Cloud and OpenStack?
In a recent conversation, someone asked us why Fairbanks, choose to focus your attention to open infrastructure cloud solutions and OpenStack when you started? And why do we blog about so many aspects of open infrastructure clouds and what can be achieved with it? Since we are doing this since 2011 and it has become our nature, I thought it would be nice to share our thoughts on that.
Private and hybrid cloud solutions are the future
To start with the first question: Why open infrastructure cloud solutions? When we started in 2011, we already felt then, that open source and open cloud where the way to go. For more than 20 years, ever since Linux gained the support and backing of huge IT suppliers like IBM, Google and Amazon, the spread of open source has been game changing for everything, from application development to cloud to high-performance computing and much more.
These open source solutions enabled – and still do – businesses to adapt fast and gain competitive advantages. That was the main reason for us to realise that private and hybrid cloud solutions are the future. Partly because of innovation and to better align the infrastructure with the growth of clients, but also because we recognised that investments in owned infrastructure would be replaced by operational costs.
Focussing on DevOps rather than maintenance
To become specialists in OpenStack – which came to rise in that same period – was the logical next step. OpenStack is a cloud infrastructure that offers large pools of compute, storage and networking components within the data centre. For instance, in the past, when a setup for a server, a storage component or a network had to be requested and then rolled out manually, with OpenStack this became an automated process. Al it requires is you to push the button. It made it much easier for companies to quickly deploy new setups, which helps them to be as agile as possible. Since all infrastructure components are offered from standard servers and switches, investments in special hardware is minimal.
Over the years, its popularity has grown. OpenStack is now used all around the world by some of the biggest and smartest enterprises, like AT&T, the US National Security Agency, BMW, the BBC, and many more organizations; also in The Netherlands it is widely used and developed. The Benelux is actually one of the most active OpenStack communities in the World. We truly feel that businesses benefit enormously from OpenStack. Instead of being overwhelmed by maintaining the infrastructure, your IT-specialist can now focus on DevOps.
It’s great to talk about it
Since 2011, we have seen so many innovations and developments when it comes to cloud solutions, OpenStack and in DevOps as well. Some were very successful, others were ‘less than that’, so to speak. Fairbanks itself of course had some major developments and embarked on all kinds of projects. Blogging is a way to speak about all that.
Not just about what we do or about our services. That can be found elsewhere on the website – although sometimes it is nice to tell you about our own growth. No, we want to talk to you about the how to create value with open source, what works well and what works less. What are the new trends and how we feel about them? We want to give you tips and advises on tools, processes and best practices. Like we do when we speak with our clients when we meet them in person. It is just great to talk about it.
