LOS ANGELES — OpenDrives, Inc. (www.opendrives.com), which provides software-defined data storage and data services, has launched Astraeus, a new cloud-native data services platform. Astraeus enables IT departments within enterprise organizations to configure, store, orchestrate, manage, secure and deploy their mission-critical applications across dynamic environments, whether on-premises, cloud or hybrid environments. Astraeus drives both operational efficiencies as well as cost savings over cloud-dependent workflows and data environments.
First previewed at the 2025 NAB Show last April, Astraeus addresses the costly reality of data fragmentation and sprawl that enterprise organizations face. Cloud-first and cloud-only environments are creating data silos for studios, leaving them with ever-increasing public-cloud costs. OpenDrives feels customers are searching for something more cost predictable, but with cloud-native resiliency and scale-out flexibility.
“Traditional data infrastructures, whether cloud or on-premises, have often been blamed for increased costs, lack of performance and high complexity," explains Sean Lee, CEO of OpenDrives. "Infrastructure has also been blamed for leaving data lifecycle challenges unresolved as data continues to sprawl, and workflows continue to get more complicated. At OpenDrives, we think infrastructure has not kept pace with workflow demands because infrastructure is not the right solution for the job. This isn’t about where to move your data. It’s about what you can do with your data. Outcome-based data services are the answer."
Built on cloud-native principles, Astraeus brings the flexibility, familiarity and experience of the cloud back on-premises, where performance and workflow management capabilities are key. The platform’s Kubernetes-based architecture and cluster-first design enable IT departments to deploy their entire cloud workflows without having to re-architect anything, and access and manage disparate data stores, all from a unified namespace that can easily scale out when the need arises.
“The cloud fundamentally changed how we approach infrastructure, and that’s been incredibly valuable,” Lee continues. “But what we’re seeing now is that organizations have learned enough about their actual workflows to make smarter decisions about where applications should run. The question has shifted from, 'Should we go to the cloud?’ to ‘Where does each workflow perform best?’ Astraeus gives them data access and services to answer that question without creating workflow disruption.”
Astreaus handles demanding workflows across data-intensive industries by tackling each data lifecycle stage — from creation to ingestion, storage and performance, orchestration and unification, governance and compliance, consumption and operations, and protection and retention. Astraeus’ built-in services include high-performance storage management; simple resource allocation and orchestration; flexible deployment and scalability; intelligent application and cluster management; data optimization and tiering; and data governance and protection — all controlled from a unified data plane.
The initial release will deliver a select set of data services, with continuous enhancements planned in upcoming updates. OpenDrives’ portfolio includes its flagship Atlas data storage and management platform, which is a network-attached storage (NAS) solution purpose-built for high-bandwidth, low-latency workflows. The new Astraeus cloud-native data services platform breaks down data silos and unifies data sprawl. The fully-managed Atlas Cloud Plus services extends Atlas’ performance into the public cloud.