The openEuler project is an open-source operating system initiative led by Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.. It is designed for enterprise servers, cloud computing, and heterogeneous computing environments, with the goal of building a healthy open-source ecosystem.
At a recent conference in Beijing, Huawei’s ICT Business Group leader, Yang Chaobin, announced that the open-source Huawei OS is expected to exceed 16 million installations by end of year 2025.
Key Milestones & Details
- The 16 million figure refers to installations of openEuler moving across industry systems and deployments.
- The open Euler ecosystem comprises over 2,100 organisations and more than 23,000 individual contributors.
- Huawei emphasises that it has opened its core tech (e.g., unified memory addressing, low-latency heterogeneous computing, global resource pooling) and contributed plugins for supernode support to the community.
Why this matters
- Validation of open-source strategy: Reaching 16 + million installs underscores that Huawei’s push into open-source OS for infrastructure is gaining traction.
- Ecosystem growth & influence: With many partners and contributors, the openEuler ecosystem stands to grow in significance beyond just Huawei hardware.
- Implications for enterprise & cloud: As heterogeneous computing becomes more common (AI, big data, distributed systems), the availability of open source OS stacks like openEuler could reduce dependency on proprietary solutions.
- Geopolitical and tech sovereignty angle: Given Huawei’s broader context (supply-chain pressures, trade constraints, technology self-reliance), this milestone supports its positioning in global infrastructure.
Implications for India & IT Infrastructure
For India, including cities such as Jaipur, Rajasthan, this development holds relevance:
- Enterprise adoption potential: Indian cloud and data-centre operators might view openEuler as an alternative OS stack, potentially lowering licensing costs.
- Skill-set & talent opportunity: As openEuler expands, demand for engineers familiar with it (kernel, distributed systems, heterogeneous computing) may increase in India.
- Ecosystem partnership: Indian tech firms might consider joining or contributing to the open-source community, aligning with openEuler’s 2,100+ organisation count.
- Vendor diversity & risk: Using an open‐source OS offers more flexibility and potentially mitigates vendor-lock-in; Indian organisations may benefit from such alternatives.
What to watch for
- Whether the “16 million” number refers to active deployments or just cumulative installs — the distinction will affect how meaningful the milestone is.
- How many of these installations are outside China, which will hint at global traction.
- What industries dominate the adoption (cloud, telecom, government, manufacturing).
- Whether third-party vendors (non-Huawei) build significant products/services around openEuler.
- Any regulatory or support challenges, especially in global markets where Huawei has had restrictions or scrutiny.
Final take
The announcement that the open source Huawei OS (openEuler) is set to exceed 16 million installations marks a significant moment in Huawei’s infrastructure strategy. It shows that open-source is a major pillar for the company’s ecosystem ambitions, and it may influence how enterprises globally think about OS choices for cloud and heterogeneous computing.
