Enterprise Infrastructure Firm Expands Its Offerings with SUSE Cloud Observability
Luxembourg-based SUSE has been a leading provider of Linux- and cloud-centric infrastructure and security tools for quite some time. However, the company has not offered a traditional Software as a Service (SaaS) product until now. With the early access launch of SUSE Cloud Observability, a fully managed observability platform designed specifically for Rancher-managed multi-cloud Kubernetes clusters, SUSE is taking its first step into the SaaS market.
Rancher: A Key Growth Engine for SUSE
SUSE’s CEO Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen emphasizes the importance of Rancher in the company’s growth strategy. "All these vendors come with very complex, highly opinionated stacks where you have to follow the exact recipe of the vendor," van Leeuwen says. "That’s not what you want in an open source world because you have people who know exactly what works best for them in what situation." He notes that Rancher is a fit-for-purpose component in this solution, and customers appreciate its flexibility.
SUSE Cloud Observability: A Full-Stack Solution
Based on SUSE’s acquisition of StackState earlier this year, SUSE Cloud Observability allows enterprises to monitor their workloads in Rancher-managed clusters across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. To make it easier for users to get started, the service offers a set of pre-configured policies and dashboards.
"We were really missing a full-stack observability solution," van Leeuwen admits. "We had some observability connectivity ability, but full-stack observability was – even if you look at how we were rated by Gartner and others – was really the missing piece in our overall Kubernetes solution." He stresses that adding this capability is a crucial step forward for SUSE.
SUSE’s First SaaS-Based Service
With SUSE Cloud Observability, SUSE is entering the SaaS market for the first time. Van Leeuwen notes that this move marks an important milestone for the company: "It’s also our first step into a software-as-a-service solution. We didn’t have any SaaS. So it also takes us into that side of the business that is an important part of how customers like to consume software." He hints that other solutions may benefit from this model in the future.
General Availability of AI Platform
In addition to launching SUSE Cloud Observability, the company is also making its AI platform available in general availability. The AI services were first announced in June with a focus on offering enterprises a vendor-agnostic generative AI platform.
Customers are looking for security and scalability when it comes to AI, van Leeuwen emphasizes. As an infrastructure company at heart, SUSE is not interested in deciding which Large Language Models (LLMs) its users should deploy: "If you’re providing an infrastructure layer, then you’re effectively the guys who supplied the shovels and the diggers to the gold miners, without having to mine yourself," he says. "And that’s what we’re doing for AI: making sure it runs perfectly and securely."
The Future of SUSE
With the launch of SUSE Cloud Observability and its AI platform, SUSE is doubling down on its growth strategy. The company is clearly committed to expanding its offerings in the enterprise infrastructure space.
As van Leeuwen notes, "We didn’t have any SaaS. So it also takes us into that side of the business that is an important part of how customers like to consume software." This marks a significant shift for SUSE as it moves into new territory with its first SaaS-based service.
The success of SUSE Cloud Observability and its AI platform will be closely watched by industry observers. With this move, SUSE is solidifying its position in the enterprise infrastructure market while expanding its offerings to meet changing customer needs.
What’s Next for SUSE?
As SUSE continues to grow and expand its offerings, it’s clear that the company is committed to innovation and customer satisfaction. With a strong focus on observability and AI, SUSE is well-positioned to tackle the challenges of the enterprise infrastructure market.
Only time will tell what the future holds for SUSE, but one thing is certain: with its commitment to delivering high-quality solutions to meet evolving customer needs, SUSE is set to continue making waves in the industry.
