Rackspace, NASA launch OpenStack: Can it prevent cloud lock-in?

“Rackspace on Monday launched OpenStack, an open source cloud
computing operating system, designed to take on the likes of
VMware’s vSphere and Microsoft’s Azure. NASA, Citrix and Dell are
among the key partners.

“While it’s early in the cloud computing game, the playbook of
creating an operating system—proprietary in many
cases—to garner a dominant position is alive and well. These
cloud operating systems are designed to meld private and public
cloud platforms. Like the PC industry, the cloud OS is seen as an
entry to providing a complete IT stack.

“Rackspace, a key hosting and cloud computing provider, is
hoping to change that operating system equation a bit (Techmeme).
In a nutshell, Rackspace is donating the code behind its Cloud
Files and Cloud Servers offering to the OpenStack project. Open
Stack will also use the code behind the NASA Nebula Cloud
Platform.”

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