VMware Cloud on AWS launches in the UK

Global channel bosses from VMware and AWS talk CRN through the launch, while first UK partner Softcat praises the solution

VMware and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have launched their partnership into Europe, with the UK the first market to go live.

VMware Cloud on AWS was first announced in 2016, and sees VMware's private cloud available on AWS' public cloud infrastructure.

The solution was made available in the US last year, with the UK the second market to see a launch as part of a global expansion.

"This is something that we've been working on with VMware for a very long time; it's been years in the making," said AWS channel VP Terry Wise. "The feedback from customers and partners has been tremendous, so we're super excited to get this out and help partners build a bigger business.

"It's not just the VMware Cloud on AWS piece, which is critically important, but it's the ability to extend that with native AWS service capabilities which, frankly, just creates an almost limitless set of opportunities for partners to build a business."

The launch sees VMware expand its Solution Provider and Cloud Provider programmes to include VMware Cloud on AWS, and also release a new competency for the service.

VMware's global channel boss Brandon Sweeney said VMware has been working with two key UK partners ahead of the launch.

"Early access partners globally have given us great feedback and perspective on how to do this right, and they're all skilled up on the competencies," he said.

"A couple of big partners over in the UK that we've focused on closely in the development of the programme are Computacenter and Softcat, and we're very excited to see this start to scale out globally."

Sweeney said VMware's partnership with AWS shows its belief that there is "no question" hybrid cloud will ultimately rule.

AWS' Wise however said that the public cloud vendor expects the "vast majority" of workloads to eventually run in the public cloud.

"As you look at enterprises in the established market, they've been operating on-premise since the beginning of time," he explained.

"Clearly there is a big move to the cloud and we at AWS believe that in time the vast majority of workloads will run in the public cloud, but we fully recognise that customers have existing investments in their datacentre and software stack, and want to extend that into the cloud."

VMware Cloud for AWS will soon be available in other European markets, with a launch in Germany set to take place soon.

Sam Routledge, CTO at Softcat, praised VMware and AWS for the way the firms have handled the launch.

"We're one of two launch partners in the UK which is very exciting and a real privilege," he said.

"Some of these vendor initiatives aren't very well thought through, but this is very well structured and well organised. They're doing the right thing by trying to be a bit white glove about the first few partners.

"It feels like it's the right time for this solution because people have been banging on about hybrid cloud for ages but actually true hybrid cloud is really difficult. All of a sudden, you can do that.

"You have customers that are shutting down one of their two datacentres, or that have the mandate to move to cloud but don't have the knowhow to re-architect their applications, so it's coming at the right time."