45Drives Joins SouthEast LinuxFest 2025 as Official Sponsor, Championing Open-Source Storage Innovation for MSPs and IT Professionals

SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA and WILMINGTON, NC - June 10, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - 45Professional, a division of 45Drives, the trailblazing provider of enterprise-scale, open-source data storage solutions, is proud to announce its official sponsorship of the 2025 SouthEast LinuxFest (SELF), taking place June 13–15 at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

SELF is one of the premier annual gatherings of Linux enthusiasts, developers, and technology professionals in the United States, dedicated to advancing the open-source movement. With deep roots in Linux and a mission to demystify enterprise storage through transparency and community collaboration, 45Drives is aligning its 45Professional division with SELF to amplify its support for MSPs and creative IT professionals.

45Professional, which offers tailored solutions to managed service providers, will have a strong presence at the event. Attendees can connect directly with Todd Pifher, Enterprise Account Manager, and Braeden Kivett, Solutions Specialist. The team will host an interactive booth showcasing the latest in 45Professional hardware and software solutions.

“SELF is the kind of grassroots, high-signal event that gives us a chance to listen, not just talk,” said Todd Pifher, Enterprise Account Manager. “These are our people - open-source builders, tinkerers, problem-solvers - and the tools we’ve developed, our reference architecture, and our support model, come directly from conversations we’ve had at events like this. We’re here to share, but more importantly, to learn from the community we serve.”

A highlight of 45Drives’ involvement will be a presentation by longtime customer Patrick Emerson, IT Director at NewSpring Church, who will share how his team successfully deployed 45Drives’ open-source best practices to modernize their storage environment. Emerson will walk attendees through real-world lessons and benefits gained by adopting 45Drives’ modular, transparent approach to enterprise infrastructure.

The sponsorship of SELF 2025 continues 45Drives’ broader mission to promote open hardware and open-source software as viable, superior alternatives to proprietary systems - especially for MSPs, government organizations, research institutions, and creative professionals seeking cost-efficiency, control, and long-term scalability.

“Open-source shouldn’t be intimidating, and it shouldn’t be niche,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives. “We’ve built our entire platform around making powerful, flexible, Linux-based storage systems accessible to real people doing real work. SELF is an opportunity to stand alongside a community that shares our values and our vision for what’s possible when the industry is driven by openness, not lock-in.”

With operations now expanding from its new U.S. base in Wilmington, NC, 45Drives is doubling down on outreach across the southeastern United States. Supporting SELF represents both a strategic regional investment and a cultural commitment to uplifting the very users that helped spark the company’s growth in the first place.

To learn more about 45Drives or to connect during SELF 2025, visit www.45drives.com.

About 45Drives

45Drives is the industry leader in open-source, high-performance data storage and virtualization solutions built for scale, transparency, and community collaboration. Trusted by organizations in government, research, education, media, and enterprise, 45Drives designs infrastructure that's big, strong, and fast - without the complexity or cost of legacy proprietary systems. From homelab enthusiasts to data centers, 45Drives powers the future of open computing.

Contact:
Jonathan Phillips
45Drives@phillcomm.global