HPE, VMware, Cisco & Dell need to change the conversation
Coming off of DellEMC World, HPE Discover and Interop, I’m convinced that legacy IT infrastructure companies need a reset. Today, AWS and Google are having conversations directly with the consumers of technology. It’s ironic that the theme of digital transformation is to remove friction in a business relationship. Shopping online is disrupts brick and mortar because online shopping removes friction.
The same can be said of enterprise IT. AWS, Google Compute and Azure all remove the friction of IT consumption. AWS’ relationship is with the end consumer of technology and not a go between. If you look at the failed cloud projects from HPE, VMware and Cisco, they all missed the target consumer. All three solutions were geared toward the enterprise IT organization vs. the end user of the service.
Legacy vendors will continue to have the same problems until they change the nature of the relationship. Granted, it’s easier said than done to change that relationship. I talk about one of those challenges in my live CTO Coffee Chat.
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Keith Townsend is a seasoned technology leader and Chief Technology Advisor at Futurum Group, specializing in IT infrastructure, cloud technologies, and AI. With expertise spanning cloud, virtualization, networking, and storage, Keith has been a trusted partner in transforming IT operations across industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, government, software, and financial services.
Keith’s career highlights include leading global initiatives to consolidate multiple data centers, unify disparate IT operations, and modernize mission-critical platforms for “three-letter” federal agencies. His ability to align complex technology solutions with business objectives has made him a sought-after advisor for organizations navigating digital transformation.
A recognized voice in the industry, Keith combines his deep infrastructure knowledge with AI expertise to help enterprises integrate machine learning and AI-driven solutions into their IT strategies. His leadership has extended to designing scalable architectures that support advanced analytics and automation, empowering businesses to unlock new efficiencies and capabilities.
Whether guiding data center modernization, deploying AI solutions, or advising on cloud strategies, Keith brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic insight to every project.
