Broadcom’s Acquisition Of VMware: A New Dawn For Managed Service Providers

In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware stands out as a landmark event, signaling significant changes for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) across the globe. This strategic move not only reshapes the existing virtualization and cloud computing markets, but also sets a new course for smaller MSPs navigating these changes. The acquisition underscores a deliberate strategy by Broadcom to deepen its penetration into enterprise software solutions, leveraging VMware’s stronghold in virtualization and cloud services. As the industry adjusts to this new reality, understanding the ramifications and opportunities arising from this acquisition becomes paramount for MSPs.

Strategic Implications of the Acquisition

Broadcom’s decision to acquire VMware marks a calculated step towards enhancing its presence in the competitive enterprise software domain. VMware, with its robust portfolio in virtualization and cloud computing, represents a critical asset for Broadcom, promising to unlock synergies between Broadcom’s semiconductor prowess and VMware’s software capabilities. This union is poised to foster innovation and expansion, potentially altering the landscape of technology solutions and services.

Navigating Licensing and Pricing Transformations

A pivotal aspect of the acquisition is the shift in VMware’s licensing model under Broadcom’s stewardship. Moving away from the previously complex, points-based Partner Connect program, Broadcom introduced a streamlined licensing approach through its VMware White Label Program. This new model simplifies licensing to a single SKU – the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) – marking a significant departure from the cafeteria-style options previously available.

Furthermore, the pricing structure is shifting from a multifaceted calculation method to a more straightforward, SKU-based pricing model. This simplification aims to make the licensing process more accessible and manageable for MSPs, reducing complexity in how services are priced and consumed.

Navigating the Shift: Broadcom’s Acquisition of VMware and What it Means for the Cloud

This article was written by Josh Henderson, CTO & COO of Ntirety

Broadcom recently unveiled plans to phase out the VMware Partner Connect Program, instead choosing to incorporate a select group of partners into its Broadcom Advantage Partner Program. This significant shift impacts numerous VMware resellers and cloud providers, affecting virtually every business that utilizes or manages VMware technology. The acquisition of VMware by Broadcom marks a pivotal moment in the market, potentially reshaping not only VMware’s strategic approach, but the wider cloud ecosystem. This change is particularly noteworthy due to the exclusion of a considerable number of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and resellers from the program, signaling a new trajectory for VMware — especially in its dominance of the private cloud and presence within AWS. But what does this mean for the multi-cloud landscape, and why is it crucial for businesses aiming to excel in the cloud arena? Let’s delve into the implications. 

Ntirety Invited into the Broadcom Advantage Partner Program

We’re thrilled to announce that Ntirety has been selected to join the Broadcom Advantage Partner Program at the Premier level. This prestigious invitation reflects over two decades of collaboration and highlights our deep commitment to the private and enterprise cloud sectors. As part of this program, Ntirety is positioned to continue supporting our customers with their complex infrastructures and assist new clients navigating the changes in VMware’s licensing structure. 

The New Broadcom Chapter

Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware is a transformative event, signaling a strategic shift in how VMware interacts with the market and particularly its partnership model. By consolidating the number of MSPs and resellers in the program, Broadcom is directing VMware towards a model of direct engagement with clients through only their most trusted partners. The change is significant, and prompts businesses to rethink their strategies for VMware deployments. 

VMware remains a leader in the private cloud market, offering solutions that provide the robustness, flexibility, and scalability needed for efficient private cloud management. Additionally, VMware’s presence on AWS enhances its capabilities, facilitating a hybrid cloud environment that merges public cloud scalability with private cloud security. This combination is vital in a predominantly multi-cloud world, where businesses utilize various cloud platforms to fulfill their diverse requirements. 

A Premier Opportunity for Clients and Select Partners Alike

Broadcom’s decision to reduce the number of active global VMware partners in its program from over 18,000 to only 500 signifies a renewed and more focused commitment to its ecosystem and partners. This move aims to streamline operations and promote collaborative growth and innovation. 

Ntirety’s invitation to become one of the 500 partners with VMware underscores our expertise and dedication to providing advanced solutions to our clients. This partnership equips us to navigate the changes following Broadcom’s acquisition, offering our clients unmatched insights, support, and strategic advantages. 

