VMware vows to ban 'cloudwashing'

Vendor clarifies strategy to partners after claiming customers are confused by overused term 'cloud'

VMware has claimed its software-defined datacentre strategy is making it easier for partners to sell its cloud offerings to customers, whom it claims are worn out by vendor "cloudwashing".

At its Partner Exchange (PEX) event in Las Vegas last week, the vendor clarified its trio of business priorities to its 4,000-strong army of reseller attendees as software-defined datacentre, hybrid cloud and end-user computing.

Speaking to CRN after the event, the vendor's UK channel boss Ed Dolman said that resellers are now crystal clear about the vendor's strategy and were pleased it was more specific when using the term cloud.

Dolman said: "A lot of resellers were talking to me about how good the term 'software-defined datacentre' was, and how it helped them clearly articulate this in their own business and when talking to customers about the reality of what [cloud] is and how their solutions address that.

"There was a big feeling that ‘private cloud' or ‘cloud' in general are much overused terms now, and it has become hard to clear up what that means to customers; there is a lot of confusion.

"I am sure we have all been guilty of ‘cloudwashing' – everything is prefixed or suffixed by cloud. Software-defined datacentre is a good term that [partners] feel they can articulate."

At last week's event, the vendor unveiled new partner incentives which it hopes will further enable its resellers to monetise its offerings.

Last week, a Context study claimed resellers are passing up buzzword technology business in favour of more traditional offerings.