As businesses navigate the challenges of digital transformation, the demand for solutions that are both scalable and secure has never been higher. The VMware private cloud has become a vital element of IT strategy, highlighting the need for simplicity and seamless integration in today’s complex digital environments.

VMware LLC’s focus on private cloud solutions signals a notable shift in IT leadership priorities, moving away from reliance on public cloud services and toward more controlled and efficient operations. This trend reflects a growing industry-wide commitment to developing durable, integrated cloud environments that meet the evolving needs of modern enterprises.

TheCUBE’s Dave Vellante talks about VMware private cloud.

“This is IT, sustainability, the data modeling, developer pipelining, not just stacking up the gear. It’s not trivial,” said John Furrier (pictured, left), executive analyst at theCUBE Research. “I think hybrid is the formula, but they’re not wrong — private cloud needs to be there.”

Furrier spoke with theCUBE Research’s Rob Strechay (center), principal analyst, and Dave Vellante (right), chief analyst, at VMware Explore, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed VMware’s strategic shift after its acquisition by Broadcom. Its strategy includes prioritizing private cloud solutions, emphasizing simplicity and integration, as the company moves away from reliance on public cloud services to meet the growing demand for scalable, secure and cost-effective IT operations.

VMware private cloud: Simplifying modern IT strategy

VMware’s leadership is steering the company away from its past tendencies to chase after every new technological trend. The event keynote emphasized a renewed focus on the core competencies of VMware, particularly the private cloud. With the public cloud sector dominated by industry giants, such as Amazon Web Services Inc., Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, VMware is positioning itself as the safe, trusted alternative for enterprises seeking greater control over their IT environments.

“They really don’t have IT data strategy, so, that’s lacking,” Vellante said. “But at the end of the day, they’ve got simple, safe cost-effective, trusted infrastructure, and I think that’s going to resonate with a lot of customers.”

This strategic shift is a response to the growing feedback from VMware’s customers, who have expressed concerns about the cost, complexity and control issues associated with public cloud solutions. The decision to streamline VMware’s product offerings — from 8,000 SKUs down to just four — illustrates a commitment to reducing the clutter and focusing on what truly adds value to customers. By emphasizing simplicity and integration, VMware aims to make its solutions more user-friendly and aligned with the needs of modern enterprises.

“Being focused down deep into the integration and bringing it all the simplicity aspect, I think they are there with the simplicity aspect,” Strechay said. “I think they’ve really taken that seriously in the last six months since the acquisition really closed, and they’ve really put engineering behind it, which is exactly what Hock [Tan] said he was going to do. They’re going to focus on the next 10 years of sustainability within the VMware ecosystem.”

The transition under Broadcom’s ownership brings its own set of hurdles, including navigating customer concerns over potential price increases and ensuring that VMware’s vision for the future is effectively communicated and executed. Despite these challenges, the overarching sentiment from the analysis is one of cautious optimism.

“I think getting closer to the edge and getting closer to the customers with AI makes total sense,” Strechay said. “I think leaning into where there’s a lot of green field or for them to go with AI makes total sense as well. I think edge is definitely a big message coming out of today, and I think that’s a place they could win.”

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

Photo: SiliconANGLE