If you’re a developer, user, or administrators of OpenStack Cloud Software, you’re probably at OpenStack Summit in Portland, Oregon, provided that you registered early as the event is already sold out.  If not, then you can watch our coverage on theCube, which is streaming live from SiliconANGLE.TV, for exclusive interviews and on-site analysis.

Speaking of analysis, SiliconANGLE founding editor Mark “Rizzn” Hopkins dropped by at today’s NewsDesk Show, Live with Kristin Feledy, to discuss expectations for the OpenStack Summit, and why the event has become so huge.

Hopkins explains that OpenStack is a big deal because it makes it possible for cloud services to interoperate.  Still, there are questions as to the significance of OpenStack.

“There are two schools of thought on this: some would say that it is basically just a set of open sourced dashboards for provisioning cloud services and then others would say that this is a serious set of tools that mount a significant offensive against [AWS], which of course is the current dominant public cloud player in the game right now,” Hopkins stated when asked about what OpenStack Foundation’s software is about.

There are many participants contributing to OpenStack, and it’s much easier to name those that aren’t on the list.  AS Hopkins stated, if you’re a cloud services company, then you’re probably in the alliance, as OpenStack is trying to create a defense against Amazon’s encroachment in the cloud space.  So Amazon’s absence in the OpenStack Foundation isn’t surprising.

As for Rackspace’s “batshit crazy” move to clone OpenStack and offer it to telecommunications companies, IT vendors, and hosting companies, here’s Hopkin’s two cents,

“Why is that crazy? … It’s a different set of operations and technology behind it.  So it’s an ambitious move. That would be the way that I would term it.”

Hopkins is also looking forward to Jim Curry, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Rackspace’s Private Cloud business, appearing on theCube as he was in the forefront of OpenStack from day one.