VMworld Conference 2021: Everything you need to know

October 27, 2021

For the second year running, the VMworld conference was a virtual event. Despite not meeting in person, thousands of VMware experts and users were introduced to the latest ecosystem updates. And as always, there are some significant developments arriving soon. These are the ones we think will be most useful to our clients.

VMware Cross-Cloud Services

To better balance cost, performance and features, businesses are increasingly choosing to use cloud services from multiple vendors. This multi-cloud approach offers significant benefits – but every additional service also increases infrastructure complexity.

With the power to manage Kubernetes clusters wherever they reside, the new VMware Cross-Cloud strategy provides a programmatic interface that works across platforms. You will be able to deploy, monitor and manage your virtual infrastructure using a distributed infrastructure, making it much easier and faster to build, run and secure containerised applications across the private or public Cloud. The new service supports Application platform, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Management, Security and networking and Digital workspace to the edge on every cloud platform you use.

Why it matters: Increasing administrative efficiency and infrastructure performance will help to maximize possible value and savings from a multi-cloud environment. As well as better controlling cloud spend, VMware Cross-Cloud Services will help to simplify and accelerate development and deployment, allowing your business to increase agility to better meet changing demand from customers and stakeholders.

Apex Cloud Services with VMware

For reasons of performance or sensitivity, some workloads must still be run locally. Thanks to a new partnership with Dell, VMware is bringing infrastructure-as-a-service to the local data centre.

Called APEX Cloud Services, you will be able to use the same software-defined compute storage and networking across multi-cloud environments, including on-premises and at the network edge. Used with VMware Tanzu, the infrastructure is owned and managed by Dell delivering 99.9999% uptime for mission-critical workloads.

Why it matters: APEX Cloud Services make it easier to build, test and run cloud-native applications in any location – including your own data centre. The infrastructure is owned and managed by Dell, freeing your team to focus on building strategic applications instead of platform administration and maintenance. Services can be deployed in any combination of on-premises, edge or co-location facility according to your workload requirements – and with flexible billing options (upfront, annual or monthly) you gain all the benefits of scaling infrastructure without the capital spend normally associated with local hardware.

Multi-cloud integrated management

One of the biggest barriers to multi-cloud adoption is the administrative complexity of distributed infrastructure. Normally, each of these services has its own console and management tools, limiting visibility and leading to duplicated work as changes and updates are applied across your environment.

VMware’s new multi-cloud integrated management platform unifies the existing vRealize Cloud Management portfolio to support a cohesive approach to administering cloud-based assets. By increasing visibility across platforms, these new tools will allow businesses to better manage private and hyper-cloud environments in a consistent way.

Why it matters: These tools provide insights and analytics views that drive actionable workflows and allow you to identify and complete remedial work earlier. The platform also applies machine learning to learn how you use the toolset, customizing the interface to your needs so that you can do more, faster.

VMware Edge

There was also good news for smaller businesses. The new VMware Edge Compute Stack is designed for campus locations, manufacturing sites and retail stores where processing must be done at the edge of the network.

This purpose-built, integrated stack uses edge-optimised hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) and software-defined networking (SDN) to deliver high performance at scale. And multi-cloud support, you can ensure consistent application and infrastructure operations across your entire estate.

Why it matters: This edge-native platform brings data centre standards of flexibility, security and portability to applications running at your remote sites. With more power and performance available locally, your business will be able to deliver intelligent, immersive experiences that surprise and delight customers.

VMware SASE enhancements

VMware has strengthened their Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offering to better support the needs of remote workers. SASE natively integrates security with software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) to deliver improved quality of connectivity and service.

Why it matters: Continued operational uncertainty and an increase in remote working means that traditional VPN connections are no longer sufficient. With VMware SASE, you can improve WAN network throughput for mission-critical activities, raising productivity levels wherever your employees are working from.

Ransomware and rapid recovery

The next evolution of vSphere virtualisation software will natively integrate cloud connectivity, helping to cement hybrid cloud as the default operating model. VMware Cross-Cloud services can be accessed through the vCenter Server interface to take advantage of unlimited cloud capacity whenever required.

Why it matters: The ability to quickly access and use cloud services from anywhere inside your hybrid environment offers all-new ways of working. With a few mouse clicks, you will be able to activate VMWare cross-cloud services, accelerating your response to a ransomware attack for instance.

As always, the annual VMworld conference has unveiled some exciting new developments that will better help VMware users to achieve their strategic goals. The focus on enabling and simplifying multi-cloud operations is of great interest, particularly as this opens new opportunities to build true best-of-breed cloud applications and services.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these developments and how they will help your business better serve the needs of customers and stakeholders, please get in touch via the form or give us a call.

As a VMware Partner of more than 10 years, we’ve helped organisations of all kinds to future-proof their operations through specialist IT solutions and services. So whether you need to discuss ransomware or multi-cloud integrated management, our qualified team will draw from their deep experience servicing our clients to provide advice that’s tailored to suit your needs and budget.