OpenStack Is Ready — Are You?

OpenStack is an open source cloud platform that has become a compatibility standard for the private cloud market. Despite its headway into the Fortune 100 and long list of notable vendor supporters, coverage thus far has been limited to media articles and vendor propaganda that disproportionately inflate both the strengths and shortcomings of OpenStack. For infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals about to kick off their OpenStack initiatives, it's hard to make sense of the key decisions, top challenges, and the team you need to get started. Forrester interviewed eight OpenStack end users and 10 OpenStack ecosystem vendors to discuss the best practices and common pitfalls I&O pros face when adopting OpenStack. This report guides I&O pros along the early days of their OpenStack deployment to set them off on the right path to success in winning, serving, and retaining customers as part of the larger BT agenda.