OpenAI has acquired cloud-based developer Ona to power Codex with secure, customer-controlled cloud infrastructure for long-running AI agents that can continue working across devices and sessions even after a browser is closed or a computer is shut down.
The ChatGPT parent company said the integration will allow Codex to complete tasks that could take hours or days in minutes, while also making it easier for organizations to deploy agents in production with stronger visibility and oversight.
Ona, which has helped shift software development workflows into cloud-based environments and supports more than 2 million developers, already shares customers with OpenAI.
OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), said organizations should be able to use persistent, agent-based systems with confidence, knowing those agents run within environments that satisfy their security, governance, and operational standards.
The company added that this requires clear control over deployment environments, system access, credential boundaries, activity logging, and the review process for how work is executed and approved.
"Agents need more than intelligence; they need a trusted workspace," Ona co-founder and Chief Executive Johannes Landgraf said in a statement. "We built Ona to give agents cloud environments with the context, control and collaboration enterprises require. Joining OpenAI lets us bring that foundation into Codex, helping organizations deploy agents with confidence and giving humans more agency over their work."
The acquisition comes as Codex expands beyond its roots as a coding assistant into a broader platform for research, analysis, automation and software development. OpenAI said Codex now has more than 5 million weekly users, a 400% increase from earlier this year.
The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and the companies will continue operating independently until the deal is completed.
What's Next
After the acquisition closes, Ona's team will join OpenAI and work alongside the Codex group to build secure, persistent execution capabilities for enterprise customers.
OpenAI said it is pleased to bring the Ona team on board. Together, the two companies aim to help engineering teams take on long-running software tasks more safely and effectively across the full lifecycle-from running tests and fixing issues to modernizing applications, patching vulnerabilities, and managing complex workflows over time.