Virtuozzo

Virtuozzo is a privately held software company focused on infrastructure software for cloud computing providers, managed service providers, and internet hosting companies. Its portfolio combines operating-system-level virtualization, server virtualization, cloud management, software-defined storage, application platforms, Kubernetes services, and infrastructure orchestration. Rather than primarily selling a consumer-facing application, the company supplies technology that service providers can use to create and operate branded infrastructure and platform services for their own customers. The business traces its origins to SWsoft, a server-automation and virtualization company established in 1997. A major early development was the release, in 2000, of commercially available operating-system-level virtualization container technology. This approach allowed multiple isolated environments to run on a shared Linux kernel and became the technical foundation associated with Virtuozzo container products. The company expanded its hosting-industry position through acquisitions, including the makers of the Confixx and Plesk web-hosting products in 2003. These technologies supported hosting control, server administration, and automation, and were incorporated into SWsoft's broader hosting-service offering. SWsoft acquired Parallels in 2004. In 2005, it released its operating-system-level virtualization technology as the open-source OpenVZ project, giving the technology a separate community-oriented identity while continuing to develop commercial products. In 2007, SWsoft announced that it would operate under the Parallels name and distribute its products under the Parallels brand. Virtuozzo subsequently became independent when it was spun out from Parallels in December 2015. As an independent company, Virtuozzo broadened its scope beyond container virtualization. Virtuozzo Infrastructure is an OpenStack-based cloud-management platform intended to support public, private, and hybrid cloud services, along with offerings such as Kubernetes as a Service, storage, backup, disaster recovery, and virtual desktops. Virtuozzo Application Management adds platform-as-a-service capabilities and integrated development and operations tooling. Virtuozzo Storage provides software-defined block, file, and object storage for cloud, virtualization, backup, disaster recovery, and AI workloads. Virtuozzo Server supports service-provider offerings such as virtual private servers, shared hosting, container hosting, and storage services. Virtuozzo Cloud is a managed, multitenant cloud platform that enables managed service providers to sell infrastructure and platform services without operating the underlying cloud infrastructure themselves. The company has also maintained an open-source and upstream engineering presence. Related technologies include OpenVZ, vzLinux, CRIU, and P.Haul, while Virtuozzo has contributed to or participated in projects and ecosystems involving the Linux kernel, libvirt, KVM, Docker, QEMU, LXC, runc, and related container technologies. In 2021, Virtuozzo expanded through the acquisitions of OnApp and Jelastic, adding capabilities and technology associated with cloud infrastructure and application-platform services. In 2026, Virtuozzo announced an AI Infrastructure System. The initiative extends the company's service-provider infrastructure model to AI workloads by bringing together management of compute, GPU resources, storage, networking, and orchestration. The move positions Virtuozzo as a provider of software for AI infrastructure as well as conventional cloud, virtualized, and containerized workloads. Kurt Daniel became chief executive officer in late 2025, with the appointment publicly announced in February 2026.

