VMware’s Cloud in 300-words
I participated in the Dell Technologies Cloud presentation at Cloud Field Day 6 as a delegate. VMware and Dell made a combined argument for VMware Cloud on Dell Technologies Cloud. My fellow delegate, Larry Smith, asked a question about the various APIs. VMware has several APIs for its complete software stack while Dell has API’s for its’ Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) stack.
Larry asked the fair question, when do you use one over the other and to whom are the APIs geared? It prompted me to consider if I can explain VMware’s public cloud strategy in 300-words or less.
VMware’s any app, any device, any cloud strategy starts with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). VCF is the software-defined data center that ensures a consistent underlay across clouds.
The scope of consistency includes hardware providers such as HPE, Lenovo, and our hosts for Cloud Field Day 6 Dell Technologies Cloud. Dell Technologies cloud offers a specially integrated solution with VMware. You can watch the video to find out more.
VMware’s thousands of vCloud providers standardize on VCF to ensure a consistent underlay across cloud providers. IBM was the first major cloud provider to adopt VCF. End of story, correct? Not so fast.
While more geographically diverse, you can combine all of the vCloud providers together with IBM, and the network wouldn’t come close to the size of AWS by market share. So, VMware has a separate approach for AWS called VMware Cloud on AWS. Some of the design looks very similar to VCF but customized for AWS’ data center. So, VMware has a specific strategy for the major public cloud providers outside of IBM, correct? No.
VMware’s ability to support Azure and GCP are dependent on a small service provider, CloudSimple. CloudSimple deploys and manages vSphere in both of these providers based on CloudSimple’s design. That design doesn’t leverage VCF. At least you get the same vSphere bits everywhere? No.
VMware Cloud on AWS receives cloud speed updates every three months. VCF uses the main release of vSphere, and CloudSimple manages the version of vSphere running in its offering. Complex things are complex.
And just for good measure, VMware will natively support Kubernetes in a future release of vSphere. I hope that clears it up.
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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.
