Sixteen years and two acquisitions later, VMware Inc. has been a key player in some of tech’s biggest deals to date. From EMC to Dell, the virtualization pioneer now finds itself contributing to Dell Technologies Inc.’s fully managed data center as a service, VMware Cloud on Dell EMC. Unveiled at last week’s Dell Tech World, VMware Cloud on Dell EMC seeks to offer the simplicity and flexibility of public cloud platforms in today’s hybrid-computing environments.

“Being part of that integration was one of the proudest experiences of my life,” said Rory Read (pictured), chief operating executive of Dell Technologies Inc. and chief executive officer of Virtustream Inc. “We kept the decisions with the business, and we had a rapid pace to get through it and decide it. And we learned quickly, and we adjusted as we went.”

Acquired by EMC in 2015, Virtustream’s cloud-connecting services has become integral to VMware’s efforts in the emerging multicloud arena.

Read spoke with Lisa Martin (@LisaMartinTV) and Stu Miniman (@stu), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the Dell Technologies World event in Las Vegas. They discussed the ongoing impact of Dell EMC acquisitions, Dell Tech World 2019 announcements, and where Virtustream fits in (see the full interview with transcript here). (* Disclosure below.)

Simplify hybrid solutions, provide multicloud control

In addition to VMware Cloud, Dell also detailed its broader, unified portfolio of cloud solutions under the name Dell Technologies Cloud. All together, the intention is to make hybrid cloud environments easier and more centralized for deployment and monitoring. 

To truly support hybrid clouds, Dell Tech must have the right partners. This is where Virtustream shines. As a tool for connecting legacy infrastructure with modern cloud services, Virtustream seems a proper fit for Dell Tech Cloud across hybrid environments, made all the more evident with Dell’s much-deepend integration with Microsoft Azure.

“What was the coolest were some of the announcements today and how we’re playing — it’s all VMware based on Virtustream. And when they announced the partnership with Azure and the idea of VMware workloads on Azure, that’s actually running, will be running and running — and we’ve been working with Microsoft and VMware — on Virtustream,” said Read of Virtustream’s collaborative role in the Azure deal. 

In this integration, Virtustream runs on Azure data centers, lending their software to reach across the server aisles, Read detailed. “Azure is using our software, and our teams have built that set of technology that, in partnership with Microsoft and VMware, create this offering as one of the cloud service partners,” he said.

With 97% of Virtustream customers reporting a multicloud strategy for mission-critical applications, Virtustream is positioning itself at the crossroads of cloud management.

“How we play in that space is, we’re the trusted player,” Read said. “We’ve done over 1,800 SAP migrations. we’re an Epic Healthcare leader. Go talk to [customers]. Ask them how it’s gone on Virtustream’s cloud. It’s an amazing set of mission-critical capability.”

Within Dell Tech’s vast portfolio, Virtustream is looking to boost infrastructure as a service with its xStream software stack. “We want to enable that software stack to manage data and applications in a private environment, a public environment, and on-premises. And it’s all based on VMware.”

“Customers are going in a multicloud era. And there’s going to be on-prem, public, private; it’s going to link altogether. They need the technology, trusted advisors that can work with them, not with a single answer that only fits one way,” Read concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Dell Technologies World 2019 event. (* Disclosure: Dell Technologies Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Dell nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE