Table of contents of the article:
CIQ (Ctrl IQ), the company founded by Gregory Kurtzer, creator of CentOS, has officially launched Rocky Linux from CIQ (RLC), a version Enterprise of the popular distribution Community Rocky Linux, designed as an alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). With this announcement, CIQ clearly aims to meet the needs of large enterprise organizations looking for a stable, secure and supported solution, but without the constraints of high RHEL licensing costs.
The Origin of RLC and the Partnership with OpenELA
RLC is based on the sources produced by the project OpenELA (Open Enterprise Linux Association), an initiative created in response to Red Hat's controversial decision to restrict access to RHEL RPM sources. OpenELA is a collaboration between CIQ, Oracle, and SUSE, a strategic alliance that aims to ensure transparency and continued access to the sources for RHEL-compatible Linux distributions.
This move had a major impact on the open source world, as it broke the monopoly that Red Hat had on the enterprise Linux distribution market. The business model that RLC introduces is a direct challenge to Red Hat, maintaining full compatibility with the RHEL code base, but offering a set of commercial guarantees and extended support that make it an attractive choice for large organizations.
The distinctive features of RLC
According to the official Rocky Linux blog, RLC will be identical to the previous version Community , with the only difference being the additional services intended for large-scale production environments. The annual cost to access RLC's enterprise services is $25, a figure that covers an unlimited number of systems., without any constraints related to the number of sockets or cores, as instead happens with RHEL licenses.
RLC introduces a series of support services for large organizations, ensuring security, stability and compliance, essential elements for enterprise realities. Here are the main services offered in detail:
- Service Level Objectives (SLO) for Critical Vulnerability Management (CVE):
One of the cornerstones of RLC's offering is proactive and timely support in the management of critical vulnerabilities, or CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). RLC establishes precise SLOs, with guaranteed resolution times for patches related to vulnerabilities considered high risk. This means that, in the event of a serious CVE being reported, companies can count on rapid interventions for the distribution of security patches, significantly reducing the time to exposure to risk. This type of approach is essential for organizations that must meet stringent security standards, such as those operating in the financial, healthcare or government sectors, where compliance with cybersecurity regulations is crucial. - Secure and verified repositories:
Software packages used in Rocky Linux distributions under RLC will be hosted in trusted repositories located in the United States and subjected to rigorous security checks. Each package is verified to ensure compliance with the security standards required by enterprise companies, avoiding possible contamination by malware or vulnerabilities. This continuous verification of packages not only provides greater peace of mind, but is perfectly aligned with the needs of those organizations that must ensure the complete security of their IT infrastructures, especially in global contexts where data confidentiality and integrity are paramount. - Regular updates and fixes guaranteed:
Another key aspect of RLC’s offering is the assurance of regular OS updates and timely bug fixes. Companies do not have to worry about any issues related to delays in fixes, as CIQ ensures timely interventions to resolve anomalies. This level of responsiveness is particularly valuable in critical production environments, where even a small bug can have major consequences on the operation of complex systems. Having a reliable and planned update cycle allows companies to maintain operations without interruptions and reduce downtime. - Legal Indemnity and Verification of Contents of Software Packages:
CIQ not only provides technical support, but also offers legal insurance on software packages distributed through RLC. This means that companies can benefit from legal protection that covers any issues arising from the use of software packages that are found to be compromised or in breach of licenses. This type of coverage is essential for organizations operating in highly regulated industries, such as defense or telecommunications, where the legal risks associated with the use of unverified software can be significant. CIQ's guarantee adds an additional layer of security to day-to-day operations, minimizing the risk of litigation related to the use of open-source software. - Rocky Linux Unlimited Distributions Coverage:
One of RLC’s most significant competitive advantages is the ability to deploy Rocky Linux on an unlimited number of systems, both in production and pre-production environments, at no additional cost. Unlike Red Hat’s model, where licensing is based on the number of sockets or cores, CIQ offers a flat-rate model that allows companies to scale their infrastructure without constraints. This translates into greater flexibility and cost predictability, making RLC particularly attractive to organizations that manage large, complex IT environments with high scalability needs. Whether on-premises servers, cloud infrastructure, or hybrid environments, the unlimited coverage ensures that every Rocky Linux system receives the same level of support and protection.
An offer aimed at large companies
It is clear that RLC is designed for large companies, especially those operating in highly regulated environments with stringent compliance requirements. These organizations, often referred to as large compliance-driven organizations, require scalable, secure, and stable solutions that ensure business continuity and high-level technical support. For them, $25 a year is a fraction of what they would pay at Red Hat, where licenses are calculated per socket or core, rather than a flat-rate model.
CIQ's move is a clear attempt to steal customers from Red Hat, aiming for greater economic competitiveness without compromising the quality of service. However, it remains to be seen how much market RLC will actually be able to conquer, considering that Red Hat still has a consolidated leadership position in the sector.
The Enterprise Linux Landscape Has Changed
Red Hat's decision to restrict source code access has sparked a ripple effect in the Enterprise Linux distribution market. Previously, RHEL dominated the market, but now there is no shortage of alternatives, and companies have the option of choosing from Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and now RLC.
These distributions are 1:1 in quality with RHEL, offering complete compatibility with software and applications designed for the Red Hat ecosystem. Red Hat’s competitive advantage, which once relied on a combination of stability, support, and compliance, is now being offered by other companies, at a significantly lower price.
An alternative for those looking to save money
Organizations that have historically used CentOS to avoid the cost of RHEL licensing will likely not find RLC’s offering attractive. However, CIQ has clearly designed RLC for organizations that currently pay for expensive RHEL licensing and may see CIQ’s offering as an opportunity to significantly reduce expenses. Unlike Red Hat’s model, which calculates licenses based on the number of sockets or cores, CIQ offers a much simpler and more affordable pricing structure, with a fixed annual cost that allows for more predictable management of IT expenses. This makes RLC particularly attractive to organizations with large numbers of systems, allowing them to optimize costs without sacrificing quality and support.
The future of the market
The Enterprise Linux landscape is rapidly evolving, and it will be interesting to see how Red Hat responds to this new competition. RLC, like other alternatives to RHEL, continues to rely on the original Red Hat codebase, so it’s likely that we’ll see more strategic moves from both sides in the coming years. What is certain is that in this new landscape, companies using Linux as an enterprise operating system have more options than ever before, which will only benefit the market as a whole.
