UPDATED 14:00 EDT / DECEMBER 08 2016

WOMEN IN TECH

The numbers behind virtualization’s real impact on the environment | #theCUBE

Virtualization is good for more than business; turns out it’s good for the planet, too.

In its VMware Global Impact Report, VMware Inc. gave hard numbers on how its virtualized technology products are impacting the environment. The cut in CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) enabled by virtualization in 2015 was equivalent to taking 14 million cars off the road. Even if this is just a happy coincidence, the company says it is consciously committed to social responsibility on multiple fronts.

Betsy Sutter, corporate SVP and chief people officer at VMware, gave us the rundown on the company’s mission to give back to the planet and its inhabitants. She told John Furrier (@furrier), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, that the company’s efforts began around 2009 with the formation of the VMware Foundation, which encourages citizen philanthropy. The conversation was conducted onsite at the VMware campus in Palo Alto, CA, this week as part of an editorial series of interviews intended to find out what’s coming next for the virtualization products maker.

The foundation’s mission to make a difference goes two ways: There are stated goals to serve communities, as well as the democratic approach within the foundation.

“We ask employees what they think we should be doing, and that diverse set of opinions creates a huge amount of collective impact,” Sutter said.

WT2: Actions speak louder

On February 28, 2017, VMware will hold its second annual Women Transforming Technology conference on its Palo Alto campus (which, Sutter told us, is green and sustainable). Last year, guest speakers at WT2 included Arianna Huffington, author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman. This year, Gloria Steinem, writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer, and Kara Swisher, executive editor of Re/code and co-executive producer of the Code Conference, will speak.

Sutter said VMware has collaborated with the Clayman Institute for Gender Research to develop its diversity programs. Unlike some companies, Sutter said VMware is not just trying to meet a quota of female hires. “We choose to talk about it by talking about our actions and starting to measure that journey with the numbers, but not leading with the numbers,” she said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of VMware 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE

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