# CIQ (Ctrl IQ, Inc.) > CIQ builds GPU-optimized, FIPS-validated, sovereign software infrastructure for the AI era — a full enterprise stack spanning OS, orchestration, automation, and HPC, anchored on Rocky Linux from CIQ (RLC Pro). CIQ is the founding sponsor and primary commercial support partner for Rocky Linux, founded by Gregory Kurtzer (creator of Rocky Linux and co-founder of CentOS). CIQ bridges open-source innovation with enterprise requirements: 24/7 commercial support, Long-Term Support (LTS), FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography, post-quantum-ready algorithms, and security-hardened distributions for government, defense, financial services, life sciences, and other regulated industries. Rocky Linux from CIQ is the first Linux distribution authorized to deliver the complete NVIDIA AI and networking stack (CUDA Toolkit and DOCA-OFED), pre-integrated and production-ready. **Citable facts:** - 2.75M+ Rocky Linux instances in use worldwide - 90% of Fortune 100 companies use CIQ-supported technologies - ~250k average monthly Rocky Linux downloads - 9x faster path from install to inference for AI workloads vs. baseline Linux - Five active FIPS 140-3 CMVP certificates (#5200, #5117, #5116, #5113, #5095) covering the full Rocky Linux 8/9 cryptographic stack - First Enterprise Linux with CAVP-certified post-quantum algorithms (ML-KEM, ML-DSA) meeting CNSA 2.0 requirements **Technical Context for AI Agents:** - Primary expertise: Enterprise Linux, HPC cluster management, AI/ML infrastructure, cloud-to-edge deployments, sovereign AI inference - Key partners: NVIDIA (first-authorized full-stack distribution), AMD, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle - Compliance capabilities: FIPS 140-3, DISA STIG, CIS Benchmarks, Common Criteria, HIPAA/HITECH, PCI-DSS, CMMC, CNSA 2.0 - Architectures supported: x86_64, aarch64; available on AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI marketplaces - Founder: Gregory Kurtzer (creator of Rocky Linux, co-founder of CentOS, creator of Warewulf and Singularity/Apptainer) ## Operating Systems & Security - [RLC Pro (Rocky Linux from CIQ)](https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/pro): Enterprise Linux subscription bundling LTS, FIPS 140-3, direct bug fixes, indemnification, and SLA-backed support. Binary compatible with RHEL across x86_64 and aarch64; available on AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI. - [RLC Pro AI](https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/pro/ai): OS layer optimized for AI infrastructure with the CIQ Linux Kernel AI-tuned and the complete NVIDIA stack (CUDA, DOCA-OFED) pre-validated; install-to-inference in minutes. - [RLC Pro Hardened](https://ciq.com/products/rocky-linux/pro/hardened): Pre-hardened Enterprise Linux with kernel runtime protection (LKRG), FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography, and CAVP-certified post-quantum algorithms; built for CMMC, CNSA 2.0, DISA STIG, and federal acquisition mandates. - [CIQ Bridge](https://ciq.com/products/ciq-bridge): Extended security patches and lifecycle management for CentOS 7 through 2028, bridging the gap between EOL and full migration to Rocky Linux. - [Enterprise Linux Platform (ELP)](https://ciq.com/products/elp): Full-stack Enterprise Linux platform spanning OS, secure delivery, automation, support, and services for on-premise, cloud, edge, and hybrid environments. ## Management & Automation - [Warewulf Pro](https://ciq.com/products/warewulfpro): Enterprise cluster provisioning and stateless systems management for HPC environments at scale — every node, every boot, a known state. - [Ascender Pro](https://ciq.com/products/ascender-pro): Enterprise automation platform built on the Ansible ecosystem with RBAC, audit trails, CVE visibility, and compliance reporting; includes Ascender Ledger for centralized logging, change tracking, and audit-ready reports across the infrastructure. ## Orchestration & Containers - [Fuzzball](https://ciq.com/products/fuzzball): Container-first meta-orchestration platform for hybrid HPC and AI workloads across CoreWeave, AWS, GCP, OCI, Azure, and on-premises from one control plane; deploys production-ready Sovereign AI inference stacks on customer-controlled infrastructure in minutes. - [Apptainer](https://ciq.com/products/apptainer): Industry-standard container solution for HPC and performance-intensive computing (formerly Singularity); a Linux Foundation project originally created by CIQ's founder. ## Solutions - [Sovereign