On the ground at the OpenStack Summit, theCUBE hosts Stu Miniman and John Furrier offered key insights that revolved around the evolution of open technology and future opportunities and expectations.

The first issue discussed was the maturity of the OpenStack technology. Both agreed that OpenStack wasn’t quite ready, but the pieces were in place. The fundamentals of computing, storage and networking were all in motion, and the products involved with OpenStack were coming together.

On the ground level

Furrier mentioned that one of theCUBE’s advantages is they report from the ground level of these conventions; you could see the people walking around them. This view let them see things other reporters might miss. One thing they noticed was the energy of the conference, with a lot of people attending, even to the point of folks sitting on the floor with their laptops out. They noted that OpenStack has the attention of the techies in the audience.

They could also feel the vibe of a growing company. Venture capital was starting to flow into OpenStack and to the start-ups that used it. The feeling was that OpenStack was in position to help bring things into the next generation.

Opportunities and expectations

Along with growth, there was opportunity. Although OpenStack wasn’t yet big enough to interest the major players, smaller investors and businesses could see good returns. Miniman estimated a worth of about $20 to $50 million in the coming years.

As for what they expected to see on day two of the conference, the talk centered around success stories with customers, developers and people bringing out their early wins. They looked forward to seeing what repeatable results people were bringing to the show. They were ready to see how people were using OpenStack as a platform to move things forward.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of OpenStack Summit Vancouver 2015.