For clients, the Broadcom Advantage Partner Program introduces a simplified business model centered around a per-core subscription license. This model is designed to encourage broader adoption and deliver clear benefits, reflecting Broadcom’s strategy of fostering a supportive network and cultivating long-term partnerships. 

Implications for the Market

For businesses, this development necessitates a reassessment of their cloud and VMware strategies. Partnering with a Premier Partner is now more crucial than ever, as these partners offer: 

  • Expert Guidance: Understanding the evolving VMware ecosystem is essential. A premier partner provides the expertise required to adapt strategies effectively. 
  • Direct Access: The shift towards direct engagement means that having access to premier support and insights is invaluable, maximizing the utility of VMware solutions. 
  • Strategic Advantage: Seamless integration of VMware into broader cloud strategies offers a competitive edge. A premier partner can ensure this integration, supporting businesses in remaining agile and resilient. 

Moving Forward

Agility and adaptability are paramount for any organization leveraging cloud technology, making the choice of partners not just beneficial but essential. Adapting to the changes brought by Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware and aligning with a premier partner like Ntirety is a strategic imperative for forward-thinking businesses. This approach ensures that enterprises can continue to efficiently leverage VMware’s robust cloud solutions as the technological landscape evolves.

If you’re interested in exploring a transition to Ntirety and how we can support your organization’s cloud needs, we invite you to schedule a consultation with our specialized VMware team. We’re eager to discuss your requirements and offer a comprehensive review.

CFO Focus on Cybersecurity: NIST and Ntirety

C-Levels, and specifically CFOs and other financial executives, have increasingly used NIST standards to respond to cybersecurity requirements and the significant data risks they address. This transition of framework practices is possible in large part due to the existence of similar controls and measures in traditional finance operations. 

The NIST framework helps organizations define full-cycle solutions for assisting in planning and management, measurement and analysis, and response systems. The systems can provide answers and refinement to issues such as: 

  • Defining asset protection in strategy and planning 
  • Plans to meet the requirements of critical infrastructure operations 
  • Evaluation of incident response capabilities  
  • Evaluation of incident communication plans
  • Identification of critical assets, along with risks and vulnerabilities 
  • Plans to meet the standards of regulatory requirements 

The list expands from there and, as described in the previous article, an organization can use the NIST framework to quickly build a roadmap to better security. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that effective cybersecurity programs are proactive and continuous, aligning with operational strategies throughout. Additionally, frameworks can serve as a specific backbone towards maintenance and improvement.  

NIST Highlights 

Let’s dig into the tenants of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which is composed of the following five elements: 

  • Identify: Identify the cybersecurity risk (vulnerabilities) to systems, people, assets, data, and capabilities 
  • Protect: Safeguard to ensure delivery of critical services 
  • Detect: Identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event 
  • Respond: Take action regarding a detected cybersecurity incident 
  • Recover: Support timely recovery to normal operations to reduce the impact from a cybersecurity incident 

The framework helps companies create measures for practical cyber-incident prevention, response, and overall security design.  

Ntirety: Beyond NIST 

At some point, cybersecurity framework outcomes need to align with efforts. Cybersecurity is unique because of the systems and requirements involved; when cybersecurity is applied in a company environment, it is always layered through activities that build towards a complete solution. Complete is what we should all strive for, where nothing is left unmonitored, unverified, or unanswered. 

Ntirety answers the total solution by leveraging its approach to NIST outcomes. Ntirety groups the five elements outlined above into two broad categories: Protection and Recovery. It wraps the elements within an Assurance service designed to ensure the enterprise meets any outside requirements and the standards it has set for itself.

