VMware today integrated its console for managing cloud instances with its VMware Cloud Foundation to streamline the deployment of its software in on-premises IT environments.
Announced at the VMware Explore 2023 conference, the latest edition of VMware Cloud will make it simpler to manage multi-cloud computing environments by combining VMware Cloud Foundation Software and VMware Cloud Services into a single platform.
VMware also announced early access to an ESXi life cycle management cloud service for VMware vSphere+ that enables IT teams to centrally manage upgrades across a distributed vCenter environment. Additional updates to vSphere in the upcoming release include doubling GPU capacity per virtual machine.
Krish Prasad, senior vice president and general manager for cloud infrastructure at VMware, said the goal is to improve the overall pace of innovation; in addition to deploying workloads in on-premises IT environments, organizations are also deploying workloads on multiple cloud computing services.
VMware Cloud is being made available in five editions that can either be managed by an internal IT team, an external services provider or by VMware. In addition, a VMware Ransomware Recovery service based on VMware Cloud is also generally available. Following a breach of an on-premises IT environment, VMware Ransomware Recovery will enable organizations to run production workloads in the cloud until forensics are completed. The company also unveiled a technology preview of cybersecure storage that will integrate recovery workflows with native vSAN snapshots and add support for Google Cloud VMware Engine.
In addition, VMware is adding a managed NSX service delivered via the cloud, dubbed NSX+, that manages instances of the virtual networking software that runs on top of its virtual machine software. There is also now an NSX+ virtual private clouds (VPCs) option that isolates instances of the virtual networking platform.
Finally, VMware is adding a VMware Cloud with VMware vSAN Max, which will make 8.6 petabytes of disaggregated capacity and 3.6 million IOPS per cluster available on demand later this year.
VMware appears to be streamlining the number of platforms IT teams need to acquire to support and manage IT infrastructure at a time when more organizations are trying to navigate increasing economic headwinds.
One way or another, IT teams will need to reduce the cost of IT at a time when IT environments are becoming more complex. VMware is betting that, given its dominance in on-premises IT environments, there will be a natural inclination to deploy more of its software in the cloud to create a more homogenous IT environment that is less complex.
However, it’s not clear whether organizations are willing to pay extra for the privilege. Many organizations are now supporting multiple classes of virtual machines and associated software despite the fact that each additional platform raises the total cost of IT.
In the meantime, many IT organizations are also awaiting the outcome of Broadcom’s effort to acquire VMware before deciding how to centralize the management of multi-cloud computing environments.