Mirantis Inc. today said that it has acquired Lens, a popular open-source platform for managing Kubernetes deployments that is used by engineers at Apple Inc. and other major tech companies. 

Campbell, California-based Mirantis is backed by more than $200 million in funding and sells software that organizations use to manage their container environments. Last year, it expanded its presence in the market by acquiring Docker Inc.’s enterprise business.

Mirantis is reportedly buying Lens, which is open-source software, from a firm called Lakend Labs Inc. The deal comes after Mirantis hired the original developers of the software through another acquisition, its February purchase of Finland-based firm Kontena.

Lens is used by more than 35,000 engineers at companies that include Apple and Adobe Systems Inc. to manage Kubernetes clusters, which are collections of servers whose software can run unchanged in multiple computing environments. The platform, which runs on the user’s desktop, acts as a kind of virtual command center from which they can access the key tools they need to maintain Kubernetes. Lens provides tools for managing both cluster components and the containerized applications running on top, as well as monitoring dashboards  for tracking the deployment’s health.

Importantly for Mirantis’ enterprise customers, Lens also supports a wide range of platforms. Developers can use it to manage Kubernetes clusters running on public clouds such as Amazon Web Services as well as on-premises infrastructure.

The platform represents a valuable addition to Mirantis’ product portfolio. Lens will complement the Kubernetes developer tools the company offers as part of Docker Enterprise, the product suite it obtained through the purchase of Docker’s enterprise business last year. Because Lens can be used to manage on-premises Kubernetes clusters, Mirantis could also promote it to customers of its Mirantis Cloud Platform, which helps enterprises run on-premise container environments.

The company plans to keep offering Lens under an open-source license. “With Mirantis, Lens will remain vendor neutral and open-source, and maintain its independence,” said Lens founder Miska Kaipiainen, who is now the senior director of engineering at Mirantis. Now that Mirantis owns the rights to Lens, it’s also possible company will add integrations with its commercial products or perhaps introduce a paid version of the platform. 

Image: Mirantis