VMworld 2016 Day 1: Key Announcements

VMware is the go-to virtualization provider but is increasingly pressured by companies moving applications to cloud platforms. These large cloud providers rely upon other virtualization software with significantly lower licensing costs. On day 1 of VMworld 2016 the company announcements were focused on countering this threat.

Cross-Cloud Architecture

VMware unveiled a new cross-cloud architecture to help companies use hybrid-clouds with a number of major cloud service providers. We see AWS, Azure and IBM Cloud mentioned however conspicuously absent is Google’s cloud platform. Here are the PR points on the new cross-cloud architecture:

• New VMware Cross Cloud Architecture extends VMware’s hybrid cloud strategy. This enables customers to run, manage, connect and secure their applications across clouds and devices in a common operating environment.

• New VMware Cloud Foundation is a unified SDDC platform that makes it easy for customers to manage and run their SDDC clouds. It simplifies the installation, update and lifecycle management of private cloud infrastructure, and offers a new “as a service” option that delivers the full power of the SDDC in a hybrid cloud environment.

• VMware is also previewing new Cross-Cloud services to give customers the ability to manage, govern and secure applications running in private and public clouds, including AWS. Azure and IBM Cloud.

• New VMware vCloud Availability is a new family of disaster recovery offerings purpose built for vCloud Air Network partners.

• The New Version of VMware vCloud Hybrid Cloud Manager provides VMware vSphere users zero downtime application migration to VMware vCloud Air

Hybrid clouds are going to be the reality for the foreseeable future. VMware is continuing to embrace this architecture even though it poses significant revenue risk for the company.

The Expansion of IBM and VMware Cloud Partnership

VMware announced its expanded partnership with IBM to enable easy hybrid cloud adoption. IBM has a large services arm and strong relationships with business owners in large enterprises. IBM recently partnered with Apple to bring Apple to the enterprise. Likewise, with the IBM partnership VMware has another party pushing its hybrid cloud solutions. Here are the VMware PR bullets on the partnership.

• Customer momentum: More than 500 new clients, including Marriott International, are now running VMware on the IBM Cloud since the strategic partnership was announced.

• VMware Cloud Foundation and IBM Cloud: Introduction of VMware Cloud Foundation on the IBM Cloud helps extend existing apps to the cloud within hours.

• Investment in the Partnership: More than 4,000 IBM service professionals to help VMware clients move to IBM Cloud.

• IBM Cloud Reach: The IBM Cloud has a growing footprint of nearly 50 highly scalable and security-rich data centers across the globe.

• VMware Enterprise Footprint: The partnership is designed to preserve and extend customer investments across thousands of data centers with VMware’s broad Fortune 100 enterprise footprint.

For VMware and IBM this is a great deal and expands on the work they are already doing in the market. IBM needs to push customers to its cloud versus losing them to AWS, Azure or Google. VMware needs a strong voice in the market to help keep licensing revenue strong.

More to come from VMworld 2016 as the show continues.