Virtuozzo originated as SWsoft, a privately held server-automation and virtualization company founded in 1997. Its early strategy centered on technologies that could make shared hosting and server operations more efficient. In 2000, the company released commercially available operating-system-level virtualization container technology. Unlike full hardware virtualization, this model allowed isolated environments to share a host operating system kernel, supporting high-density hosting and server-service deployments. SWsoft expanded its hosting software business through the 2003 acquisition of the companies behind Confixx and Plesk. Plesk Server Administration, also known as the PSA control panel, and Confixx Professional provided tools for administering hosting environments and automating common provider operations. The virtualization technology later associated with Virtuozzo served as an enabling component of SWsoft's HSP Complete hosting solution. In 2004, SWsoft acquired Parallels, Inc., broadening the company's virtualization and software portfolio. In 2005, SWsoft released its operating-system-level virtualization technology as OpenVZ, an open-source project for Linux. The project gave developers and infrastructure operators access to a community-oriented version of the container technology. Around the same period, the company continued to develop commercial offerings under the Virtuozzo identity. In 2007, SWsoft announced that it had changed its name to Parallels and would distribute its products under the Parallels brand. Virtuozzo later re-emerged as an independent company. In December 2015, the Virtuozzo business was spun out from Parallels. Its standalone strategy focused on supplying infrastructure software to cloud, hosting, and managed-service providers rather than concentrating only on end-user virtualization. In May 2016, Virtuozzo announced its intention to join the Open Container Initiative, aligning the company with efforts to develop common standards and technologies for container images and runtimes. The independent company developed a broader infrastructure stack. Virtuozzo Infrastructure, based on OpenStack, supports public, private, and hybrid cloud deployments and gives service providers a foundation for selling infrastructure, Kubernetes, storage, backup, disaster recovery, and desktop services. Virtuozzo Application Management extends the portfolio toward platform as a service by combining application deployment environments with DevOps tooling. Virtuozzo Storage provides software-defined block, file, and object storage, while Virtuozzo Server supports virtual private servers, shared hosting, container hosting, and related provider services. Virtuozzo Cloud is a managed, multitenant platform intended to let managed service providers offer infrastructure and platform services without building and operating the complete cloud backend themselves. Virtuozzo has also retained an open-source engineering dimension. OpenVZ remains associated with Linux operating-system-level virtualization. The company has listed vzLinux, a Linux distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux source code, and CRIU, a tool for freezing and restoring running Linux applications, among its open-source technologies. P.Haul builds on CRIU for live migration of containers and processes. Virtuozzo has additionally contributed to or participated in projects including the Linux kernel, libvirt, KVM, Docker, QEMU, LXC, runc or libcontainer, and libct. Corporate expansion continued in 2021. Virtuozzo acquired OnApp in July and Jelastic in October. These transactions strengthened the company's cloud-management and application-platform capabilities and supported its effort to provide a wider service-provider stack. The company subsequently extended its infrastructure focus into AI. In 2026, it announced an AI Infrastructure System intended to coordinate compute, GPU resources, storage, networking, and orchestration for AI alongside conventional cloud and virtualized workloads. Kurt Daniel became chief executive officer in late 2025, and Virtuozzo announced the appointment publicly in February 2026.

1. 2026AI Infrastructure System is announced

   Virtuozzo announces an AI infrastructure offering integrating management of compute, GPU resources, storage, networking, and orchestration.

   Source
2. 2021OnApp and Jelastic are acquired

   Virtuozzo acquires OnApp in July and Jelastic in October, broadening its cloud and application-platform portfolio.

   Source
3. 2016Open Container Initiative participation is announced

   Virtuozzo announces its intention to join the Open Container Initiative.

   Source
4. 2015Virtuozzo becomes independent

   The Virtuozzo business is spun out from Parallels in December and becomes a standalone company.

   Source
5. 2007SWsoft adopts the Parallels name

   SWsoft announces a corporate name change to Parallels and plans to distribute its products under the Parallels brand.

   Source
6. 2005OpenVZ is released as open source

   SWsoft open-sources its operating-system-level virtualization technology under the OpenVZ project.

   Source
7. 2004Parallels is acquired

   SWsoft acquires Parallels, expanding its virtualization-related business.

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8. 2003Confixx and Plesk businesses are acquired

   SWsoft acquires the makers of Confixx and Plesk hosting products, adding hosting administration and automation capabilities.

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9. 2000Commercial operating-system-level virtualization is released

   SWsoft releases commercially available container technology based on operating-system-level virtualization.

   Source
10. 1997SWsoft is founded

    The company that would later become associated with Virtuozzo begins operations as SWsoft, focusing on server automation and virtualization.

    Source

Virtuozzo positions itself as an infrastructure-software partner for service providers. Its products are designed to let hosting companies, managed service providers, and cloud operators build, automate, and commercialize multitenant infrastructure, platform, storage, container, Kubernetes, backup, disaster-recovery, desktop, and AI services.

• Virtuozzo InfrastructureCloud management platform

  An OpenStack-based cloud-management platform for service providers. It supports public, private, and hybrid cloud environments and is designed to underpin infrastructure, Kubernetes, storage, backup, disaster-recovery, and desktop-as-a-service offerings.

• Virtuozzo Application ManagementPlatform as a service

  A platform-management offering that enables service providers to deliver application platforms with integrated development and operations tooling. It extends Virtuozzo's infrastructure portfolio into application deployment and managed platform services.

• Virtuozzo StorageSoftware-defined storage

  A software-defined storage platform supporting block, file, and object storage. It is intended for cloud, virtualization, backup, disaster recovery, and AI workloads operated by service providers.

• Virtuozzo ServerServer virtualization and hosting

  A server-oriented platform for providers offering virtual private servers, shared web hosting, container hosting, and storage services. It reflects the company's historical emphasis on high-density hosting infrastructure and automation.

