HP Takes On VMware, Amazon With OpenStack Based CloudOS

Steven Burke

June 12, 2013, 02:30 PM EDT

CloudOS, part of an HP cloud product blitz on the third day of HP's Discover conference, is aimed at providing enterprise customers workload portability across public, private and hybrid cloud environments.

"This is a real game-changer," said Wendy Cartee, HP vice president of marketing for converged cloud. "We've been involved with OpenStack for over two years. This is the first time, however, that we have announced a common converged cloud architecture leveraging OpenStack."

[Related: HP To Bundle Google Apps For Business: Bad For Microsoft, Good For Partners ]

Cartee said the OpenStack-based converged cloud architecture opens the door to a "wealth" of cloud opportunities for HP solution provider partners spanning public, private and hybrid clouds with a wide range of HP products and services. What's more, she said, HP partners can provide value-added cloud software solutions utilizing OpenStack APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).

Chris Gerhardt, chief technology officer for Denali Advanced Integration, Redmond, Wash., No 119 on the SP500 with $157 million in annual sales, praised HP's decision to move forward with an open-based converged cloud architecture. "I am encouraged they are focusing on this space with an open platform," he said. "It's a safe choice given what is happening in the marketplace. There is an argument to be made that going OpenStack avoids lock- in. OpenStack is a pretty safe bet."

In a survey of 500 senior business and technology executives, 65 percent of the respondents were concerned about cloud lock-in, said Cartee. It's that kind of customer sentiment around open versus proprietary cloud offerings that is going to fuel momentum for HP's open converged cloud common architecture, she said.

HP, which already embeds CloudOS into its web services offerings, plans to add it to its Moonshot servers and to its HP Cloud Service Automation cloud management platform. The HP CloudOS Sandbox will be available on a limited basis in June with full availability slated for the fall.

HP is backing up its new converged cloud offensive with a slew of new services, including an expanded HP Converged Cloud Professional Services Suite that provides customers with a single contract for hybrid cloud design, implementation and support, and Converged Cloud Support, providing customers with a "single point of support and accountability across private, managed and public clouds."

PUBLISHED ON JUNE 12, 2013