Virtuozzo CEO: AI Infrastructure Is a Channel Opportunity

Virtuozzo is positioning its new AI infrastructure platform as more than a product launch: CEO Kurt Daniel sees it as a channel opportunity for service providers facing rising hardware costs, GPU demand, and pressure to modernize cloud offerings.

The company recently introduced its Virtuozzo Infrastructure System, an integrated platform combining compute, storage, networking, orchestration, automation, and protection tools for AI workloads. 

The company says the platform is built to help providers launch AI-as-a-Service and GPU-as-a-Service offerings while reducing infrastructure overhead.

AI demand creates a new services opportunity in infrastructure

In an interview with Channel Insider, Daniel said service providers are already moving from traditional cloud infrastructure into AI infrastructure services.

“I think everybody has a right to participate in this and contribute to it,” Daniel said. “As long as they’re open-minded about it, I think they have a great shot at doing really well here.”

Daniel said he does not expect traditional cloud business to disappear as AI adoption grows. Instead, he sees providers building on existing infrastructure practices while adding new AI-focused services.

“I don’t think all that traditional cloud business is going to just move to AI,” Daniel said. “I think they can go after both opportunities.”

Virtuozzo emphasizes practicality over AI hype

Daniel said Virtuozzo wants partners to associate the company with efficient core infrastructure for AI, rather than a vague AI message.

“I want them to think of us as efficient infrastructure for AI,” he said. “The most efficient, highest density, most optimized, whether you’re talking about compute or storage.”

Virtuozzo’s platform includes V/OS, a Linux-based operating system supporting virtual machines and system containers; V/Orchestration for compute, storage, networking, and Kubernetes; V/Management; V/Automation; and V/Protection.

Daniel also pushed back on the idea that the company is simply attaching AI language to its roadmap. Rather, he sees a new opportunity for providers seeking additional revenue and deeper customer relationships.

“This isn’t vaporware,” Daniel said. “We do have [capabilities like] GPU metering. We’re seeing a lot of our cloud infrastructure partners have a direct opportunity with GPU-as-a-Service or AI-as-a-Service.”

“It doesn’t look like they’re stopping the old business. It’s almost like they’re spinning up a new company.”

Costs and control shape the market

The launch comes as service providers continue to evaluate infrastructure costs, memory availability and pricing, and virtualization pricing pressures. Daniel also said hardware availability is now a greater concern than it was earlier in his software career.

“There’s just this clear angst — or maybe anger in some cases — around some of these increases,” Daniel said, referring to software licensing costs.

Virtuozzo has also tied its platform messaging to rising VMware pricing following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, with an emphasis on improving utilization and lowering total cost of ownership. 

Providers are also seeking more control over their own environments and less dependence on hyperscalers or large vendors.

“Partners and customers are directly trying to move as many virtual machines to Virtuozzo,” Daniel said. “Many pieces of our solution are open source-based… this gives some kind of security for our partners.”

Channel growth remains central

Daniel said Virtuozzo is also moving further into channel-led growth, aiming to become “100% channel” over time. 

The company has recently added distribution momentum in North America and is also watching its collaboration with Acronis, which launched Cyber Frame with Virtuozzo infrastructure as part of its new platform offering.

“Service providers are rethinking their infrastructure strategies in response to major market shifts and need infrastructure that fits their business,” said Gaidar Magdanurov, President at Acronis, in the company’s announcement. 

“Acronis Cyber Frame brings infrastructure, protection, and management together in a single, natively integrated platform, helping partners simplify complexity and achieve stronger margins from their infrastructure services,” Magdanurov continued.

For providers, Daniel said the opportunity is increasingly about turning infrastructure into monetizable services.

“The single platform, single console story is going to be very powerful and very competitively differentiated,” he said.