Today the Open Cloud Initiative (OCI), a non-profit organization was established to advocate open standards in cloud computing, announced its official launch at the OSCON 2011 Open Source Convention. Its purpose is to provide a legal framework within which the greater cloud computing community of users and providers can reach consensus on a set of requirements for Open Cloud, as described in the Open Cloud Principles (OCP) document, and then apply those requirements to cloud computing products and services, again by way of community consensus.
 
The Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) has launched its official website at http://www.opencloudinitiative.org/ and commenced a 30-day final comment period on the Open Cloud Principles (OCP), which are designed to ensure user freedoms without impeding the ability of providers to do business. They are focused on interoperability, avoiding barriers to entry or exit, ensuring technological neutrality and forbidding discrimination. They define the specific requirements for Open Standards and mandate their use for formats and interfaces, calling for “multiple full, faithful and interoperable implementations”, at least one of which being Open Source. Full text of the Principles can be found at http://www.opencloudinitiative.org/principles.
 
“The primary purpose of the Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) is to define “Open Cloud” by way of community consensus and advocate for universal adoption of Open Standard formats and interfaces” said Sam Johnston, founder and president. “Inspired by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), we aim to find a balance between protecting important user freedoms and enabling providers to build successful businesses.”
 
The Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) is governed by a Board of Directors comprising leaders from the cloud computing and Open Source industries, including Rick Clark, Marc Fleischmann, Sam Johnston, Shanley Kane, Noirin Plunkett, Evan Prodromou, Sam Ramji, Thomas Uhl, John Mark Walker and Simon Wardley.
 
The Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) is being founded as a California public benefit corporation (non-profit) and intends to obtain federal tax exemption by way of 501(c)(3) educational and scientific charity status in due course.
 
For more information, including the Open Cloud Initiative (OCI) Articles of Association, Bylaws, Open Cloud Principles (OCP), or to participate in the community, please visit http://www.opencloudinitiative.org.