VMware on AWS - How it Fits and Key Issues
Some analysis and reflection on VMware on AWS announcement at VMworld 2017. Its harder and more complex than you think.
- VMware has a sense that the momentum behind the public cloud is large enough that they need to do something to react to this. (flip to cloud adoption image)
- Other companies have done nothing. HPE Helion, Cisco ONE Enterprise have had limited impact on the market to date.
- some companies have widened the moats around their customers to prevent them from leaving.
- VMware is doing something different and embracing the change.
- More or less a single price covers a full infrastructure stack of servers and the suite of VMware software that drives including NSX, vSAN, vSphere plus vRealize.
- VMware is using AWS hardware for the software with their software on top.
- In effect, its a complete data centre based on the VMware SDDC vision.
- The product is fixed, you cannot have it your way, you have to take it as is.
- There are some limitations to date as the they work out the kinks in the platform. I find it difficult to accept that the vendor itself cannot get their own software to work properly on a critical project. There might be lesson for VMware to consider if they want to improve their private cloud.
- Its still early days and customers would be wise to wait patiently unless you can afford to have playtime.
#4 is the key point : embracing the change. If you are facing a major threat but can’t beat it, partner with it. - Tight partnership with the leader BEFORE your whole stack becomes irrelevant, - reposition yourself as a networking & security actor so commoditization of your core business have less impact on your bottom line. - eventually giveup on the cloud control plane, bring/accept the leader’s one on premises.