The oVirt Project, the open virtualization project designed to build an interoperable development platform for KVM and host-guest VM management, is gaining considerable support and momentum with new industry backers. Read on for which magnanimous group of companies are behind oVirt along with the all-important channel implications …

According to Red Hat, which founded oVirt, the project has added to its ranks to now include Ubuntu company Canonical, Cisco Systems, Intel, IBM, NetApp and SUSE. They’ve all joined forces to proliferate, expand and deliver the foundation for oVirt’s success.

As a result of this grouping, the entire IT industry now has an open source virtualization stack on which to build upon. With a multivendor approach, interoperability can be maintained and since it’s open source, there’s plenty of room to build and expand the project beyond its inception. Red Hat sees this as a complementary parallel to the creation of the Open Virtualization Alliance, which is tasked with promoting the use of KVM. We’ve covered the OVA group’s moves, from inception to booming growth.

As virtualization needs expand, the OVA and oVirt projects help lower the cost and barrier to entry for virtualization projects. With oVirt providing management capabilities and KVM providing the virtualization backbone, it’s possible that super-efficient and cost-effective virtualization solutions can be built completely on free and open platforms. What’s more, they’ll be heavily supported by vendors and the open source community alike.

For a plethora of quote on the oVirt project, check out the press release over at Red Hat. Interested parties can also get more information or add to the project at oVirt.org.