technology models.

What can you offer to customers who face these challenges?

The report by 451 Research notes that OpenStack, first released in 2010, is the most widely used open source cloud management platform (CMP) available on today. Of course, there are lots of CMP options out there, so why should you and your customers invest in open source and specifically in OpenStack? The paper gives five solid reasons:

Cost Savings

Obviously, we’re fans of the open source subscription model. Do a comparison to the price of commercial vendor licenses, and we think you’ll agree. Cost savings for operating a cloud infrastructure can be significant when using open source. In addition, with open source you get to avoid the hassles of license management—no small matter for service providers juggling lots of clients and licenses.

Support for Multiple Hypervisors

Open source platforms generally support a much wider variety of virtualized environments. That means you can support your customers regardless of their hypervisor choices and thus offer broader coverage of infrastructure and flexibility.

Modularity and Flexibility

Open source platforms are structured less rigidly, while their methodology is less prescribed than proprietary platforms. Their ability to coexist with other operating systems, hypervisors, cloud platforms and providers makes them very adaptable to a greater range of requirements. This can be critical for service providers supporting their customers’ digital transformation efforts, which typically include the adoption of a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

No Vendor Lock-In

By embracing open source, you’ll also be avoiding dependency on a single technology offering or brand, thereby reducing the risk of lifecycle changes and unexpected price increases or licensing rules. You get to maintain a neutral stance and support your customers in their choices, whatever those may be.

Community Involvement and Support

Open source platforms have active community members—including application developers, technology vendors and service providers—who offer advice and support to those looking to move into open source. It is becoming increasingly common to see collaboration even among competing service providers, given that they have some common challenges in supporting digital transformation.

For all these reasons, we believe that service providers like you stand to gain immensely from an investment in open source cloud management platforms like OpenStack. Sure, there will be challenges. The paper dives deeper into what those will be and how to minimize them. It also highlights where the greatest market opportunity is and gives a detailed rundown of OpenStack and its nearest competitors. Read “OpenStack: Enabler of Digital Transformation—How Service Providers Can Benefit” today to learn more.