Open-source platforms are rapidly becoming the control layer for managing AI and Kubernetes at enterprise scale, reshaping how organizations operate distributed infrastructure.

The industry has undergone a shift toward cloud-native infrastructure based on Kubernetes, the highly popular open-source container orchestration system. SUSE S.A. is at the heart of the cloud-native trend, with a platform that encompasses AI workloads, container management and virtualization.

“SUSE is capitalizing on a structural shift: Over 72% of Fortune 500 companies now run mission-critical workloads on Linux, and nearly 90% of public cloud workloads rely on Linux,” said Paul Nashawaty, principal analyst at theCUBE research. “SUSECON 2026 reflects how open-source platforms have moved from cost-saving alternatives to the default foundation of enterprise IT.”

Join theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, on April 21 for exclusive coverage of SUSECON. SUSE leaders and cloud-native experts will discuss the evolution of Linux-based systems, cloud-native architectures and the process behind building AI-ready environments. (* Disclosure below.)

SUSE’s open-source platform integrates a fleet of agents

SUSE recently released SUSE Rancher Prime, which uses an AI-powered assistant, “Liz,” capable of orchestrating a team of agents spanning the entire platform. Liz can process natural-language commands for multi-step operational tasks, such as troubleshooting infrastructure, and communicate complex Rancher and Kubernetes concepts to users.

“With Kubernetes adoption exceeding 70% among large enterprises, SUSE’s Rancher-led strategy positions it as a key enabler of multi-cluster, hybrid-cloud operations, arguably the next phase of cloud-native maturity,” Nashawaty said.

Building on that momentum, organizations can integrate their own agents, with Liz acting as a unified interface to support them, making Rancher a more intelligent infrastructure platform, according to Peter Smails, general manager of cloud-native at SUSE. The system is designed to be highly ecosystem-driven, extensible and context-aware.

“Customers want choice; they want flexibility,” Smails said. “What are the underpinnings of that? Open source is one of the core pillars of that. [Enterprises should] continue to focus on open source as an underlying technology base. And number two is [that] whatever you do from a vendor standpoint, focus on openness, because it puts control into the hands of the customer, not the control of the vendor.”

Beyond Rancher, the company also continues to advance SUSE Virtualization, its modern alternative to VMware. The platform unifies virtual machines and containers with multi-instance GPU support and live storage migration. The goal is to manage workloads in the data center, public clouds and at the edge, with cloud-native, hyper-converged infrastructure as the core architecture.

“What stands out about SUSE’s positioning is its focus on resilience and digital sovereignty,” Nashawaty said. “Enterprises are no longer just adopting cloud-native — they’re demanding control over data, infrastructure and vendor lock-in. SUSE’s open, multi-platform approach directly addresses this.”

Taken together, these advancements point to a broader strategic direction. As SUSE looks toward an AI-driven future, the company’s heart remains with the open-source ecosystem.

“Our open approach to AI and the unification of VM and container management allows customers to capitalize on the potential of AI and redefine their own operational simplicity, ultimately giving them flexibility, choice and control,” Smails added, when the AI ecosystem was announced in March. ”SUSE’s mission is to be the open infrastructure platform for modern workloads and today’s updates significantly advance our strategy.”

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of SUSECON on April 21. Plus, you can watch theCUBE’s exclusive content on-demand after the event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of SUSECON, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE podcasts

SiliconANGLE’s “theCUBE Pod” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, which you can enjoy while on the go. During each podcast, SiliconANGLE’s John Furrier and Dave Vellante unpack the biggest trends in enterprise tech — from AI and cloud to regulation and workplace culture — with exclusive context and analysis.

SiliconANGLE also produces our weekly “Breaking Analysis” program, where Dave Vellante examines the top stories in enterprise tech, combining insights from theCUBE with spending data from Enterprise Technology Research, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Guests

During SUSECON, theCUBE analysts will talk with a lineup of industry executives, cloud-native experts and enterprise practitioners driving open-source and AI infrastructure forward. Stay tuned for our complete guest list.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for SUSECON. Neither SUSE, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Image: SiliconANGLE