This years VMworld has been an interesting one.  If you weren’t here, you might think that VMware is in a downward spiral just based of twitter, and some of the buzz on the internet.  With rumors of various mergers and buyouts abounding, it is getting difficult to sort fact from fiction.

For many infrastructure teams, the groups who normally attend VMworld and other industry events, I overheard a number of complaints about the Devops Hackathon, the number of developer sessions, and the focus on hybrid and cloud native applications.  There were a number of complaints on the keynote as well, it was more focused on applications, and less on some shiny new toy, far less wow factor than previous years.

There is an interesting phenomenon in the technology industry.  I have written previously about the challanges of big storage companies, and their lack of innovation which is leading to the success of many startups.  At dinner last night I was speaking with an IT Manager from one of my larger healthcare customers.  We were talking about cool technology toys, and comparing notes on some of our crazy home technology ideas.  In the course of conversation, he made the statement, “We got into technology because we love and believe in the technology, not to approve expense reports”.  Think about that for a moment.

In his book “Who moved my cheese”, Spencer Johnson made the statement, “The sooner you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese”.  Like many in the field, I started out in infrastructure support.  I loved the blinking lights, and tangible systems I could point to.  I was proud of my infrastructure.  Yesterday, Massimo Re Ferre’ tweeted, “I feel all those people that are leaving the keynote during @kitcolbert ‘s session may be without a job in 5 yrs. #vmworld #fact”

There isn’t much more to say.  As infrstructure specalists, we have to grow.  Change is inevitable, and VMware has a strategy.  If you don’t like our strategy, go find another, but the future is software defined, and applications > infrastructure for the consumer.  The choice is yours.