All week, we’ve been looking at the convergence space. Yesterday, IBM introduced its Pure Systems. Today, EMC announced VSPEX, its version of a bundled system that pulls in storage, network and compute into one package.

It’s that turning point in the market that provides a window into the technology stack as we know it and its transformation to a hopefully simpler future for the customer trying to find some way to gain efficiencies in a world increasingly dominated by smart devices and all their offshoots.

EMC VSPEX demonstrates EMC’s leadership in the storage space. It comes with 14 different configurations from vendors that include Brocade and Citrix. These configurations represent the ecosystem that EMC is developing.

The significance is in the choice that these reference architectures offer. Each reference architecture documents the configurations that customers may deploy.

The guts of the system consist of as follows:

• EMC VSPEX has the capability to run enterprise software. That may come from Microsoft, Oracle or SAP.
• VSPEX supports hypervisors and virtual desktop infrastructures. This means support for VMware products like VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V or Citrix for VDI.
• Storage is of course from EMC.

It runs on Intel Xeon processors. This means it can support servers from HP, Dell and the rest. It also supports Cisco’s Unified Systems.

For networking, Cisco and Brocade are preferred vendors. Networking technology from Dell and HP will see support, too.

Security is courtesy of RSA, an EMC company.

EMC VSPEX is a bundled system. It is modular and reusable. It reduces costs and provides efficiencies due to the simple fact that customers can buy an all-in-one package. It leverages investments and provides a level of choice.

The key in all this is the ecosystem that EMC is fostering as customers move to more converged infrastructure environments. Cisco, VMware and Microsoft are big names that each have their own channels.

The EMC news is in contrast to IBM’s Pure Systems. IBM’s technology is an integrated system that leverages its middleware expertise. It is essentially two systems. PureFlex provides storage, networking and compute. PureApplication automates the sotware. At the heart of its the ability to integrate IBM software patterns and processes.

The other huge theme at the #vspex launch is the channel – there is a huge push in the channel from all vendors and EMC does well. EMC has one of the strongest channels in the business. By giving its ecosystem a deeper fit into VSPEX, the channel can stand to prosper. As validation, VSPEX will be offered exclusively through the channel.

There are some dangers here. And most of all, it’s about lock-in. EMC will say it is open but price rules. It is the key to pulling in customers but the CIO should be aware that a commitment here is a long-term one.