CRN reports from Barcelona: VMware UK&I channel boss talks services and the Broadcom acquisition

Reporting from VMware Explore Europe in Barcelona, CRN asked the vendor's UK&I channel sales boss Andy Corcoran for his top partner updates

VMware is encouraging partners to invest in its MSP services to accelerate customer adoption of SaaS and subscription models.

Speaking with CRN in Barcelona, Spain for VMware's Explore Europe 2022 conference, Andy Corcoran, UK&I channel sales director said this is a key growth area for the vendor.

"One of the areas that we do want our partners to invest in, and actually, we have programmes specifically in the UK that we're running to enable the partners to adopt some of our MSP services," Corcoran said.

"And it's not just the MSP service, but also a bit of a transformation around application development.

"So we're focusing on some of the Tanzu platforms that we have and trying to enable the partners into having more of a transformational conversation with their customers about what they can do."

He explained the reason behind this is because it's an "easy way" for customers to start on the journey of the SaaS and subscription models that VMware is looking for them to deliver.

"In a lot of cases, it's not what we would have traditionally described as an MSP service because we're not asking the partner to stack up an infrastructure to be able to deliver these services," he continued.

"They're actually VMware based infrastructure services that can be rolled up. Whether that's in the end user computing portfolio, whether that's in cloud management, whether that's in ultimate hybrid cloud itself.

"We're structuring that and we're trying to roll that out to the partners because as they get more experience of delivering things as-a-service with VMware, that's the direction of everything that we are going in.

"Therefore, to be able to get them on that journey, to take attention and to take the tests around customer experience means that we'll be protecting the channel moving forward to being able to provide everything that we provide in the portfolio."

Partners concerned over Broadcom's acquisition

Following the latest news that VMware's shareholders have voted to approve the pending merger with Broadcom, Corcoran said he continues to feel the unease of partners.

"Yes, I've heard lots of concerns.

"I think what's been really good recently is that the actual blog posts Hock Tan is publishing is incredibly positive.

"What he's putting out in the public domain is direct feedback that he's getting when he's in front of customers and in front of VMware customers as well."

Partners have had concerns around Broadcom focusing on direct enterprise sales, an issue Corcoran praised Tan for calming.

"On the partner side, he said there will not be a dictation of the route to market in enterprise accounts," Corcoran said.

"And saying there is a place for the partners in the top enterprise accounts, publicly makes a big difference for a lot of the partners.

"The next thing I'm really enthusiastic about is when he said he will aim to deliver Broadcom Software Group business through the VMware channel.

"He's recognising the value of the partner community that we have at the moment, and wants to use our ability to deliver it through the channel to extend the reach of the Broadcom Software Group as it stands today."

Corcoran outlined another issue among partners centres around the price rises that occurred following Broadcom's acquisition of Symantec.

However, Tan settled their fears again by assuring that Broadcom's growth in VMware is from expanding the portfolio and not from raising prices.

New partner programme

Corcoran revealed VMware plans to unveil a new partner programme, Partner Connect 2.0 in February next year.

He explained the move is to ensure VMware's partners are aligned to what the vendor is driving around its SaaS subscription business.

"It's about trying to make sure our partners are lined up to support a different type of sales model. Traditionally they might have done an awful lot of VLAs with us. And whilst many partners will have kept constant communication with those customers, others may not have done.

"We can't afford that type of model when it comes to SaaS and subscription, when you have a yearly renewal of the solution that you're offering.

"Which means you need the partner to be constantly embedded with the customer with a constant touch point to make sure that they're having a good experience of everything that they go through."

Top message for partners

After speaking with many partners during the conference, Corcoran wanted to leave them with one message.

"It's really useful if they just reach out and keep in touch. If they've got questions or queries around the future, Broadcom, what are we offering, how do we protect their businesses going forward, the come and speak to us because not everybody reads the blogs.

"The key thing that we're trying to get across to the partner community is that whilst all this upturn is going about, we are operating business as usual," he sounded off.