VMware, the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, will be sharing best practices to customer of all sizes in their transition to the cloud, as well as introduce new specialization, certification, solution competency and toolkits, at the VMware Partner Exchange 2011. The participants of the event are increasing (something we witnessed at VMworld last year, too), growing by 27 percent, estimating ovr 3,000 attendants this year.  Of course, all the big players will be there as supporters and sponsors, demonstrating VMware’s influence in the cloud industry.  Expect the likes of Cisco, EMC, Dell and HP, among others.

“In 2010, we outlined our vision for taking customers on a journey to the cloud as the industry continues its shift toward IT as a Service,” said Carl Eschenbach, co-president, customer operations, VMware. “Our partners are on the frontlines in delivering this vision to customers, and VMware Partner Exchange 2011 is about educating partners and arming them with the right mix of programs and tools to help them become trusted advisers within the new hybrid cloud paradigm — teaching them how to provide solutions across the new IT stack today while preparing them for how customers will consume IT in the future.”

As to new offerings in specializations, certification and solution competency, VMware offers Academic Federal Specialization which rewards global partners for their vertical market expertise; Desktop Certification, a three-layer validation that recognizes individuals with the education, experience and expertise needed to implement virtual desktops; and Virtualization of Business Critical Applications Solution Competency which will empower partner’s 100% transition of business-critical application and infrastructure to the cloud.

VMware also hastens partners’ profitability with new solution enablement toolkits:

-Infrastructure Virtualization Library: VMware vSphere® Plan and Design; Virtualization Assessment
-Desktop Library: VMware ThinApp™ Plan and Design; VMware Optimization Kit for Windows 7; VMware View™ Plan and Design
-Business Continuity Library: VMware vCenter™ Site Recovery Manager Accelerator; VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager Plan and Design

But this really is an opportunity for VMware to promote one of the cloud’s next biggest trends; hybrid solutions.  VMware has been deploying hybrid cloud-centric solutions a great deal lately. It recently deployed vCloud Accelerator and vCloud Jumpstart under its under its vCloud consulting services, as well as the new vCloud Reference Architecture, in order to speed up enterprises’ adoption to the hybrid cloud.