2026-06-03 –, Main stage
In a landscape increasingly dependent on proprietary virtualization (high costs, limited transparency, low reversibility), this talk explains how Proxmox VE helps organizations regain control with a unified open-source platform (compute, storage, networking, backup), no hardware lock-in, and a strong REST API. It highlights key Proxmox VE 9 improvements (live migration, GPU sharing, SR-IOV, SAN support, easier migrations from proprietary stacks), resilience with Proxmox Backup Server, and closes with roadmap perspectives and practical feedback for a successful transition.
n a context of increasing dependency on proprietary solutions such as VMware—often associated with high costs, limited transparency, and poor reversibility—many organizations are now looking to regain control over their IT infrastructure.
Proxmox VE has emerged as a strong open-source, unified, and mature alternative for building a sovereign, resilient, and sustainable virtualization platform.
It is worth highlighting the strategic importance of these challenges across several dimensions:
Technology: An open-source solution built on proven virtualization components, compatible with standard protocols, without compromising on technological scope.
Financial: Clear, transparent pricing with no hidden fees, proportional to the chosen level of support.
Sovereignty: A European vendor, helping reduce exposure to U.S. extraterritorial legislation.
Beyond these strategic drivers, the solution’s appeal is also grounded in solid technical foundations:
A consistent platform that brings virtualization, storage, networking, and backup into a single interface.
No dependency on specific hardware.
Operations that are both straightforward and comprehensive, supported by a robust RESTful API.
Proxmox VE version 9 represents a major milestone, introducing multiple significant improvements, including:
Optimized live migrations to simplify switching virtualization environments.
Advanced GPU sharing (mediated devices) and SR-IOV support.
SAN storage support.
Major progress in migration paths from proprietary environments.
True autonomy also requires resilience. Proxmox Backup Server enables an integrated and efficient backup strategy without relying on third-party solutions that may be subject to the same legal and operational constraints.
The presentation will conclude with the expected outlook for Proxmox VE 9, highlighting community momentum and anticipated evolutions: improved GPU management for AI workloads, extended clustering across geographically distributed zones, security hardening, and finally practical advice and real-world feedback for successfully transitioning to a new virtualization environment.
François-Xavier Guidet is a telecoms and networking engineer who began his career in the United States in the 2000s before returning to France to build open-source infrastructure services. He founded FactorFX in 2001, positioning it as a hybrid integrator and software publisher, and he now leads the company’s technical direction while remaining deeply hands-on. Describing himself as an “open source enthusiast,” he contributes with his team to open-source ecosystems including OCS Inventory and Proxmox VE.