Will KVM counter the onslaught of VMware through the Open Virtualization Alliance? It’s too soon to say, but KVM is getting a strong boost with an additional 65 members signing up to join the OVA, whose members are “committed to fostering the adoption of open virtualization technologies,” mainly KVM. Read on for the details, names and speculation about the virtualization landscape …

You may remember way back in May 2011 when we covered the OVA launch, which started with a handful of partners. The group’s formation was an interesting move, because open source rivals Red Hat and SUSE both helped lead the charge, (along with BMC, Eucalyptus, HP, IBM and Intel). It’s clear, however, that both companies have a shared interest in seeing KVM proliferate (especially with Red Hat’s goal of hitting $1 billion in revenue, built on cloud and virtualization). What better way to do that than to have two main Linux-based companies leading the way?

Unity amid the open source world is a great idea, and if KVM is to truly stand up to more popular competitors, there needs to be a compelling reason to choose KVM over other solutions. Perhaps other vendors see it this way too, the group now has 65 newcomers joining the Open Virtualization Alliance. Making KVM products interoperable is likely a better solution than going it alone (or with tangential intervendor connections), and a strong community dedicated to improving KVM is a great way to bolster the product.

Most of these companies already have a soft spot for open source, with big names including Brocade, Dell, Gluster and Vyatta. So what happens next? An official board meeting be will held by the end of June 2011, and with almost 100 members on board, the OVA has considerable momentum to carry out its three tenets:

  • Industry Ecosystem
  • Educational Resources
  • Increasing Confidence

OVA’s mission is to get KVM as deep and integrated into as many virtualization technology portfolios as possible, be it cloud, storage or network management solutions. The OVA also is reaching out to ISVs to ask their support in developing KVM applications. Educating the “technical community” on the benefits of KVM, along with blueprints and guides for deploying KVM solutions also are key parts of OVA’s strategy, which goes hand in hand with the last tenet, to increase confidence. OVA plans on doing this by publishing benchmarks, facts and figures on KVM-supported infrastructures.

It’s quite literally a KVM campaign. But where does the channel fit in? In a perfect world, it gives VARs, MSPs and partners a vast toolbox of solutions to mix and match; a veritable palate of virtualization colors to gracefully brush infrastructure into vivid existence. Initially, I had suggested that the OVA could help partners working in the KVM scene see a slight boost in sales or lead generation, but I questioned whether other vendors would jump on board. Now that they have, the real question will be how soon — if at all — will we see KVM reach new (and yet unattained) heights?

It’s honestly too early to say, but I have a hunch that in two years’ time, we’ll have our answer.

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