• Virtuozzo CloudManaged cloud platform

  A fully managed, multitenant cloud platform operated by Virtuozzo. It enables managed service providers to sell infrastructure and platform services without owning or directly operating the complete underlying cloud infrastructure.

• OpenVZOpen-source container virtualization2005

  An open-source Linux technology for operating-system-level virtualization. OpenVZ originated from the virtualization technology developed by SWsoft and provides isolated container environments that share a host kernel.

• vzLinuxLinux distribution

  A Linux distribution based on source code from Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It is included among Virtuozzo's open-source technologies and is intended for infrastructure and virtualization environments.

• CRIULinux systems tool

  A software tool for checkpointing and restoring running Linux applications. It can freeze an application's state and restore it later, supporting migration and operational workflows for containers and processes.

• P.HaulContainer migration software

  A Python-based mechanism built on CRIU for live migration of containers and processes that interact with memory. It is part of Virtuozzo's open-source infrastructure technology portfolio.

• AI Infrastructure SystemAI infrastructure management2026

  An AI infrastructure offering announced in 2026. It is described as integrating management of compute, GPU resources, storage, networking, and orchestration for AI, cloud, and virtualized workloads.

• 2026Expansion into AI infrastructureProduct launch

  AI workloads require coordinated management of specialized compute, GPU capacity, storage, networking, and orchestration.

  What changed. Virtuozzo announced an AI Infrastructure System covering those infrastructure management functions for AI, cloud, and virtualized workloads.

  Aftermath. The announcement extended Virtuozzo's infrastructure-software positioning into AI infrastructure.

  Source
• 2021Acquisition of OnAppM&A

  Virtuozzo sought to expand its cloud infrastructure and service-provider software capabilities.

  What changed. Virtuozzo acquired OnApp in July 2021.

  Aftermath. The transaction broadened Virtuozzo's cloud infrastructure portfolio.

  Source
• 2021Acquisition of JelasticM&A

  Virtuozzo was expanding from virtualization into broader cloud and application-platform services.

  What changed. Virtuozzo acquired Jelastic in October 2021.

  Aftermath. The acquisition added application-platform and cloud-environment capabilities to Virtuozzo's service-provider offering.

  Source
• 2015Spinout from ParallelsM&A

  Virtuozzo was operated within the broader Parallels structure after SWsoft's 2004 acquisition of Parallels and subsequent 2007 rebranding.

  What changed. The Virtuozzo business was separated from Parallels in December 2015 and established as a standalone company.

  Aftermath. The independent company focused on infrastructure software for cloud, hosting, and managed-service providers.

  Source
• 2007Corporate rebranding under ParallelsStrategy

  Following its acquisition of Parallels, SWsoft reassessed how it presented its products and corporate identity.

  What changed. SWsoft announced that it had changed its name to Parallels and would distribute its products under the Parallels name.

  Aftermath. The Virtuozzo business later became independent from Parallels through a 2015 spinout.

  Source
• 2005Open-source release of OpenVZStrategy

  SWsoft had developed operating-system-level virtualization as a commercial technology for hosting and server environments.

  What changed. The company released the technology as the open-source OpenVZ project for Linux.

  Aftermath. OpenVZ became part of the company's open-source technology footprint and connected its virtualization work with the broader Linux and container ecosystem.

  Source

• 2026Kurt Daniel appointed chief executive officer

  Virtuozzo publicly announced in February 2026 that Kurt Daniel had become chief executive officer following an appointment made in late 2025.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2026Virtuozzo announces AI Infrastructure System

  Virtuozzo announced an AI Infrastructure System covering compute, GPU resources, storage, networking, and orchestration for AI, cloud, and virtualized workloads.

  Product launchOther
  Source
• 2021Virtuozzo acquires OnApp

  Virtuozzo acquired OnApp in July 2021, expanding its cloud infrastructure and service-provider technology portfolio.

  M&A
  Source
• 2021Virtuozzo acquires Jelastic

  Virtuozzo acquired Jelastic in October 2021, adding application-platform and cloud-environment capabilities to its portfolio.

  M&A
  Source
• 2016Virtuozzo announces intention to join the Open Container Initiative

  The company announced plans to participate in the Open Container Initiative, reflecting its engagement with open container standards and infrastructure ecosystems.

  Other
  Source
• 2015Virtuozzo spins out from Parallels as an independent company

  Virtuozzo was separated from Parallels in December 2015 and continued as a standalone infrastructure-software company.

  M&A
  Source

1. Virtuozzo (company)
2. Virtuozzo official website