Platform9 recently announced the release of Platform9 Managed OpenStack for VMware vSphere as a SaaS solution. Platform9 Managed OpenStack for VMware vSphere facilitates the deployment of OpenStack private clouds that leverage VMware vSphere virtualization technology. By using a virtual appliance to integrate OpenStack with vSphere resources, VMware enterprise customers now have the ability to spin up an OpenStack-based cloud that integrates with VMware vSphere resources. Developers interested in self-provisioning resources or accessing their applications will interface directly with the OpenStack cloud, whereas IT and Sys Admins will work on vSphere infrastructure resources. The Platform9 solution empowers developers to build automation into their workflows and applications in addition to using orchestration tools and APIs to construct relationships between workflows. Most importantly, however, the solution boasts 100% interoperability between VMware vSphere and OpenStack and supports vSphere-based API automation and compatible third party products. Overall, Platform9’s support of VMware vSphere represents an important milestone in OpenStack’s trajectory, particularly given the way in which the acquisition of OpenStack startups such as Cloudscaling, Metacloud and Piston Cloud Computing by the likes of EMC and Cisco threatens to slow the pace of innovation within the OpenStack space. Platform9’s ability to deliver OpenStack via a SaaS interface and give customers an unprecedented degree of flexibility regarding the configuration of their deployments. Expect the industry to deepen the integration between VMware and cloud-based environments as more and more cloud platforms come to terms with the reality that enterprises based on VMware vSphere prefer to maintain their fleet of virtualization infrastructure resources while they expand their investments in private and public cloud deployments.
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