What Does Oxide Value Mean to Oxide Computer Company?

Oxide offers the values that hyperscaler infrastructure offers, but on prem. This is in sharp contrast to existing on prem solutions, which is cobbled commodity infrastructure from disparate vendors - a result of market capture, not innovation. By codesigning like the hyperscalers, Oxide offers a rack-scale system it takes complete responsibility for - a system that is robustly supportable/debuggable, and open-source.
Oxide Computer Company, co-founded by Bryan Cantrill, aims to deliver the robust infrastructure benefits of hyperscalers but for on-premises environments. Unlike traditional on-prem solutions that rely on pieced-together components from various vendors, Oxide's approach involves a holistic co-design of hardware and software, similar to hyperscalers like Google and Amazon. This co-design allows Oxide to offer a rack-scale system that is highly supportable, debuggable, and built on open-source principles. Cantrill emphasizes that this integrated approach solves many of the inefficiencies and complexities that have historically plagued on-prem systems, which often require significant manual intervention and suffer from poor inter-vendor integration.
Reflecting on the evolution of computing infrastructure, Cantrill notes that the initial on-prem era required extensive manual setup and maintenance. The rise of cloud computing in the mid-2000s, facilitated by advancements in internet ubiquity, open-source software, and commodity hardware, allowed hyperscalers to innovate rapidly. However, this led to a divide where only hyperscalers could leverage modern, efficient infrastructure, leaving traditional on-prem systems outdated and inefficient. Oxide aims to bridge this gap by offering on-prem solutions that bring the same level of efficiency and innovation found in hyperscaler environments, but with the added benefits of ownership, compliance, and localized control.
Oxide's unique value proposition lies in its ability to offer a fully integrated system where both hardware and software are designed to work seamlessly together. This integration not only enhances performance and reliability but also simplifies support and troubleshooting. Cantrill highlights that Oxide's commitment to transparency, open-source development, and deep partnerships with suppliers enables them to solve complex supply chain issues and deliver a resilient product. By focusing on engineering rigor and first principles, Oxide ensures that their systems are not only high-performing but also highly supportable, providing a delightful customer experience. This approach allows Oxide to meet the needs of enterprises that require the flexibility and control of on-prem solutions without sacrificing the innovations and efficiencies of modern cloud infrastructure.
Presented by Bryan Cantrill, Co-Founder and CTO. Recorded live at the Oxide Computer Company office in Emeryville, California, on June 14, 2024. Watch the entire presentation at techfieldday.com/appearance/o... or visit TechFieldDay.com/event/cfd20/ or Oxide.Computer to learn more.

[@robertwikander649]

Thanks for this! I really _HATE_ that people think on-prem is expensive, we have all our compute power on-prem and its _CHEAPER_ than having it "in-the-cloud"!

[@louwrentius]

“on-prem hardware is “cheaper” depends on so many factors, I feel a blanket statement like this is not really helpful sorry

[@jasonleschnik9780]

Such a refreshing way of thinking. Dragging the benefits of the cloud to the on-prem customers and also using telemetry in the system to help the customer and support staff. This type of technology also helps keep the cloud honest because it gives customers a genuine option as at the moment it's Cloud or Bust.

[@TiagoJoaoSilva]

I hadn't fully realized yet that Oxide was building the computing hardware Joyent Public Cloud needed but couldn't afford to build.

[@Ergzay]

Please don't cut these videos off right in the middle of people talking.

[@Techfieldday]

We work with the presenters to organize the presentations so we can cut them into shorter segments. But yeah this one sounds kinda awkward at the end!

[@seebradrun]

This was a great talk!

[@autohmae]

1:52 this is why a Windows machine isn't really a PC anymore. Do you still own your machine ?