VMware’s Cloud Strategy Explained In 4 Sentences
Here they are:
At first glance, VMware’s cloud strategy can be difficult for MSPs and VARs to get their arms around. And this week’s VMware Partner Exchange conference will generate a lot of noise from scores of VMware cloud partners. But what do aspiring partners really need to know? I think I can sum-up VMware’s cloud strategy in roughly four sentences…
Here they are:
- First, VMware has signed up more than 1,000 members — including telecom, hosting and service providers — to back the company’s vCloud effort.
- Second, VMware is promoting vSphere for infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
- Third, VMware is positioning SpringSource for platform as a service (PaaS).
- And forth, VMware is gearing up to position Zimbra (the recently acquired open source email system) for software as a service (SaaS) partners.
The graphic below, from VMware CTO Steve Herrod, quickly summarizes VMware’s cloud strategy:
Next Moves
Can VMware (and VMware partners) cash in on the cloud?
No doubt, plenty of MSPs are jumping on the VMware cloud bandwagon. Earlier today, BlueLock — an MSPmentor 100 company — announced BlueLock CloudSuite, which leverages the VMware vCloud technology. Meanwhile, nScaled (an MSP that promotes a Legal Cloud for attorneys), is working closely with VMware, Rackspace, FalconStor and Vyatta. For its part, FalconStor appears to be preparing a storage-centric partner program for MSPs.
The VMware Partner Exchange conference kicked off earlier today in Las Vegas. We’ll be tracking more news throughout the week.
