Following the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom Inc. in late 2023, speculation has been rife about how VMware’s products will integrate into Broadcom’s hardware portfolio. However, positive signs are emerging as the merged entity reorganized VMware’s divisions into four streamlined parts: Tanzu, VMware Cloud Foundation, Networking & Security and the Edge Division.

The Tanzu division, featuring popular developments such as Tanzu Hub, Tanzu Mission Control and Tanzu Service Mesh, is well-defined. But what innovations can we expect from VMware Cloud Foundation moving forward?

“VMware’s potential for growth and positioning in the multicloud arena can be a pivotal component for Broadcom’s future — the challenge remains in how Broadcom will streamline and optimize its vast software offerings post-acquisition,” said Dave Vellante, co-founder and chief analyst at theCUBE Research, in a recent Breaking Analysis piece. “vSphere is undoubtedly central, while NSX, following the Nicera acquisition, is strategically significant in the networking segment. On the other hand, vSAN has potential as both a standalone product and in integrations with larger infrastructure offerings.”

The upcoming VMware Cloud Foundation Transformed: A New Era of Private Cloud Innovation and Value event will host discussions and analysis from analysts and VMware insiders. Join theCUBE on June 26 at 10 a.m. PT as we glean signals on the VFC’s long-term strategy in the artificial intelligence and multicloud era. (* Disclosure below.)

A lot is riding on the VMware Cloud Foundation’s makeover

Enterprise customers have been jittery following the Broadcom acquisition due to uncertainties around product direction, fears from customers about IT disruptions and changes to subscription tier prices and product bundling. While these concerns have been proven as overblown by a recent CloudBolt Software Inc. survey, some rumblings still persist.

The initial headwinds that VMware, as part of Broadcom, have been widely documented. The overriding questions are: What is Broadcom doing to address customer and industry concerns, and what will things look like going forward?

Broadcom has responded to these concerns through simplification. For instance, it simplified its portfolio, going from more than 160+ products, bundles and offerings to just four key products — VMware Cloud Foundation, VMware vSphere Foundation, vSphere Standard and vSphere Essentials Plus. It also brought the different product teams spread out over different business units into the singular VMware Cloud Foundation division.

“Since we announced our updated VMware product offerings in December 2023, we have been engaging with our customers and partners about the value and flexibility VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) provides, helping our customers get to a modernized, resilient and secure data center,” according to Hock Tan, Broadcom president and chief executive officer, in a recent blog. “I am happy to report there’s been great progress as they move forward in their journey to a self-service, virtual private cloud solution that offers them at least the same ease of use and resiliency they experience with the hyperscalers, but in their own data centers.”

This SKU simplification is based on the understanding that modern enterprise architectures are cloud-based and increasingly depend on managed services. As VMware embraces the managed service consumption model, it demonstrates a keen ability to balance product bundling, pricing and the onboarding of new users while maintaining the loyalty and satisfaction of its legacy contract holders.

“Since the completion of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, we have been all about change,” said Prashanth Shenoy, vice president of marketing of cloud platform, infrastructure and solutions, VCF Division, at Broadcom, in a recent blog. “For the VMware Cloud Foundation division, all of this change was necessary to transform our business to deliver faster innovation with more value to customers and even better profitability and market opportunity for our partners.”

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of the VMware Cloud Foundation Transformed event on June 26. Plus, you can watch theCUBE’s event coverage on-demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of the VMware Cloud Foundation Transformed event, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

SiliconANGLE also has analyst deep dives in our Breaking Analysis podcast, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

Guests

During the VMware Cloud Foundation Transformed event, theCUBE analysts will talk with industry professionals about VMware’s ongoing investments in private AI and what the future holds for enterprise computing.

TheCUBE will talk with VMware Cloud Foundation Division’s Krish Prasad, SVP and GM; Chris Wolf, global head of AI and advanced services; Paul Turner, VP of product management for vSphere; and Ahmar Mohammad, VP of partners, managed services and solutions go to market.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the VMware Cloud Foundation Transformed event. Neither VMware by Broadcom, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Image: SiliconANGLE