VMware Intros Cloud Computing And Expands Programs For VARs

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VMware gave solution providers this week a preview of its moves into cloud computing and ubiquitous virtual desktop technology, and introduced a few changes to its partner programs.

At the VMworld conference, Paul Maritz, VMware president and CEO, told approximately 2,200 solution providers and vendor partners in attendance that the industry needs to think beyond server consolidation using server virtualization technology.

"We've all benefitted from server virtualization to consolidate servers," Maritz said. "We're by no means done with it. There's still a lot to be done. But we need to move forward."

Maritz said that future opportunities will come from building on the server virtualization infrastructure that is now being built to provide new products and services, including finding ways to help customers move to take advantage of cloud computing.

VMware is enabling that move with the introduction of its Virtual Data Center OS, or VDC-OS, initiative, which it unveiled Monday.

VMware has evolved its Virtual Infrastructure, or VI3, offering into VDC-OS as a way to help customers move into cloud computing with APIs to make it possible to virtualize compute resources and work with third-party networking frameworks, and to do it before any other technology supplier, Maritz said.

"Whether or not it comes from VMware, every company in the world will have a strategy to build the virtual data center infrastructure," he said. "And we believe that, with our business model, we're the best able to do it."

Maritz also introduced channel partners to vCloud, which allows customers to turn their current application loads into virtualized services. vCloud enables those applications to be turned into virtual appliance loads which can then be served by service providers, of which over 100 have already signed on with VMware, he said.

VMware is also doubling down on the nascent virtual desktop business with technology that in the next year or two is expected to allow users to access their desktop loads from any computing device, and not just thin client-type devices as is possible today, Maritz said.

"We believe this is a huge opportunity," he said. "This opportunity could be as big as VMware is today."

VMware knows the expansion of its technology into virtual data centers and ubiquitous virtual desktop products requires a foundation of technology and channel partners to work, Maritz said. "We have to build on our strength," he said. "We will work with our hardware and software partners. And we will work with our channel partners to bring this to the customer."

Rich Baldwin, president and CEO of Nth Generation Computing, a San Diego-based solution provider, said VMware's talk about moving virtualization into cloud computing comes at a time when customers are looking at how to take their own infrastructures into the cloud.

"A lot of customers were not talking about it before," Baldwin said. "But they're starting to jump on it."

VMware is talking about the ability to either build external cloud-based virtual data centers or internal clouds, and there is a big difference for the channel, said Dan Molina, CTO of Nth Generation.

"External clouds still don't appeal to customers," Molina said. "But internal clouds have a greater appeal because of security issues."

Baldwin said that the cloud computing initiative is still too young to draw any conclusions about how successful it will be. "Look at storage as a service," he said. "Five to ten years ago, people said, 'I'm not putting my data out there.' Now they're adopting it internally."

Next: VMware's Partner Support Strategy

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