VMware’s Twin-Acquisition Deal Bolsters Big Data-Based Cloud Computing and Security

By STS Staff Writer On Aug 26, 2019

VMware Named a Leader in Cloud Cost Optimization and Hybrid Cloud Management Reports by Global Analyst Firm

VMware has confirmed signing definitive agreements in Cloud Computing space to acquire Pivotal Software and Carbon Black for close to $2 billion each

Leading Cloud and Mobility provider VMware has scooped two mega-acquisition deals for a combined total of $4 billion (approx.). With these acquisitions, VMware has further expanded its horizon into Cloud-native IT networking and security solutions powered by Big Data and emerging Cloud Computing technologies. While Pivotal Software would help VMware deliver the most comprehensive enterprise-grade Kubernetes-based portfolio for modern applications, Carbon Black’s expertise in cybersecurity would help secure VMware’s Cloud-native framework with the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP).

**Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) _ Carbon Black**

Two Cloud Computing Acquisitions — Both Focusing on Developing IT Leadership around Cloud and Security

Cloud ecosystem is transforming at a massive scale, especially with the applications of AI and ML becoming the core of all major IT functions.

VMware is acquiring Pivotal and Carbon Black to address key strategic IT priorities. These priorities focus on “building apps with a modern approach and protecting enterprise workloads and clients.”

In an official press release, VMware has laid out the roadmap for the future of Cloud and IT Security. It stated —

With Pivotal, VMware will be able to deliver an integrated modern apps portfolio combining Pivotal’s next-generation developer platform and VMware’s Kubernetes portfolio.
With Carbon Black, VMware will be able to provide a next-generation security cloud with Carbon Black’s protection suite and VMware’s intrinsic security assets.

We are speculating that Carbon Black’s unique Partner Program would benefit VMware customers in the coming years.

Adding these companies to VMware’s portfolio will allow VMware to deliver software solutions that enable customers to build, run, manage, connect and protect any app, on any cloud and any device.

In an interview with AiThority.com, StackState CTO Lodewijk Bogaards said, “Modern IT landscapes are large and can generate petabytes of data in small periods of time. Applying AI on these amounts of data is impossible without Cloud technologies. Having access to infinite resources, a good understanding of how elements of the landscape are connected, while at the same time being able to reason transparently about costs are key aspects that make it possible to make well-informed decisions on how to spend resources on AI tasks.”

Pivotal’s Role in Transforming VMware’s Container Service with Sophisticated Cloud Computing

VMware and Pivotal share a long history of collaboration and joint innovation. Pivotal, with its leading-Edge of modern software development, has been enabling organizations with a powerful set of assets including a leading developer-centric platform, tool, and services that accelerate modern app development. Additionally, Pivotal is a major contributor to the Spring developer framework, which sees more than 75 million downloads per month. The company is fully embracing Kubernetes with the recent launch of Pivotal Spring Runtime for Kubernetes and the upcoming Pivotal Application Service for Kubernetes.

As VMware’s latest addition, Pivotal would be a key element in furthering the collaboration that played out in 2018 as VMware Pivotal Container Service (PKS).

VMware has increased its Kubernetes-related investments over the past year with the acquisition of Heptio, and the Kubernetes founders, to become one of the top three contributors to Kubernetes. The combination of Pivotal’s developer experience and assets with VMware’s IT expertise and infrastructure will help deliver a comprehensive portfolio of products, tools, and services necessary to build, run and manage modern applications on Kubernetes infrastructure with velocity and efficiency.

At the time of this acquisition, Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware, said —

“Kubernetes is emerging as the de facto standard for multi-cloud modern apps. We are excited to combine Pivotal’s development platform, tools and services with VMware’s infrastructure capabilities to deliver a comprehensive Kubernetes portfolio to build, run and manage modern applications.”

Pat added, “Importantly, adding Pivotal to our platform, accelerates our broader Any Cloud, Any App, Any Device vision and reinforces our leadership position in modern multi-cloud IT infrastructure.”

Rob Mee, CEO, Pivotal, added,

“The time is ideal to join forces with VMware, an industry leader who shares our commitment to open source community contributions and our focus on adding developer value on top of Kubernetes. VMware has a proven track record of helping organizations run and manage consistent infrastructure in support of mission-critical applications, and our two companies have already built a strong foundation on our successful VMware PKS collaboration. We look forward to continuing our work with VMware to provide even more value to customers building modern applications.”

