Eight European IT organizations, including Arsys, BIT, Gdańsk University of Technology, Infobip, IONOS, Kontron, MONDRAGON Corporation and Oktawave, have launched virt8ra, a multi-provider edge cloud designed for Europe.
The initiative, led by OpenNebula Systems, a Spanish open-source company, intends to create a flexible infrastructure that connects many cloud providers. The initial rollout includes six EU member states: Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain.
This effort falls under the important project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI-CIS). Approved by the European Commission in December 2023, the initiative involves 12 EU member states and more than €3 billion in public and private funding.
The core of the project is an open-source software package for virtualization, developed by a network of more than 30 European companies. The focus is on creating a vendor-neutral framework tailored to manage the growing integration of cloud and edge computing, known as the cloud-edge continuum.
Solving Europe’s cloud challenges
Virt8ra aims to solve a pressing problem in the European digital landscape: dependence on large non-European cloud providers. The infrastructure is designed to manage a range of distributed computing services, from 5G cell towers to data centers. This makes it particularly suitable for applications where low latency is important, such as smart factories, connected vehicles, remote operations and forest fire management.
By providing an open source alternative to the large, proprietary cloud, virt8ra helps EU businesses and governments minimize their dependence on hyperscalers and large technology vendors, and supports Europe’s push for a greater degree of technological sovereignty.
Features and future development
The initial version of virt8ra already demonstrates key capabilities. A single control plane enables users to manage physical resources, virtual machines, and Kubernetes clusters across multiple cloud providers. The infrastructure was developed with portability in mind, allowing for easy implementation and migration of applications between different locations.
The project is far from static. Plans are underway to expand the system’s reach, include more locations, and add advanced features designed for next-generation use cases such as edge-based AI applications. The anticipated advances are intended to meet the needs of European businesses in a complex digital environment.
Barriers in the current cloud market
Despite the potential of initiatives such as virt8ra, the European cloud market still faces challenges. Customers often face high costs such as data output fees and a lack of interoperability between providers. Migration procedures can also be cumbersome, making it difficult to change services.
The EU data law, which will come into force in September 2025, aims to address these issues by promoting smoother transitions between cloud and edge providers. Virt8ra is compliant with this legislation and offers a set of open source technologies designed to make the transition smoother.
According to Ignacio M. Llorente, CEO of OpenNebula Systems, virt8ra represents a significant step in reshaping the European cloud environment. “The virt8ra testbed represents a turning point in the way EU technology champions are coming together to fix the EU cloud market. We are finally building a sovereign cloud continuum based on vendor neutrality and European open source,” he said.
(Photo by Unsplash)
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