VCF 9 in beta test: Broadcom brings simplified management of private clouds
Broadcom is testing VMware Cloud Foundation 9 in a closed beta. The new version is designed to simplify the management of private clouds.
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The US software company Broadcom has launched a closed beta test of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9. So far, only a small selection of customers have been given access to the pre-release version, head of marketing Prashanth Shenoy told IT specialist service The Register. The company will expand the tests within the coming week. The company has not yet announced a release date.
VCF 9 aims to simplify the management of private clouds
In the new version, users will be able to create private cloud environments within the vCenter management application. Previously, several tools were required for this. There will also be a single sign-on for the individual components of the private cloud. The update to version 9 will also include revisions for license management and automation as well as access to VMs, Kubernetes resources and storage. When announcing VCF 9 last August, Broadcom promised to integrate the individual virtualization tools into a common platform with a uniform interface.
Following the acquisition of VMware, Broadcom discontinued the sale of individual virtualization tools in favour of a subscription model with different software packages. However, following criticism, the company brought individual applications, including vSphere Enterprise, back onto the market. Nevertheless, many customers were forced to switch to long-term contracts, which the company billed in advance. Although experts warned of the high costs of switching, Broadcom lost some customers as a result. Most recently, the American IT service provider Rackspace left the VMware infrastructure with 3,000 virtual machines.
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Although Shenoy admits that customers were initially suspicious after the VMware acquisition, he believes that Broadcom was able to turn the mood around. “Many customers now feel more comfortable with our approach,” he told The Register. “A year on, we've given them confidence that we're focused on research, development, and innovation.” He also points to the price, which is comparable with other providers, and thus speaks in favor of VCF. He also promises that Broadcom's service strategy has been worked out so that support for VCF 9 will be available from release.
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