“The VMware Board of Directors is committed to creating value for all stockholders,” said Karen Dykstra, Chairperson of the Special Committee of VMware’s Board of Directors.

Karen stated —

“After a thorough and independent evaluation with its advisors, and working closely with the VMware management team, the Special Committee recommended the Board approve this transaction with Pivotal given its strong strategic and long-term value to the company and its customers.”

List of VMware Acquisitions

VMware recently completed the following acquisitions.

Avi Networks, a leader in multi-cloud application delivery services, that will further enable VMware to bring the public cloud experience to the entire data center—automated, highly scalable, and intrinsically more secure with the ability to deploy applications with a single click.

Bitfusion, a pioneer in virtualization of hardware-accelerated devices with a strong focus on GPU (graphics processor unit) technology, which enables VMware to make GPU and FPGA capabilities efficiently available for AI and Machine Learning workloads in the enterprise.

Uhana, a company that is pioneering the use of Deep Learning and real-time AI in carrier networks and applications, to automate network operations and optimize application experience. Uhana brings AI techniques into VMware’s software approach for the telecom industry, helping them accelerate their journey to 5G.

Veriflow, an innovator in network verification, assurance, and troubleshooting, which helps customers model, analyze, and verify their hybrid networks to allow IT teams to operate, increase the security of, and build resilient networks. Veriflow’s technology provides problem detection for critical network issues (physical and virtual).

Earlier acquisition are listed below:

Aetherpal (February 2019)
AirWatch (February 2014)
Apteligent (May 2017)
Arkin (June 2016)
Avi Networks (June 2019)
BitFusion (July 2019)
Bitnami (May 2019)
Blue Lane Technologies (October 2008)
Boxer, Inc. (October 2015)
Carbon Black (August 2019)
Cetas Software (April 2012)
Cloud Volumes (August 2014)
CloudCoreo (February 2018)
CloudHealth (August 2018)
CloudVelox (February 2018)
Dell EMC (August 2018)
Desktone (October 2013)
Digital Fuel (July 2011)
Dynamic Ops, Inc. (July 2012)
EMC Ionix (April 2010)
E8 Security (March 2018)
GemStone Systems (May 2010)
Heptio (November 2018)
Immidio (February 2015)
Integrien Corporation (August 2011)
iTHC (April 2012)
NeoAccel Corporation (January 2011)
Nicira (August 2012)
PacketMotion (August 2011)
Pattern Insight (July 2012)
Pivotal (August 2019)
QTS (August 2016)
RabbitMQ (April 2010)
RTO Software (February 2010)
Shavlik Technologies (May 2011)
SlideRocket (April 2011)
Socialcast (May 2011)
vFabric (SpringSource) (September 2009)
Third Sky (March 2014)
Trango (November 2008)
TriCipher (August 2010)
Uhana (July 2019)
VeloCloud (December 2017)
Veriflow (August 2019)
Virsto (February 2013)
Wanova (May 2012)
Wavefront (April 2017)
WaveMaker (March 2011)

VMware’s Latest Updates

This section highlights VMware‘s recent business-related strategic announcements.

Geographical Market Expansion

VMware Cloud on AWS is now present in 16 regions globally, with the recent addition of the Seoul and Sao Paulo AWS regions.

Technology Integrations

In July, Google Cloud and VMware announced Google Cloud VMware Solution by CloudSimple, a new service that will allow organizations to run their VMware workloads in Google Cloud Platform, providing customers with choice and flexibility to run VMware workloads on-premises, in a hybrid architecture, or in the cloud.
VMware unveiled VMware HCX Enterprise, which accelerates large-scale live migrations of VMware vSphere and non-vSphere workloads to help customers operationalize multi-cloud and hybrid cloud transformations. VMware, Inc.
In June, VMware Secure State was made available on CloudHealth by VMware. VMware Secure State solves problems such as those recently seen in the industry, providing a security solution for DevOps-friendly cloud-native applications.

In addition, VMware was recognized in the Leaders quadrant in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management Tools1 .

VMware Essential PKS 1.15 was made generally available in July, shipping upstream Kubernetes 1.15.1 and adding support for Project Harbor.