Kubernetes
Kubernetes, often referred to as K8s, is the leading open source container orchestration platform. Originally developed by engineers at Google and Red Hat, it has evolved into a critical foundation for modern infrastructure. With a growing global community and extensive ecosystem, Kubernetes now powers environments from edge deployments to hyperscale data centers.
What Kubernetes does
Kubernetes automates the deployment, scaling and management of containerized applications. Its strength lies in its ability to maintain high performance and resilience at scale, no matter the complexity of your infrastructure. Kubernetes has become the standard for organizations that require stability, flexibility and independence.
Its ecosystem includes plugins, extensions and integration layers that expand its capabilities far beyond container orchestration. Backed by a strong community and wide industry adoption, Kubernetes keeps evolving as a platform that helps organizations stay in control of their infrastructure.
Kubernetes for containers
The classic use case for Kubernetes is managing containers. Whether you’re running a few containers on a local machine or thousands across multiple locations, Kubernetes ensures everything runs smoothly. Workloads can be distributed, restarted automatically if they fail, and scaled up or down dynamically.
By adopting GitOps methodologies, organizations define the desired state of their clusters in code. Kubernetes ensures that this state is always maintained. When deviations occur, the platform automatically reconciles the difference. This dramatically reduces manual effort and configuration drift.
Dynamic, responsive scaling
Traditional infrastructure requires manual intervention to handle traffic peaks. Kubernetes automates this process. As long as hardware resources are available, Kubernetes scales services up or down to match demand. This responsiveness improves performance, prevents outages and ensures optimal use of resources.
Strategic independence with Kubernetes
One of Kubernetes’ strongest advantages is its open source nature. It’s free from proprietary constraints and vendor lock-ins. With multiple Kubernetes distributions available, workloads remain portable and future-ready. This gives your organization the freedom to choose, migrate or integrate at your own pace.
Kubernetes as an infrastructure manager
Beyond containers, Kubernetes can manage your entire open source infrastructure. Some workloads are better suited to VMs or require robust storage. For those needs, OpenStack and Ceph remain vital platforms. The challenge is managing them efficiently.
By integrating OpenStack and Ceph into Kubernetes, you can bring the benefits of automation, declarative configuration and self-healing to your broader infrastructure. This unified approach simplifies complex environments without compromising flexibility or functionality.
For example, you can define your OpenStack and Ceph configurations in the same Git repository used for your applications. Kubernetes will manage them all in one workflow, making the operation of open source clouds more consistent and transparent.
The Fairbanks approach
At Fairbanks, we help organizations implement and operate Kubernetes as part of a broader private cloud strategy. We ensure that your platform supports not just containerized applications, but your entire infrastructure. With proven open source expertise and deep operational knowledge, we guide you towards full autonomy.
We integrate Kubernetes with technologies like OpenStack and Ceph, tailoring everything to your goals. Whether you want hands-on support or prefer to operate independently, we help you achieve control, flexibility and long-term stability.
Success stories
The Danish Ministry of Children and Education transformed its IT infrastructure to reduce costs, eliminate vendor lock-in, and improve agility. With Fairbanks’ open-source expertise, the Ministry gained full control over its cloud environment, leading to faster service delivery, lower operational costs, and greater system stability. This shift positioned the Ministry as a leader in public-sector digital innovation, enhancing support for educators and students across Denmark.
The University of Luxembourg modernized its IT infrastructure with OpenStack to support high-performance computing and large-scale research. In collaboration with Fairbanks, the university improved scalability, automation, and resource efficiency while reducing costs and manual workload. The transformation enhanced agility, data security, and compliance, empowering cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary innovation.
SURF, the collaborative ICT organization for Dutch education and research, modernized its digital infrastructure to support high-performance computing, secure data management, and nationwide collaboration. With Fairbanks’ expertise, SURF enhanced scalability, security, and innovation, empowering institutions to share resources and accelerate research. The transformation improved efficiency, equity, and member engagement across the sector.
ODC-Noord modernized its IT infrastructure with scalable, secure cloud solutions to support Dutch government services. Thanks to Fairbanks, flexibility increased, security and compliance improved, and significant progress was made toward a CO₂-neutral data center operation. The efficiency and reliability of the service delivery improved noticeably.
Realtime Solutions transformed its IT infrastructure with OpenStack to enhance real-time performance for sectors such as logistics, finance, and telecom. Thanks to Fairbanks’ expertise, the company now benefits from a scalable, secure, and efficient cloud environment with low latency. This led to increased operational efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and a stronger competitive position.
VodafoneZiggo unified its cloud environments with a scalable OpenStack solution, supported by Fairbanks. This resulted in increased efficiency, improved control, and a smooth transition without disruption. The new infrastructure provides the flexibility to respond more quickly to customer demands and market developments.
KPN modernized its infrastructure with a scalable, open cloud platform to enable faster virtualization and higher service quality. Thanks to Fairbanks, KPN is now better equipped to handle network traffic, launch innovative services, and strengthen its leadership in the telecom sector.
Fingent optimized its OpenStack environment with the help of Fairbanks, resulting in higher performance, more stable networks, and improved backup and monitoring processes. Thanks to global collaboration and support, Fingent was able to operate more efficiently, minimize risks, and deliver software solutions to clients worldwide more quickly.
Delta Electronics improved operational efficiency and agility with a tailor-made OpenStack solution from Fairbanks. Thanks to optimized resource management, digital twins, and energy-efficient technologies, Delta achieved significant gains in production performance and sustainability.
We design and build open source private cloud infrastructures that meet your unique needs
Managed Services
- Enhanced operational efficiency and focus
- Access to specialized expertise and advanced technology
- Cost efficient and predictable budgeting
