Virtually Speaking Podcast

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast from VMware Explore 2025, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Dilpreet Bindra, Sr. Director of Engineering at VMware by Broadcom, to talk about the evolution of Kubernetes and VMware’s latest innovations.   Dilpreet explains how Kubernetes has moved from niche adoption to the mainstream, with 80–90% of new applications now being built on Kubernetes. He highlights how VMware Kubernetes Service (VKS) stands out by empowering application teams to own and manage their own clusters—avoiding the bottlenecks of centralized “pet” clusters.   The conve...

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast recorded at VMware Explore 2025, hosts Pete Flecha and Dave Linthicum sit down with Johan van Amersfoort from ITQ to discuss ITQ’s long-standing partnership with VMware by Broadcom and their latest innovation for AI.   Johan introduces ITQ’s new GPU Sizer tool for VMware Private AI Foundation, designed to make GPU infrastructure sizing for AI workloads simple and accurate. By connecting directly to HuggingFace to retrieve model parameters, the tool requires only the model name and expected concurrent sessions — automating what was once a complex process...

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast from VMware Explore 2025, host Pete Flecha is joined by Anupama Mahabhashyam and Odded Solomon to discuss the latest innovations transforming the telecommunications industry.   The conversation covers: 📡 The shift from physical network functions to cloud-native, containerized applications ⚙️ The launch of Telco Cloud Platform 5.1 with enhanced GitOps capabilities ☁️ How telcos can position themselves as sovereign cloud providers 🔄 Dynamic infrastructure policies that auto-configure VMs when apps are deployed, reducing cross-team coordination 🛡️ Why critical telco networks require rigorous validation cycles before produc...

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Glenn Sizemore from NetApp live at VMware Explore 2025 to discuss NetApp Disaster Recovery, a SaaS service within the BlueXP portfolio designed specifically for VMware workloads.   Glenn explains how the service delivers disaster recovery that feels a lot like Site Recovery Manager (SRM) — but built exclusively for NetApp systems. Leveraging SnapMirror for data transport and array-based offloads, the service provides: A guided wizard for building replication plans Easy configuration of mappings between data cen...

At VMware Explore 2025, host Pete Flecha speaks with Prashanth Shenoy, VP of Product Marketing at Broadcom, about the strategic partnerships shaping the future of VMware Cloud Foundation. The conversation dives into key announcements, including: 🤝 Canonical + VMware – Ubuntu OS integration with full enterprise support for VCF customers ⚡ NVIDIA + VMware – Expanded collaboration bringing Private AI Foundation directly into VCF, enabling near-bare-metal GPU performance and improved ROI on expensive GPU investments 🔥 AMD + VMware – Support for AMD accelerators to broaden choice and flexibility for AI and HPC workloads Prashanth explains how these partners...

At VMware Explore 2025, host Pete Flecha sits down with Dave Linthicum, Rick Walsworth, and James Schorr, Sr. Director of Enterprise Cloud Platforms at GCI—Alaska’s largest telecom provider—to discuss GCI’s journey from vSphere to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0. James shares how GCI moved from managing disparate vSphere clusters with complex patching requirements to a standardized and streamlined private cloud platform with VCF. The shift has delivered: Faster and easier cluster upgrades Simplified patching and lifecycle management More time for innovation instead of maintenance The conversation also explores the massive infrastructure changes...

In this VMware Explore 2025 episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Krish Prasad, SVP and General Manager of the VMware Cloud Foundation division at Broadcom. Krish shares how VMware, now under Broadcom, has delivered on its long-standing vision of a truly integrated private cloud platform with VCF 9.0. He explains how the new organizational structure has accelerated innovation, resulting in positive feedback from customers across industries from large enterprises to smaller organizations. The conversation covers: Why regulated industries like healthcare and banking are rapidly adopting...

At VMware Explore 2025, the Virtually Speaking Podcast sat down with Chris Wolf, Global Head of AI and Advanced Services at Broadcom, alongside hosts Pete Flecha and guest co-host David Linthicum, to unpack VMware’s latest Private AI announcements. Chris details the expanded partnership with NVIDIA, including support for B200s, RTX Pro 6000s, DirectPath I/O, and pass-through capabilities, plus a new partnership with AMD to virtualize MI350 GPUs. He also breaks down how Private AI Services are now included as part of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), delivering: A model runtime supporting GPUs and CP...

Recorded live at VMware Explore 2025, this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast features hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson in conversation with Paul Turner, VP of Products for VMware Cloud Foundation at Broadcom.   Paul unpacks the major announcements from the general session, including how VCF 9 is being adopted by leading enterprises such as Barclays and Walmart. He explains how VCF 9 delivers a modern private cloud platform that supports AI, VM-based, and container-based applications.   A key highlight is the inclusion of Private AI as a core service in VCF, enabling organizations to securely run AI workloads without additional cost. Paul details ho...

