VIDEO INTERVIEW – At CloudFest 2025, the HostingJournalist.com editorial team had a video interview with Giles Sirett, CEO and founder of ShapeBlue and a long-time CloudStack evangelist, to discuss the shifting landscape of cloud infrastructure, the growing traction of open-source platforms, and where CloudStack is heading next.
According to Giles Sirett, both ShapeBlue and the wider CloudStack community are laser-focused on enabling smooth adoption of open-source cloud technologies. “The priority for us – and I think for the open-source cloud ecosystem as a whole – is to help people move into open-source environments as efficiently as possible,” said Sirett. He emphasized that much of the recent development work has gone into simplifying onboarding and workload migration, areas that are increasingly important as organizations re-evaluate their cloud strategies.
While CloudStack has built a reputation over the past decade for its stability and scalability, Mr. Sirett noted that the project is entering a new phase of innovation in response to major shifts in the virtualization space. “CloudStack has always had a tightly defined scope – that’s what gives it its reliability. But recently, we’re seeing an explosion of innovation,” he explained.
Integration of GPU Support
Among the most notable advancements is the integration of GPU support, which positions CloudStack to better serve emerging workloads in AI, machine learning, and data analytics. Sirett also pointed to growing support for alternative processor architectures beyond the traditional Intel-based systems, driven largely by demands from within the CloudStack user community.
The conversation also turned to the evolving cloud market and the changing dynamics between hyperscalers and smaller, more agile service providers. Sirett sees a growing skepticism among enterprises about the long-term costs of working with hyperscale cloud platforms. “For a long time, the big three hyperscalers have gone unchallenged,” he said. “But that’s beginning to change. Organizations are looking at the economics more closely, and many are starting to explore other options – including running their own infrastructure.”
This trend ties into the growing phenomenon of cloud repatriation, where enterprises move workloads back from public clouds to on-premises or private infrastructure. According to Sirett, this shift is driven by factors like cost efficiency, control, and operational reliability. “Once an organization reaches a certain scale, it often makes more sense to bring things in-house. It’s cheaper, it’s more flexible, and frankly, it’s more reliable,” he added.
Watch the full interview with ShapeBlue CEO Giles Sirett at CloudFest 2025 to learn more about the direction of CloudStack and the future of open-source cloud infrastructure.
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