CIQ launches RLC Pro, redefining the Enterprise Linux standard for the next generation of infrastructure

Commercially supported offering unifies open source availability and enterprise capabilities in one solution, eliminating infrastructure fragmentation and delivering LTS, FIPS and direct bug fixes as standard features.

RENO, Nev., February 26, 2026 — CIQ, the founding support and services partner of Rocky Linux, today launched Rocky Linux from CIQ Pro (RLC Pro), a commercially supported Enterprise Linux subscription that transforms how organizations consume production-grade infrastructure and provides a strong foundation for next-generation software infrastructure, including AI, HPC and security hardened options. With Enterprise Linux binary compatibility, RLC Pro bundles Long-Term Support and lifecycle management, FIPS 140-3 validation, indemnification, security and support SLAs and customer-driven, direct bug fixes as necessary features, creating a clear path from community-based to mission-critical enterprise production.

RLC Pro represents a fundamental shift in what can be expected from enterprise operating systems and redefines the Enterprise Linux standard. CIQ believes that Long-Term Support, FIPS validation and direct bug fixes should be bundled as base features, not sold as expensive add-ons. For the first time, organizations get the commercial accountability and vendor support production infrastructure demands, bundled into one solution as the base offering from CIQ.

“AI is driving a true inflection point for enterprise infrastructure,” said Gregory Kurtzer, CEO of CIQ and co-founder of Rocky Linux. “RLC Pro brings together the infrastructure capabilities organizations need into a use-everywhere model that prioritizes efficiency, security and usability. We believe Long-Term Support, FIPS validation and direct, responsive engineering should be standard. When you hit a bug, we fix it. When you need a security remediation, we deliver it. And when you need a partner to ensure your infrastructure is running at its best, CIQ is there with you.”

This addresses a long-standing market gap. Today, enterprises choosing open source solutions accept operational risk, spending engineering resources hunting through GitHub for stability solutions and managing security vulnerabilities without vendor backing. Those who choose commercial solutions often pay additional subscription fees to unlock the features they need on top of base licensing costs. This is orders of magnitude more difficult and risky when maintaining the operating system. RLC Pro eliminates the difficulty and risk by making these capabilities standard, delivering the support enterprises need, leaning on CIQ for faster bug fixes, vulnerability patches and escalated support as part of the base offering.

RLC Pro transforms what enterprises can accomplish by providing:

• Bundled Long-Term Support enables platform teams to plan infrastructure on 3-5 year horizons without forced point-release upgrades. They can deploy once, maintain stability and focus engineering resources on business differentiation rather than OS maintenance.
• FIPS 140-3 validated packages enable enterprises to deploy at scale in government, defense, financial services and healthcare by passing compliance audits without resource-intensive internal certification efforts.
• Direct bug and security fixes from CIQ's engineering team keep production systems running and SLAs met based on specific customer feedback. Engineers stop firefighting infrastructure issues and start shipping features faster.
• Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs) to cover your entire infrastructure: from core, to cloud and edge, RLC Pro has your back.

Rocky Linux is one of the most widely deployed enterprise Linux distributions worldwide, with Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) telemetry showing more than 2.75 million actively deployed instances globally. As adoption has accelerated, so has enterprise demand for commercially backed support, long-term lifecycle guarantees and validated compliance capabilities. RLC Pro directly addresses that market need.

“The real transformation here is what this enables enterprises to do,” said Bjorn Hovland, President of CIQ. “Deploy in regulated environments immediately. Plan infrastructure investments with confidence. Free engineering talent to build products instead of managing operating systems. RLC Pro doesn't just change how organizations consume Linux, it changes what they can accomplish with it.”

RLC Pro is available today from CIQ and through AWS Marketplace, Microsoft Azure Marketplace and Google Cloud Marketplace. It will soon be available through the CIQ Portal, launching in the coming months.

To learn more about RLC Pro and CIQ's complete Enterprise Linux portfolio, visit this blog "CIQ launches RLC Pro: redefining the Enterprise Linux standard".  Also, join Brady Dibble, Director of Product Management, for the upcoming webinar "RLC Pro: Redefining what Enterprise Linux should be" on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 11am PT / 2pm ET.