I heard it mentioned at the VMware Partner Exchange in Las Vegas this year. Two women speaking to each other, wondering aloud what the convention was about. One of the women remarked to the other, "I think it's just some software."
I suppressed a chuckle. I bristled at the suggestion that VMware, and its vSphere software that I've devoted so many years of my life to learn and master, was "just some software." This stuff is IMPORTANT. It revolutionizes the modern data center, squeezes every last penny out of otherwise underutilized hardware, and come on: it's cool!
But it's been creeping up on me since then: she was absolutely right. In the grand scheme of things, VMware, even virtualization as a whole, is just a tool to be considered for use in an enterprise IT operation. Don't use VMware? Guess what: it's still possible to run a successful enterprise IT shop, and therefore a successful business.
Make no mistake: I love VMware. I love virtualization. I love all things Data Center. I'm good at it. But I'm finally getting some much-needed perspective, and it's just in time.
Part of this realization is driven by a new project I'll be working on, where VMware is just one piece of a puzzle. There's storage, there's servers, there's network, there's email, there's applications, et cetera. So I'm pulling back a bit to recognize that importance of an enterprise where all facets, not just virtualization, are managed properly. It's refreshing.
tl;dr - VMware is important. VMware is Not the World.