Figure 1: Ntirety Cybersecurity Framework Grouping – Comprehensive Compliant Security

Finance leaders will recognize the following categories, which are contextually analogous to NIST frameworks. First, we can regroup the NIST framework elements by dividing them into the two primary categories that define Internal Control frameworks, which are: 

Preventive

  • Identify: Finding the vulnerabilities 
  • Protect: Implementing the systems and applications to close the identified vulnerabilities

Detective or Mitigating

  • Detect: Identify the occurrence of cybersecurity events 
  • Respond: Take action against the CS event 
  • Recover: Timely return to normal operations, minimizing the impact of the cybersecurity incident

Most Competitors are Single Track 

By comparison, every competitor falls into an approach that offers these general services: 

Protection Focus

  • Assessment Firms: Primarily do project-based work to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities 
  • Protection Technology Firms: Often hardware or application vendors (i.e. firewall firms, endpoint protection technology companies)

Detection/Mitigation Focus

  • Managed Detection & Response (MDR) Service/Technology Providers  
  • Firms that specialize in mitigating cybersecurity incidents by identifying and addressing the cybersecurity event.  These firms are mix of technology providers to facilitate MDR and service providers

DRAAS & Backup Service Providers

  • A mix of application and service providers, providing technologies or the DR or backup service.  These are often not focused on security, but only in providing recovery from a platform or application failure 

COMPREHENSIVE Compliant Security is Different 

Unlike the competition, Ntirety’s comprehensive security solutions encompass both Protection and Mitigation in the context of financial controls. Further, unlike MDR firms Ntirety provides Secure Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) and Backup services. The competition generally addresses only a portion of the five elements of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, leaving the enterprise to manage the interoperation of various services, technologies, and applications – and often to execute the response actions provided by their MDR service providers.

Ntirety: NIST Foundation and Financial Sanctity 

Corporate governance, auditing, and frameworks allow executives, employees, and shareholders to keep financials in line with expectations. In cybersecurity, similar measures help guide a countless number of companies on their journey to improved operations and capability to respond and recover from cybersecurity incidents. Ntirety has built an industry-unique Comprehensive Compliance Security system that covers the complete NIST framework, adding Assurance to its features. With comprehensive Ntirety services, clients excel on their cybersecurity initiatives and benefit from more than 25 years of experience in designing, building, operating, and securing client environments.

Important Return to Office Update from Ntirety

Team,

I hope this email finds you well. Since we noticed that some of you are still not back in the office 5 days a week, I am excited to share some big news with you all that will certainly shake things up around here.

Effective today 4/1/2023, our company will be embarking on a major transformation project to convert all of our US offices into miniature golf courses! We believe that this change will not only help us bring some fun and excitement back into the workplace, but it will also encourage all of us to be more physically active and collaborative. I also wanted to let you know that our Canadian colleagues have decided to take a slightly different approach and have opted for an indoor hockey rink instead of a miniature golf course. In addition, our Bulgarian colleagues have opted for an indoor soccer field. While we may have different “playing fields”, we are all united in our commitment to Ntirety’s success, having fun and creating a positive workplace culture.

We understand that this may come as a shock to some of you, but we want to assure you that we have also hired professional sports course designers to ensure that our new office layouts are both practical and challenging. Essentially, since Fun Fridays have been so successful, we will have Fun Fridays every day.  I also understand that Megan will be coming back from the Canadian Hockey league (on an hourly basis) to officiate some of our indoor Hockey games. Our vision is to create a workplace that is not only conducive to great productivity, but also to friendly competition and team building. As part of this transformation project, we will also be providing each employee with a set of personalized golf clubs and balls, a personalized hockey stick and puck, or a personalized soccer ball and cleats, and we will be holding daily mini golf tournaments, hockey games, or soccer matches during lunch breaks!

We hope that you are as excited about this change as we are, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the office, 5 days a week, to start practicing their skills and growing Ntirety!

This message was recently sent to employees, and intended as an April Fool’s Day prank to bring some laughter and joy into the day. We received some hilarious responses to the message, including:

  • “Is there an option to move from KY to Bulgaria? I prefer indoor soccer :)”
  • “Is fighting allowed during the hockey games? If so, I’ll take a transfer to Vancouver”
  • “Please make my desk the golf course Castle!!”

At Ntirety, we are committed to providing the strongest, most comprehensive security services to our customers and partners. While providing these services, we foster a culture that’s not only hardworking, but also positive and fun. We wanted to share our recent April Fool’s prank with you in hopes it might brighten your day, too!