Is Open Compute Just a Pipe Dream? Why Data Center Hardware Is Still Locked Down
When Meta, Google, and Microsoft collectively committed billions to “open” hardware standards, industry analysts inevitably declared the end of proprietary dominance. The narrative is intoxicating: freedom from vendor lock-in, dramatic cost reductions, and accelerated innovation. The Open Compute Project (OCP) market was projected to reach $36 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 18% through 2033. Yet beneath these impressive figures lies an uncomfortable truth that most technology journalists and industry commentators refuse to articulate: open hardware has become a luxury commodity exclusively available to those who can afford to employ armies of specialists to manage it.
