Amazon Web Services and VMware have struck a partnership that significantly boosts their hybrid capabilities.
The deal sees the two companies officially announce, ‘VMware Cloud on AWS’.
Announced at a press conference in San Francisco by Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS, and Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware, the news had been widely expected following a leak last week.
The aim of the partnership is to make it easier for customers to run applications in a consistent hybrid environment using a common set of software and tools.
As part of the deal VMware Cloud on AWS will be the primary cloud solution delivered, sold, and supported by VMware, while AWS will be VMware’s primary public cloud infrastructure partner, and AWS has made VMware its primary private cloud partner.
The strategic importance of the deal is big. Not only does this give VMware access to the largest public cloud company, according to Gartner, but it gives AWS a true hybrid cloud offering.
Although AWS has long offered a virtual private cloud, the company has not really been considered to have had a strong hybrid cloud portfolio, the deal with VMware changes that.
Customers will be able to run applications across VMware vSphere-based private, public, and hybrid cloud environments and the idea is that AWS will allow its partner’s customers to run VMware software and tools on AWS.
Jassy said: ““Most enterprises are already virtualized using VMware, and now with VMware Cloud on AWS, for the first time, it will be easy for customers to operate a consistent and seamless hybrid IT environment using their existing VMware tools on AWS, and without having to purchase custom hardware, rewrite their applications, or modify their operating model.”
Both Gelsinger and Jassy said that the move is a response to customers telling them what they needed.
Pricing is yet to be announced but the service will be available in mid-2017.
