IBM Inc. and VMware Inc. have been collaborating on projects for a long time in the field of cloud and artificial intelligence, including providing cloud solutions with AI functionalities. Additionally, the companies offer services through the Joint Innovation Lab.

“IBM as a company, we really sharpened our focus onto AI and hybrid cloud. … Watsonx is resonating with clients. Watsonx.ai, .data, .governance,” said Brendan Kinkade (pictured, right), vice president of strategic partners for IBM cloud and cognitive software, and technology and hybrid cloud partnerships at IBM. “Our approach has been to be open, trusted and targeted with our AI, trusted being a key consideration because, in the enterprise clients, you need to have a secure environment that’s also auditable back to the source of the data.” 

Kinkade and Luis Meza (left), senior director of global strategic partnerships at VMware, spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Dave Vellante and Rob Strechay at VMware Explore 2023, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the collaboration between IBM and VMware and new concepts stemming from the collaboration. (* Disclosure below.)

A unique position in the market

The concept of multicloud and hybrid cloud is continuously developing to provide a simplified experience, across cloud platforms and on-premises environments.

Through the collaboration between IBM and VMware in the Joint Innovation Lab, several projects have been undertaken, such as the creation of IBM Cloud specifically designed for services and the establishment of a multi-tenant environment. These initiatives aim to enhance the capabilities of cloud computing, according to Kinkade.

“The product announcement hierarchy were around products [and] ecosystem,” Meza said. “The last one is around services. IBM consulting also made investments to make cyber recovery a managed service for their customers.”

IBM’s recent introduction of disaster recovery as a service and data center as a service in partnership with HCL Technologies Ltd. showcases its dedication to delivering solutions centered around the IBM Cloud for VMware. What sets IBM apart in the market is its ability to offer AI solutions tailored to industries backed by VMware’s cloud technology extensive domain knowledge and expertise, in migration and modernization.

“I would say that’s kind of our unique value in the market is that IBM has a very VMware-friendly cloud. We’ve got AI that we can run on the cloud and on-premises. We’ve got consulting that has deep domain expertise and capabilities to manage it, to migrate it, to modernize it. So pretty uniquely positioned,” said Kinkade. 

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of VMware Explore 2023:

(* Disclosure: VMware Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither VMware nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE