Open source application giant Red Hat launches first blockchain initiative

Rage Review : Red Hat, the world's leading open source solution provider, recently launched the OpenShift blockchain initiative. This open and open source platform supports developers to create, test and run applications and deploy them to cloud platforms. OpenShift has cooperated with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, so it is a good platform entry for enterprises that want to take advantage of these cloud platforms. Due to the increasing market interest in the project, Red Hat plans to expand OpenShift to be compatible with blockchain functions. The platform is expected to have a wide range of applications, but the project is still in its early stages of development and the follow-up situation is still unclear.

Translation: Annie Xu

Red Hat has officially launched the OpenShift Blockchain Initiative, which aims to help financial companies explore technologies such as proof of concept mechanisms.

Under this initiative, Red Hat customers can build hosted blockchain applications using tools from independent solutions vendors (ISVs) while taking advantage of Red Hat's managed support services.

Julio Tapia

In a statement to the news outlet, Julio Tapia, Red Hat’s director of OpenShift partner ecosystem, mentioned that the company joined the Hyperledger project in February and subsequently began trying to leverage its experience in open source applications in the blockchain market.

"We want to not only unite our front with customers and partners, but also leverage solutions from the entire ecosystem; leverage all the innovative technologies in the industry, mature this project, apply it to the enterprise market, and ensure that all solutions can be released and supported."

Through this initiative, all customers have access to OpenShift proprietary products, tools, training sessions, enablement materials, and services from third-party solution providers.

Tapia believes that Red Hat’s products are very competitive in the current market as major financial institutions have expressed a desire to release blockchain applications on cloud platforms.

“Many market participants want to deploy applications on large cloud service providers, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other platforms, and many companies provide cloud service support.”

Amazon and Google both have proprietary OpenShift products, and Microsoft Azure is about to open system support. If companies want to purchase these cloud platform applications, Red Hat can manage them on their behalf.

Red Hat’s official entry into the ecosystem comes at a time when a group of startups are trying to develop similar enterprise-oriented services. For example, former Red Hat employee Jeff Garzik recently founded startup Bloq, saying that Bloq’s approach to the managed software services market makes it the “Red Hat of blockchain.”

Earlier news in mid-March said that Red Hat, famous for its open source Linux operating system services, has achieved annual revenue of US$2 billion.

Increased attention

Tapia noted that Red Hat intends to expand the OpenShift protocol to include blockchain capabilities as the market becomes more interested in the technology.

“We’ve heard a lot about the number of companies in this space that are deploying useful solutions, and we want to make sure our company is at the forefront.”

As for Tapia's predictions for the market, he didn't elaborate much, saying only that the industry is still developing.

“We find that many interesting application cases are being developed, including registration and naming of patent management.”

Red Hat has also been working hard to achieve more development.

“That’s how large markets emerge, and we want to be the default platform for the market by investing carefully.”

No restrictions

In February, Red Hat announced that it had incorporated Ethereum’s development platform BlockApps into its OpenShift product. BlockApps is a product of ConsenSys, the Ethereum decentralized application center.

Tapia noted that BlockApps was mentioned because ConsenSys, as the parent company and seed investor, was one of the first teams to express a desire to work with Red Hat.

Tapia did not provide further details on which blockchain companies have joined OpenShift.

“The project is currently in its early stages, and many partners are still conducting product research and development.”

As for the level of governance applied, Tapia said he would not disclose the specifications that participants in the system would need to follow. Given Microsoft's involvement and the way it extends the Azure platform, Tapia said Red Hat strives to be open and inclusive so the company does not create difficulties for use.

“We don’t have any specific hard and fast requirements.”

"It's still in the early stages."