Open source cloud computing solutions continued to expand with the announcement a new product from Rackspace (NYSE: RAX) based on the OpenStack platform. Notably, its key selling points include not only performance and storage standards that the company touts as industry leading, but also the uniquely open source trait of freedom from vendor lock-in. Here are the details on this new product, and what they say about the convergence of the cloud and open source.

Called Cloud Block Storage, the new Rackspace platform debuted Oct. 23, 2012. It is designed, according to company representatives, "for customers that typically require large amounts of everyday storage" that can be expanded as needed.

Cloud Block Storage Details

The specific features of the new product include:

Playing Up Open Source Strengths

That last point is of particular interest from the open source perspective, since it highlights the unique advantage enjoyed by open source vendors as they build solutions for the cloud market. Anyone can offer flexibility, high performance and affordable pricing for cloud storage, but only vendors who have adopted open source infrastructures such as OpenStack can promise genuine protection for their customers against being locked in to proprietary systems.

Of course, freedom from lock-in may not matter much to all customers. But Rackspace clearly believes it is a major selling point — as it should be for anyone hoping to avoid repeating the mistakes made 15 years ago, when organizations bought into proprietary PC and server platforms whose legacy of lock-in remains problematic today.

SSD in the Cloud

Meanwhile, throwing an SSD option into the mix is also an interesting move. SSD technology traditionally has been associated mainly with PCs and especially laptops, where the drives have the benefit of better performance as well as resiliency against dropping and other physical damage.

So by bringing SSD technology into the cloud, Rackspace is trying something new. Whether customers will sign on for an option that costs more than 4.5 times as much as the standard package remains to be seen, but it's certainly an intriguing idea in its own right.