The Linux Foundation Hosts Open19 to Accelerate Data Center and Edge Hardware Innovation

Open19 framework enables data center hardware design that powers edge, 5G and custom cloud deployments worldwide, brings both hardware and software under the Linux Foundation with fellow Yuval Bachar 

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2021 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced it will host the Open19 Foundation, an open hardware platform for data center and edge hardware innovation. It is also announcing that one of the original founders of the Open19 project, Yuval Bachar, is joining the Linux Foundation to lead this effort. Project leadership includes premiere members Equinix and Cisco.

Open19 focuses on hardware standards that enable compute, storage and network manufacturers and end users to develop differentiated hardware solutions while protecting their competitive intellectual property. With the addition of Open19, The Linux Foundation is hosting data center hardware and software under one virtual roof.

“As the open hardware project of The Linux Foundation, the Open19 Project is dedicated to creating solutions that help digital businesses take advantage of specialized infrastructure,” said Zachary Smith, Open19 Foundation chairperson and Managing Director of Equinix Metal. “We are excited to join The Linux Foundation to solve the challenges facing modern data centers with collaborative, open, community-led innovation.”

Open19 provides a framework for accessing and deploying hardware innovation at any scale, from edge environments to large-scale custom clouds. With its unique intellectual property model and market-leading specifications with proven adoption, Open19 enables technology providers, supply chain partners, cloud service providers, telecoms and tech forward enterprises to leverage shared investments to address the exploding needs of modern compute and network deployments while minimizing risk. This reduces time to market for new solutions while substantially lowering the cost of operations.

“Open19 is revolutionizing the way we approach hardware,” said Yuval Bachar, Open 19 Foundation Fellow. “The time to invest in open hardware has never been more pressing. With the transformation happening as a result of AI, 5G and edge networking, in particular, the opportunity for innovation is ripe, and Open19 will accelerate it.”

Yuval Bachar founded the Open19 project and is returning to support the project and its community under the Linux Foundation. His career includes technical leadership roles at Microsoft, LinkedIn, Meta, and Cisco. Bachar has been on the forefront of some of the industry’s most important technology developments, from data center networking to data center self healing with Machine Learning, AI and predictive maintenance. Most recently, he was Principal Hardware Architect of the Azure Platform at Microsoft. Previously, he was Principal Engineer in the global infrastructure and strategy team at LinkedIn, the leader and architect for Meta’s data center networking hardware and Senior Director of Engineering in the CTO office at Cisco.

The Linux Foundation provides an open governance model and a vendor neutral home to a variety of projects working to advance open hardware and data center innovation. This framework nurtures cross-project collaboration among Open19, DPDK, OpenBMC, and RISC-V projects; the LF Edge, OpenPower and Cloud Native Computing Foundations; and incubating projects such as bare metal provisioning engine Tinkerbell, among others. Formal collaborations are expected to be announced in the coming months.

“The Open19 Community has been doing crucial work to accelerate open source hardware design to meet the needs of modern data centers and the edge,” said Arpit Joshipura, General manager, Networking, Edge & IOT at The Linux Foundation. “We are excited to welcome Open19 as our growing community defines the next generation of digital infrastructure.”

Originally founded in 2016 by a community of cloud infrastructure innovators looking to solve the cost, efficiency and operational challenges of modern data center deployments, solutions based on Open19 technology are now deployed at leading global providers. Open19 provides specifications for servers, storage and networking components designed to fit in any 19-inch data center rack environment. The project features common elements to enable platform innovation: flexible server “bricks” (server nodes with standard power supply and network delivery, plus cooling); a mechanical cage to house bricks; a standardized power shelf and blind mate power and data connectors.

Driven by strong industry adoption, members are working now on the next-generation of the Open19 specification and invite others to get involved. It is expected to be available mid-year 2021. For more information, please visit: www.open19.org

About The Open19 Project

The Open19 project, as part of The Linux Foundation, designs and promotes a form factor specification that includes a brick cage, server brick form factor, power shelf and unique blind mate power and data connectors. These components allow service providers and enterprises to leverage the first data center form factor design for a cloud and edge-native world.

About The Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. The Linux Foundation’s projects are critical to the world’s infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more. The Linux Foundation’s methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

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Media Contacts

Jennifer Cloer
for the Open19 Foundation and Linux Foundation
503-867-2304
jennifer@storychangesculture.com

Jennifer Lankford
for Equinix
503-308-2553
jennifer@lankfordpr.co