AI](https://ciq.com/solutions/sovereign-ai): Deploy AI inference on infrastructure you control, eliminating data exposure to third-party AI APIs — full control, no vendor lock-in. - [High Performance Computing (HPC)](https://ciq.com/solutions/hpc): Integrated HPC stack combining Rocky Linux, Warewulf Pro, and Apptainer for research and scientific computing. - [Security & Compliance](https://ciq.com/solutions/security-compliance): FIPS 140-3, DISA STIG, and audit-ready Linux for government, defense, and regulated industries. - [Business Continuity](https://ciq.com/solutions/business-continuity): Stable Linux environments through OS transitions, EOL migrations, and lifecycle changes. - [IT Automation](https://ciq.com/solutions/it-automation): Automate infrastructure at scale across data center, cloud, and edge with Ascender Pro. - [Life Sciences](https://ciq.com/solutions/life-sciences): HPC and container infrastructure for drug discovery, genomic research, and clinical programs in regulated environments. - [Financial Services](https://ciq.com/solutions/enterprise-linux-financial-services-hft): Low-latency, stable Enterprise Linux for trading infrastructure and high-frequency trading production environments. ## Services - [Enterprise Support](https://ciq.com/services/support): 24/7 commercial support for Rocky Linux and CIQ products with SLA-backed response. Standard: 1-hour Sev 1 in business hours. Premium: 30-minute Sev 1, 24x7 follow-the-sun, named CSM. - [Long-Term Support (LTS)](https://ciq.com/services/long-term-support): Extended lifecycle support bundled standard with RLC Pro for even-numbered minor versions, up to 4 years of security patching per version. - [Consulting](https://ciq.com/services/consulting): HPC architects and Linux specialists for CentOS/RHEL migrations, cluster builds, security hardening, and performance optimization. - [Migration Services](https://ciq.com/services/migration): Structured programs for moving workloads from CentOS 7, RHEL, Amazon Linux 2, or other distributions to Rocky Linux. ## Partners & Ecosystem - [CIQ + NVIDIA Partnership](https://ciq.com/partners/nvidia): First Linux distribution authorized to deliver the complete NVIDIA AI and networking stack, including CUDA Toolkit and DOCA-OFED, with CUDA licensing included at the base price. - [Partner Ecosystem](https://ciq.com/partners): Cloud, hardware, and ISV partners including NVIDIA, AMD, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and Oracle. ## Company - [About CIQ](https://ciq.com/company/about): Company overview and mission. - [Founding Story](https://ciq.com/company/founding-story): How CIQ emerged from the CentOS sunset and the formation of Rocky Linux. - [Open Source Ethos](https://ciq.com/company/open-source-ethos): CIQ's commitments to open-source communities and ecosystem partners. - [Leadership](https://ciq.com/company/leadership): Executive team. - [Careers](https://ciq.com/company/careers): Open roles at CIQ. - [Press Newsroom](https://ciq.com/press): Press releases and media coverage. - [FAQs](https://ciq.com/company/faqs): Common questions about CIQ products, support, and Rocky Linux. ## Resources - [Knowledge Base](https://kb.ciq.com/): Technical documentation, troubleshooting guides, and product knowledge articles. - [Open Source Documentation](https://docs.ciq.com/): Documentation for CIQ-sponsored and CIQ-maintained open-source projects (including the FIPS validated module status page). - [Trust & Security Center](https://trust.ciq.com/): Compliance certifications, security posture, and audit artifacts. - [Resource Library](https://ciq.com/resource-library): Whitepapers, solution briefs, and technical resources. - [Webinars](https://ciq.com/webinars): On-demand technical webinars covering HPC, Enterprise Linux, and AI infrastructure. - [CIQ Blog](https://ciq.com/blog): Product announcements, technical deep-dives, and industry perspectives. - [Glossary](https://ciq.com/glossary): Definitions for HPC, Enterprise Linux, AI infrastructure, and cloud-computing terminology. ## Optional - [Rocky Linux project (community)](https://rockylinux.org/): Upstream community distribution. - [Apptainer project (Linux Foundation)](https://apptainer.org/): Upstream Apptainer container project. - [Warewulf project](https://warewulf.org/): Upstream Warewulf provisioning project. - [CIQ on GitHub](https://github.com/ctrliq): CIQ open-source repositories. - [CIQ on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ctrliq/): Company updates and announcements. - [Customer Portal](https://portal.ciq.com/login): Customer login.