OVHcloud, a large European and global cloud provider, is actively participating in the 2024 Open Compute Project (OCP) EMEA Regional Summit currently taking place in Lisbon, Portugal. The company is not only engaging in discussions but is also making significant open-source contributions aimed at enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of cloud computing environments.
At this year’s summit, OVHcloud is focusing on advancing discussions within the OCP community through the release of new whitepapers on its research and development efforts and hosting various expert talks.
Notably, the company has shared detailed specifications and designs for advanced water cooling systems, a domain in which it has amassed over two decades of expertise. This initiative would underline OVHcloud‘s commitment to fostering open-source solutions that can drive innovation across the cloud computing industry.
Environmental Impact of Cloud Computing
One of the key themes OVHcloud is highlighting at the summit is the environmental impact of cloud computing. The company has long been dedicated to reducing this impact through innovative developments and a unique vertically integrated industrial model. Its data centers are renowned for their leading Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) indexes. By sharing insights on innovations such as lifespan extension of hardware, water cooling technologies, and power-efficient data center designs, OVHcloud aims to spearhead discussions on sustainability in cloud computing at the summit
The core of OVHcloud’s philosophy is a commitment to a transparent, reversible, interoperable, and open cloud. The company believes that an open-source framework is crucial for fostering a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates technological advancements. By continually contributing to open-source projects, OVHcloud ensures that its customers benefit from market-standard solutions that avoid vendor lock-in, thus promoting operational sovereignty.
Bijan Nowroozi, CTO of the OCP Foundation, expressed enthusiasm for OVHcloud’s contributions: “We are excited to see OVHcloud’s continued commitment to open-source innovation and sustainability through their contributions to the Open Compute Project. Their expertise in areas such as water cooling and efficient data center design brings tremendous value to the OCP community. We look forward to the insights and collaboration at this year’s OCP 2024 EMEA Regional Summit.”
Open-Source Firmware
In addition to hardware innovations, OVHcloud is also pioneering in software developments to enhance the management of cloud infrastructure. The company is actively working on open-source firmware, such as OpenBMC, which is critical for the agile management of large-scale server deployments, ensuring secure and efficient update rollouts and server decommissioning.
Miroslaw Klaba, R&D Director at OVHcloud, shared his vision for the summit, stating, “Innovation for freedom is what defines us at OVHcloud. We are thrilled to take this motto to new heights at the 2024 OCP EMEA Regional Summit, igniting conversations with our peers and contributing to various open-source projects. Open-source innovation, where every player involved is extremely qualified, is certainly the path to tackle the many challenges our industry faces particularly when it comes to environmental impact.”
With a robust infrastructure comprising over 450,000 servers across 42 data centers on four continents, and serving 1.6 million customers in more than 140 countries, OVHcloud’s role in the global cloud industry is significant. The company’s contributions and leadership in pushing for more sustainable and innovative cloud solutions might have a lasting impact on the industry, particularly in fostering a more sustainable management of cloud resources. This is in keeping with the larger objectives of the OCP community, which is to use open and collaborative innovation to redefine and mold the internet infrastructure sector’s future.
