Amazon Web Services (AWS) and VMware may be developing enterprise data center software. If the rumors are true, this would move AWS into the private cloud.
The two companies are in discussions about AWS-compatible software for corporate data centers, The Information reports.
A VMware spokesman told SDxCentral that, per policy, VMware doesn’t comment on rumors or speculation. AWS did not respond to a request for comment.
Mark Lohmeyer, the VMware VP in charge of cloud products, wouldn’t comment directly on the reported deal. But he told The Information: “there will definitely be opportunities to create more integration points between VMware and AWS over time.”
The two former rivals first partnered last year. The joint service, called VMware Cloud on AWS, lets customers run their vSphere private clouds from VMware alongside their applications in AWS’s public cloud.
On a June 1 call with investors, VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger said the service is on track for mid-year delivery. The new deal with AWS, if it goes through, would extend the two companies’ original partnership and expand AWS’ customer base to VMware’s private cloud users.
It comes as a growing number of businesses are looking to optimize placement of their workloads between public and private clouds.
In response to corporations’ preference for this hybrid cloud environment, some service providers are offering customers both public cloud and on-premises ecosystems. AWS’ top competitor Microsoft Azure last week revealed details of its Microsoft Azure Stack, which lets enterprises build a private-cloud version of the Azure public cloud in their own data centers. The new product will begin shipping in September.
To date, however, AWS’ cloud strategy has remained all in the public cloud.
As Azure’s customer base and revenue grows and challenges AWS’ number one ranking, a data center software product could be a smart business move for Amazon. A new deal with VMware, extending AWS’ reach into enterprises’ data centers, could be key to its continuing cloud dominance.