The OpenStack Foundation debuts in an interview with Boris Renski (podcast)

I spent a very informative half hour with OpenStack board member, Boris Renski on September 19--coincidentally, the official launch date of OpenStack. I am proud to be part of open source and OpenStack history with this podcast. Boris is also co-founder of Mirantis, an OpenStack cloud consulting company. I've followed OpenStack for a few months and have wanted to interview someone from the Foundation but had never had the chance to connect until a few days ago.

What initially prompted my query to him was his blog post discussion of VMware's acceptance into the OpenStack Foundation ecosystem. However, after finding out that the official launch date was quickly approaching, my focus changed from controversy to a true open source success story. OpenStack is such a success story.

Currently, OpenStack is the second largest open source foundation, behind The Linux Foundation and has over ten million dollars in sponsored support from companies such as Rackspace, Ubuntu, HP, IBM, Red Hat, Cisco and many others.

Curiously missing from those is Citrix. I asked Boris about Citrix's choice to disconnect itself from the project and I'll allow him to tell you OpenStack's side in his own words. He also speaks frankly about VMware's inclusion in the Foundation and his problem with it. 

The podcast is approximately 27:30 minutes in length, in MP3 format and is rated G for all audiences. Boris' audio is a little choppy at times but I think his message and his answers are clear enough for you to understand.

Boris Renski OpenStack Foundation Podcast

My view of OpenStack is that I'm proud of the product, the Foundation and its overall success. I'm glad to see another open source project take flight in such a big way. I'm glad that big names like HP, IBM, AT&T, Nebula and so many others are helping launch this effort. Not only does their support say something about the industry as a whole but it also sends the powerful message that competitors can work toward a common goal in a successful and a profitable way.

I'm not particularly concerned or bothered by VMware's role in the OpenStack Foundation. Boris has his reasons for his feelings and I certainly respect his insight. It is people like Boris who are passionate about what they do that sets him apart from those who "Go along just to get along."

More shocking to me is the fact that Citrix pulled out from the Foundation. I understand, though, their perspective on the matter. Again, Boris explains it better than I can.

I'm hopeful that OpenStack will become a "Go To" resource like The Linux Foundation for all things Cloud, especially for open source Cloud topics.

Please give me your feedback in the Talk Back section and let me know what you think of The OpenStack Foundation, VMware's membership and the overall outlook for open source Cloud.