VMware, Nutanix, and AWS: Top 3 Virtualization Stories of 2016
“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” [Blaise Pascal]
IT professionals are busy. Really busy. It’s really simple. They have to do more stuff and protect more stuff with less budget and even less time. So when I write blog posts, I have a tendency to compare the attention span of the average IT pro with the proverbial “hummingbird on crystal meth.”
Virtualization was a hot topic in the news in 2016. I could write a top 10 list – or even a top 20 list – easily. But in honor of “less is more”, I’ve taken the time to cull the list to the top 3 virtualization stories. So without further ado:
- Dell acquires EMC. Dell completed the purchase of EMC for $67B. What did they get? A lot of storage and a lot of smaller businesses. But the heart and soul of the acquisition was VMware.
- Nutanix eyes VMware vSphere revenue. Nutanix delayed their IPO by nine months due to poor market conditions and then blew the doors off with a 130% gain on its initial day of trading. Beyond rewarding its investors and early employees, the IPO enables Nutanix to accelerate its efforts to unseat VMware with Acropolis. I talk to customers and buyers every day – and I can tell you that Acropolis is being seriously considered either immediately upon the purchase of Nutanix or more often as a future option. The licensing savings associated with the KVM-based hypervisor are turning head
- VMware vCloud Air is dead; long live AWS. VMware announced at VMworld 2016 that VMware Cloud on AWS would be available in 2017. VMware and AWS aren’t building this on the AWS PaaS (Platform as a Service) incredibly successful underpinnings but instead will operate on a purpose-built AWS infrastructure designed for and dedicated to VMware.
So what happens in 2017? Will Dell/VMware be able to compete effectively in HCI (Hyper-Converged Infrastructure?) Will Nutanix shift a lot of VMware vSphere licenses to Acropolis? Will VMware Cloud on AWS rock the world or fizzle like vCloud Air did?
Here’s to an interesting 2017.
