new VP Nicolas Vazquez

blog/2025-04-15-nvazquez-new-vp/index.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: 'Meet the New VP of CloudStack: Nicolas Vazquez'
+tags: [news]
+authors: [jamie]
+slug: new-vp-nicolas-vazquez
+---
+
+# Meet the New VP of CloudStack: Nicolas Vazquez
+
+![](NVazquezVP.png "Blog Header Image")
+
+The CloudStack project is pleased to announce our newest VP, [Nicolas
+Vazquez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nvazquezuy/). This interview
+explores Nicolas’ experience with Apache CloudStack, key projects,
+recent developments, advice on how to contribute to the CloudStack
+ecosystem, and more!
+
+##### Introduce yourself in a few words
+
+My name is Nicolas Vazquez, I am a Software Engineer from Uruguay. I
+have been involved on the CloudStack project for the last 10 years,
+during which I became a Committer and then a PMC member. In the last
+months I have been contributing to features like VMware to KVM
+migration, the support for Virtual Appliances on VMware, the
+Multi-Architecture Zones.
+
+<!-- truncate -->
+
+I have been working as a Senior Software Engineer at
+[ShapeBlue](https://www.shapeblue.com/) for the last 8 years, which is
+a major code contributor the project.
+
+[→ Explore the current project members](https://cloudstack.apache.org/who/)
+
+##### How did you first get involved in cloud computing and the Apache CloudStack project?
+
+I was initially assigned to work to a customer project - providing
+fixes and improvements for their CloudStack-based private cloud. This
+was the first time I was working on cloud computing (and CloudStack),
+and I had a big learning curve before delivering my first fixes, but
+fortunately it was made possible with the help from my current
+mentor. Eventually, and while still learning, I was able to deliver
+more fixes and improvements.
+
+##### Can you share your experience in the community and how you contribute to the CloudStack ecosystem?
+
+My experience with the community has been great since the first day. I
+still remember my first code contribution was not tidy, but I was
+pleased to see community members patiently reviewing and suggesting
+ways to improve it. I improved my next code contributions but still
+found it great that people took time to review and test my
+fixes. Today I continue by providing code contributions for new
+features & improvements, bug fixes, helping review other people’s
+contributions, and being involved in mailing lists discussions. During
+the last few years, I have been the release manager for versions
+4.16.0 and 4.17.0 and participated as a [GSOC
+mentor](https://cloudstack.apache.org/blog/gsoc-2023/) for two
+years. I’ve also presented features I have worked on, in several
+[CloudStack Collaboration
+Conferences](https://www.cloudstackcollab.org/).
+
+##### What are some key projects and developments you have worked on and are currently working on?
+
+I have worked on the development of many exciting features for
+CloudStack, some of which being: the VMware to KVM migration, the
+support for Virtual Appliances on VMware, the Multi-Architecture
+Zones. For cloud builders, features like VMware to KVM migration,
+support for Virtual Appliances on VMware, and Multi-Architecture Zones
+provide greater flexibility, lower costs, and faster deployment. They
+enable a shift away from proprietary platforms, simplify application
+delivery, and allow support for diverse workloads across different CPU
+architectures. Together, these capabilities help cloud builders create
+more open, efficient, and adaptable cloud environments.
+
+Most recently I have also worked (and still working) on some SDN
+integrations for CloudStack: the NSX 4 Integration (which has been
+included on version 4.20.0) and I currently working on the Netris
+Integration.
+
+
+[→ Watch Nicolas’s session on NSX 4 Integration from #CSCollab2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGDGo7yTM90)
+
+##### How do you think the CloudStack project will continue to grow over the next five years?
+
+CloudStack gives a solid, production-ready platform to run IaaS at
+scale without having to stitch together a bunch of tools. It’s
+hypervisor agnostic, which means we can support both KVM and VMware
+environments, and its built-in features. The API is clean and
+predictable, which makes automation straightforward, and the UI is
+user-friendly.
+
+What really stands out is the stability and maturity of the
+platform. We can deploy complex environments without worrying about
+unexpected behaviour or vendor lock-in, and the active open-source
+community means improvements are steady and transparent. For companies
+building private or public clouds, it’s a very practical choice.  I
+think over the next years we will see many exciting new features as
+the adoption grows. CloudStack is already a reliable solution and has
+multiple integrations for storage and networking providers. I believe
+many more integrations will be introduced. I also believe the
+CloudStack community will grow in numbers, as we are already seeing
+many more people get involved by reporting issues, as well as
+proposing and providing fixes.
+
+##### What do you think is missing in terms of contribution to the CloudStack project from the community?
+
+In my opinion, there are a few items which are being improved in terms
+of contribution to the project. For new developer contributors, there
+is a lot to learn as the codebase is very large, but luckily there is
+a great starting guide to help new developers on their start with
+CloudStack: https://github.com/shapeblue/hackerbook. Also, many
+companies have been presenting their Use Case and how CloudStack fits
+their needs.
+
+[→ Explore CloudStack Use Cases & Integrations](https://cloudstack.apache.org/blog/tags/case-studies)
+
+However, I think the project is still missing more involvement on
+release candidate testing and keeping the documentation up to date. An
+increase on the release candidates testing would help us catch issues
+earlier and provide more robust releases. I would encourage everyone
+interested to contribute on these fronts, to make our product even
+better!
+
+##### What would you say as a conclusion to companies’ evaluating open-source technology?
+
+The cloud industry is evolving beyond scale — it’s now about control,
+flexibility, and long-term sustainability. Apache CloudStack addresses
+this shift by giving builders a stable, production-grade platform that
+doesn't compromise on openness. Its deep integration of core IaaS
+functions — compute, networking, storage — allows us to operate
+complex cloud environments efficiently, while avoiding the pitfalls of
+vendor lock-in. In a world where infrastructure decisions shape
+business agility, open-source solutions like CloudStack are not an
+alternative — they’re the foundation!