Why OpenInfra’s Move to the Linux Foundation Signals a New Era for Cloud‑Native Infrastructure

According to voting results, the Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenInfra) intends to join the Linux Foundation.

Years ago, OpenStack (then called OpenStack) and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) fiercely competed for developers and customers; OpenStack focused on open‑source cloud infrastructure for applications, while CNCF’s Kubernetes offered vendor‑agnostic container orchestration.

OpenInfra almost lost that battle.

When long‑standing Linux vendor SUSE abandoned SUSE OpenStack Cloud in 2019 to fully embrace Kubernetes, the shift became evident. At SUSECON25, SUSE’s chief technology and product officer Thomas Di Giacomo was asked if the company regretted the decision; he replied, “There is no reason to reconsider it.”

In recent years OpenInfra has revived, partly because after Broadcom’s acquisition, many VMware users want to migrate workloads to OpenStack.

OpenInfra Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Bryce said, “Partnering with the Linux Foundation is the natural next step for OpenStack and other OpenInfra projects.”

Bryce added that becoming part of the Linux Foundation will allow OpenInfra to use shared resources “to better meet the modern infrastructure demands driven by AI, accelerated computing, and digital sovereignty.”

He also noted growing pressure from regulatory, security, and geopolitical factors, stating that the Linux Foundation’s mature legal support, security expertise, and global advocacy framework will help address these complex challenges.

The plan positions the OpenInfra Foundation as a directed fund within the Linux Foundation, operating similarly to the CNCF and PyTorch Foundations.

Funds raised from corporate members and sponsors will be earmarked exclusively for OpenInfra activities, with the board continuing to oversee the budget as it does today.

Contributors and licensing will continue as usual; projects will follow their long‑standing governance processes.

OpenInfra contributors will keep managing technical direction, while the OpenInfra Foundation’s management committee will oversee project lifecycles, just as the current OpenInfra board does.

Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin said, “Our rich history of collaboration and tightly‑connected community will drive our shared mission to advocate for and advance open‑source.”

OpenInfra Foundation COO Mark Collier said, “By joining forces, OpenInfra and the Linux Foundation will expand an already deeply interconnected community, ensuring AI infrastructure is openly developed, community‑managed, and accessible, enabling innovators worldwide to contribute, adapt, and build shared technology.”

This partnership offers a sustainable path forward, giving OpenInfra a new home.

Google and the Linux Foundation launch the Chromium Club

Linux Foundation supports Redis’s “Valkey” open‑source fork

10 open‑source tools to boost your coding skills