Cloud Computing Happenings: Google Cloud Names Fox-Martin Successor
Plus, Nutanix, Kyndryl, SoftIron and OVHcloud all have channel-centric updates.
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Google Cloud this week announced Matt Renner as Adaire Fox-Martin’s replacement.
Fox-Martin, who led the Google Cloud Go-to-Market group since January 2023, resigned earlier this month to take on the CEO role at Equinix.
Renner most recently served as the cloud provider’s president over North America and global startups. Now, he’s taking on one of Google’s most senior roles, according to the company, as president of the global field organization. That means he holds responsibility for all of Google Cloud’s go-to-market teams, including sales, professional services, partners and customer success.
Google Cloud said Renner’s organization works in “lockstep with Google product and engineering teams” and “helps businesses of all sizes across industries and geographies transform in the cloud, powered by artificial intelligence.”
Renner came to Google Cloud in April 2023, starting his career with the world’s third-largest cloud computing provider as COO of the go-to-market division. His more than 25 years of experience includes stints at Microsoft, Oracle and Salesforce.
In yet another strategic alliance deal, Kyndryl and Cloudflare are coming to market with solutions for multicloud connectivity and network security.
The managed service provider, an offshoot of IBM, and the cloud connectivity vendor, have teamed since last May. They’re now combining Kydryl’s consulting services with Cloudflare’s technology that oversees cloud security, performance and operations. Kyndryl will design customers’ systems and deploy Cloudflare’s capabilities throughout those platforms.
VMware rival Nutanix recently unveiled its latest Enterprise Cloud Index (ECI) survey and research report, and found that hybrid multicloud models are dominating organizations’ environments.
The company says hybrid multicloud will double over the next one to three years as IT decision-makers face new pressures to modernize IT infrastructures because of drivers AI, security, sustainability and other factors. Hybrid multicloud infrastructure supports the necessary security protocols, Nutanix said, and makes innovation simpler.
“What this year’s ECI reveals is that organizations need to support the technologies of tomorrow by future-proofing their IT infrastructure today,” saiid Lee Caswell, senior vice president of product and solutions marketing at Nutanix. “Hybrid multicloud continues to emerge as the infrastructure standard of choice because of the flexibility it provides to support traditional VM and modern containerized applications and movement between clouds and on-prem.”
On a high note for cloud channel partners, Nutanix found that 80% of its survey respondents plan to invest in IT modernization, while 85% say they will increase investments specifically to support AI.
This marks Nutanix’s sixth consecutive ECI report, conducted on the company’s behalf by research firm Vanson Bourne.
In all the hullaballoo around Broadcom’s approach to VMware, competitor SoftIron has debuted the platform it calls “a true alternative” to VMware’s vSphere suite.
Reportedly able to install in 30 minutes, VM Squared automates provisioning and deployment for scale without — per SoftIron — requiring “a matching scale in management overhead.” As such, organizations may more easily shift to private cloud and get away from Broadcom’s new requirements around how customers consume VMware, SoftIron says.
The company’s channel partners seem to agree.
“SoftIron’s VM Squared is an enticing alternative for customers looking for a simple solution during what is a somewhat uncertain time in the history of virtualization,” said Thomas Gilsenan, president of DZ Solutions, a reseller of hardware, software, cloud and IT professional services. “Their simple licensing and deployment mode … is an exciting addition.”
Jack Alaway, managing director and co-owner at VSPL, concurred.
VSPL's Jack Alaway
“Now with VM Squared, their modern software-only virtualization product in market, VMware users have a viable offramp from vSphere while retaining their legacy hardware,” Alaway said. “And then when they are ready, an onward path to a fully integrated on-premise cloud if that is their ultimate destination.”
Mark Matheson, CEO at Distributed Technology Group, made a similar comment.
“Many of our clients are evaluating options with respect to their VMware environments,” Matheson said. “But they have no appetite for a long, complex migration. SoftIron VM Squared … is precisely what our clients are looking for.”
Europe-based cloud provider OVHcloud wants more microservices partners.
The company says so many end users need Kubernetes, Rancher, Docker and similar technologies that it’s specifically on the hunt for partners who specialize in those areas.
“With cloud’s growing maturity, many midsize organizations are looking at how cloud-native technologies can drive their businesses forward,” said David Devine, partner program manager at OVHcloud. “We can provide a solid, innovative, sustainable infrastructure base and managed PaaS solutions but are looking for more partners to help solve specific customer needs.”
OVHcloud says its partner program offers benefits including predictable and transparent pricing, training, low minimum contract durations, access to market development funds, certification, co-marketing opportunities, deal registration, discounts and a dedicated account manager (dependent upon partnership level).
Europe-based cloud provider OVHcloud wants more microservices partners.
The company says so many end users need Kubernetes, Rancher, Docker and similar technologies that it’s specifically on the hunt for partners who specialize in those areas.
“With cloud’s growing maturity, many midsize organizations are looking at how cloud-native technologies can drive their businesses forward,” said David Devine, partner program manager at OVHcloud. “We can provide a solid, innovative, sustainable infrastructure base and managed PaaS solutions but are looking for more partners to help solve specific customer needs.”
OVHcloud says its partner program offers benefits including predictable and transparent pricing, training, low minimum contract durations, access to market development funds, certification, co-marketing opportunities, deal registration, discounts and a dedicated account manager (dependent upon partnership level).
Who doesn’t love a short but meaty roundup of cloud computing news you might have missed? We’ve got that very thing for you as the last week of March comes to a close. And while we don’t want to give away all the goods, here’s a hint at what you’ll come across in this pithy cloud computing roundup:
Google Cloud has named Adaire Fox-Martin’s replacement in the go-to-market group.
Kyndryl and Cloudflare have a new iteration of their partnership.
Nutanix has key findings in its latest Enterprise Cloud Index report, findings that bode well for cloud computing channel partners.
SoftIron is targeting the Broadcom-VMware controversy with the launch of a platform targeting vSphere users.
Click the image above to start on this week’s cloud computing news, beginning with who’s taking Fox-Martin’s place at Google Cloud.
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