The MinIO SUBNET Experience

AB Periasamy, co-founder and CEO of MinIO, introduces the MinIO SUBNET experience, designed specifically for paying customers operating in critical production environments. Even though MinIO is fully open source, customers opt for paid support to enhance their deployment of MinIO, acknowledging its critical nature within their infrastructure. The rationale behind this decision stems from the specific context wherein customers, who are often already adept with the product, recognize the need for immediate support to prevent issues such as data loss and data breaches—concerns that have become paramount in today’s data-driven landscape. The pricing model ranges from free options for open-source projects to per-GB pricing for enterprise users, aiming to foster an integrative, supportive relationship that treats MinIO as an extension of the customer’s team.

Eco Willson, MinIO’s Support Lead, further explains the value of SUBNET, highlighting how it fundamentally transforms customer interactions. Traditional support models often leave critical avenues for collaboration unutilized, leading to frustration among expert users who prefer direct access to seasoned developers rather than level one support technicians. SUBNET addresses this issue by providing real-time, continuous communication facilitated through a chat interface reminiscent of platforms like Slack, allowing for a more personalized and immediate resolution process. By fostering an environment where customers experience dedicated support from the developers who understand the intricacies of the code, MinIO successfully contrasts itself with outdated support models that impose barriers between customers and expertise.

The essence of SUBNET is rooted in its simplicity and effectiveness, allowing the engineering team to engage seamlessly with customers about their technical challenges. Periasamy emphasizes that substantial success hinges on a product designed for self-supportability, alongside a healthy organizational culture that promotes collaboration between developers and support engineers. The ability to diagnose problems quickly is enhanced by minimizing unnecessary noise in logging and ensuring that engineers can access real-time telemetry of the customer’s environment. Collectively, these elements contribute to a robust support system that not only resolves immediate issues but also strengthens the overall customer relationship, enabling MinIO to respond effectively to the demands of modern cloud-native users.