Who wants Oxide Computer and Why

The video centers on Oxide’s mission to address the inefficiencies and integration challenges prevalent in the industry, which is commoditized and ossified. Oxide started with a clean sheet of paper, tackling problems accumulated over decades by building their own machines fit for purpose, rather than relying on personal computers in data centers. Oxide aims to disrupt the visceral problems in the industry, like AC power supplies per 1U/2U, cords everywhere, fans everywhere, inefficiency; that is just the beginning. Oxide sought not only to replicate what hyperscalers had done —such as using a DC bus bar design —but also to leapfrog them with new differentiators, like the cabled backplane, which removes cabling from the sleds. Another big bet the company made was removing the BIOS —the basic input/output system —originally from CPM.

Bryan Cantrill shared that the company has differentiated on several fronts, including power and efficiency, reliability, operability, and time to deployment, aiming for developers to be working within hours of the IT team uncrating the sleds. When Oxide’s board member, Pierre Lamont, asked Bryan Cantrill what Oxide’s differentiator was, Bryan responded that there is no single differentiator but many. This approach enables Oxide to serve multiple verticals and address distinct customer pain points. Oxide initially underestimated the demand from AI companies. They were surprised to find that the security of their system, particularly the true root of trust and attestation of the entire stack, was a major draw for these companies.

Addressing concerns about single vendor lock-in, Cantrill emphasized Oxide’s commitment to transparency through open-source software. The entire stack is opened up, including the service processor and associated software. The open-source approach, while not entirely mitigating single-vendor risk, provides customers with unprecedented visibility and control, fostering confidence and helping manage risk. Finally, acknowledging the barrier to entry for enterprises due to the rack-level integration, Oxide offers a trial program with a rack in a co-location facility, allowing potential customers to experience the benefits of Oxide’s system firsthand.