VMware Comes Full Circle, to Release its Own OpenStack Flavor

Ever since 2012, we've covered the unsure stance that VMware has displayed toward emerging open source cloud computing platforms, including OpenStack, CloudStack and Eucalyptus. In this post, we reported that VMware's CEO had cited OpenStack in particular as "lacking maturity."

Now, VMware has moved to challenge the threat to its hegemony that OpenStack poses by working on its own distribution of OpenStack called VMware Integrated OpenStack (VIOS).

In many IT organizations, cloud computing and virtualization--VMware's traditional area of expertise--are hot topics. The OpenStack ecosystem and the virtualization ecosystem are both brimming with free and open tools, challenging VMware's proprietary model.

 Still, VMware has made a smart move in deciding to embrace OpenStack. VMware Integrated OpenStack is available as a preview for a limited group of customers and will be available for full release in the first half of 2015.

VMware has nearly half a million customers that use its virtualization tools, and cloud computing is growing in tandem with virtualization. With its own OpenStack offering, VMware can approach organizations interested in both types of platforms with an integrated solution.

According to a report from The Register:

"Details about just what's in VIOS are sketchy, but the information provided to The Reg the night before the VMworld 2014 keynote says it will offer 'full integration with VMware administration and management tools, allowing customers to leverage existing VMware expertise to manage and troubleshoot an OpenStack cloud.' Which sounds an awful lot like vCentre driving VIOS, quite possibly as just more resources to manage rather than as a silo."

OpenStack continues to gain major backers, and VMware has clearly come full circle in its view of the cloud platform. We'll have to wait to see what develops with the company's own OpenStack offering, and VMware will need to hurry to deliver it, as Red Hat, HP, Mirantis and many other players are quickly ramping up their OpenStack efforts.