Equus Compute Solutions: Open-hardware Platforms for Storage and Computing

Costa Hasapopoulos, President
The massive influx of Internet connected devices and proliferation of new technologies such as IoT have resulted in huge amounts of data being generated and stored. For many organizations, this places new demands on their computing resources and radically expands their storage capacity requirements. As a result, effectively storing and managing information is a crucial aspect of any company’s success. The huge inflow of data creates an urgent need for scalable storage that guarantees continuous data access to end-users, maintains data integrity, and most importantly, provides a secure environment. Enter Equus Compute Solutions, a company that is answering these challenges through open-hardware storage solutions that—owing to their vendor-agnostic compatibility—enable enterprises to create custom storage infrastructures without having to worry about cross-compatibility or integration issues. Equus Compute Solutions delivers cost-effective and customized open-hardware platforms for software-defined solutions for enterprise customers, software vendors, OEMs, and cloud services providers. “We have a line of servers that we call WHITEBOX OPEN™, where customers have the ability to go online, configure whatever they want, and speak to our experts for guidance,” said Costa Hasapopoulos, the president of Equus Compute Solutions. Equus offers custom configurations of storage systems with their state-of-the-art WHITEBOX OPEN hardware that enables scale-up and scale-out infrastructures.

Equus is a leader in open-hardware servers and storage solutions. Hasapopoulos highlighted that certain big storage vendors in the industry with proprietary systems do not allow their customers to use new tools like LinuxBoot and OpenBMC (open baseboard management chipset firmware), which enables end-users to gain control, increase flexibility, and improve security. WHITEBOX OPEN™ servers not only enable use of these tools, but also utilize OCP (Open Compute Project) features such as OCP slots with multi-vendor cards for networking and storage interfaces.


Our DNA is boutique engineering of custom open-hardware servers and storage with high touch support


Equus also sees open-hardware adoption in the areas of GPU servers and storage for Deep Learning and AI applications. Equus supports the ability to source your own GPUs, consign GPUs to Equus for factory installation, or purchase full-build systems. “Equus customers now have freedom to choose what is best for them and the ability to eliminate single vendor lock-in,” said Hasapopoulos.

The company continues to expand in the cloud services space by designing custom servers with their clients that are highly affordable. Their team spends a considerable amount of time engineering optimized hardware platforms for specific software applications that will drive successful customer business outcomes. “We call it boutique engineering, where we provide custom open-hardware solutions along with high-touch support,” said Hasapopoulos.

One of the company’s key strengths is dealing with technology churn over many years. In the case of one of their large CDN customers, Equus has engineered and successfully migrated six generations of servers and storage systems over the last ten years. This willingness to promote open-hardware and provide exactly what their customers require has set Equus apart for almost 30 years. “Our company DNA is white box computing and storage,” said Hasapopoulos. “Our ability to adapt technologies, logistics and financials to our customers’ specific needs is the foundation of our long-term customer relationships.”

Company
Equus Computing Solutions

Headquarters
Minneapolis, MN

Management
Costa Hasapopoulos, President

Description
The company provides custom cost-optimized computing systems that include servers, storage devices, and desktop PCs for VARs, Service Providers, ISVs, OEMs, and enterprises