Pete Flecha and John Nicholson kick off our VMware Explore Las Vegas coverage in style, setting the stage for a week of big announcements and conversations. Filmed inside an autonomous car, the backdrop itself reflects the kind of innovation, AI, and advanced infrastructure shaping the future of technology — the same themes driving VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0. In this episode, we break down the highlights of VCF 9.0, including Memory Tiering, vSAN Express Storage Architecture (ESA), Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), and more — plus how these advancements are helping organizations modernize, secure, and prepare for AI.   </p

Get ready for VMware Explore 2025 in Las Vegas! In this episode of Virtually Speaking, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by Brad Tompkins, Executive Director of VMUG, to preview what attendees can expect at this year’s event. They cover: The latest technical sessions and free certification opportunities for full pass holders VMUG activities, including their booth (#105), member reception at Wakuta, and exclusive VMUG Advantage discount (15% off with code Explore2025) for home lab access to VCF, vDefend, and Avi Load Balancer Pete’s upcoming session on private clou...

This week on the Virtually Speaking Podcast, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sat down with networking experts Varun Santosh and Thomas Vignon to unpack what’s new with NSX in VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0. The conversation dives into the evolution of networking in VCF, with a spotlight on Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs)—a game-changing feature that brings public cloud-like networking to private cloud environments. Learn how VPCs simplify network deployment, enable self-service, and provide default isolation between workloads—all manageable directly from vCenter, without requiring deep networking expertise. You’...

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by Jatin Purohit and Angel Petrov to explore what’s new with APIs, SDKs, and PowerCLI in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0. The discussion dives into major innovations designed to simplify automation and integration for VCF users, including: A unified VCF SDK (Python and Java) that consolidates previously separate component SDKs Compatibility fixes that eliminate version mismatches (especially with Java) The introduction of the VI JSON protocol, converting legacy SOAP APIs into a modern, REST-style experience Adoption of OpenAPI 3.0 across ~90% of VCF AP...

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Raakhee Mistry from VMware Cloud Foundation and field CTO Mitesh Pancholy to discuss why many organizations are hitting the reset button on their cloud strategies. Drawing from the new Private Cloud Outlook 2025 study—based on insights from 1,800 global IT leaders—the conversation explores a major trend: private cloud is making a comeback, with 53% of respondents prioritizing private cloud investments alongside public cloud. Key drivers behind this shift include:  • Rising security and compliance demands  • The need for d...

In this episode of Virtually Speaking, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by VMware legend Cormac Hogan to unpack everything you need to know about Data Services Manager (DSM). They explore how DSM delivers on-premises database services for platforms like PostgreSQL and MySQL—while solving a big problem for VI admins: database sprawl.   Cormac explains how DSM gives vSphere admins control over database infrastructure, simplifies lifecycle management for DBAs, and empowers developers with self-service access—all through a unified platform. The crew also breaks down what’s new in DSM 9 and VCF 9, includi...

In this episode of Virtually Speaking, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by Harshad Colte and Feidhlim O’Leary to break down the latest vSphere enhancements in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.   They explore how vSphere is evolving to support both traditional VM workloads and modern container-based applications—all while improving operational efficiency, scalability, and security.   Highlights include: NVMe memory tiering for higher VM density Dramatically reduced vMotion stun times for GPU-enabled VMs A new vCenter registration model through VCF Operations (replacing Enhanced Linked...

In this episode, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by Pete Koehler to dive into the latest vSAN innovations in VMware Cloud Foundation 9. They explore key updates like global deduplication, improved network traffic separation, vSAN-to-vSAN replication with VMware Live Recovery, and stretch cluster enhancements.   From boosting performance and efficiency to simplifying disaster recovery and fleet-wide observability, this conversation highlights how vSAN is evolving to support modern private cloud operations at scale.  

In this final episode of the VMware Cloud Foundation 9 series, Paul Lembo, CTO for Americas Strategic at Broadcom, discusses "The Sum is Greater than the Parts", emphasizing how VCF 9's integrated capabilities create more value than individual technological components.   Key Highlights: Holistic Cloud Strategy:   - Integrated improvements in compute, storage, and networking   - Operational agility with built-in governance and cost controls   - Flexible approach accommodating different organizational needs   AI and Private Cloud Insights:   - Critique of hyperscaler AI approaches   - Advantages of virtualized GPU environm...

Welcome to the eighth episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast's VCF 9 series! In this installment, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson explore "VMware Cloud Foundation for ALL" with James LeFort, Director of Americas Solutions Architects at Broadcom. In this episode, James dismantles the perception that VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is only for large enterprises. He emphasizes that VCF 9 is a versatile platform designed for businesses of all sizes, offering flexible deployment options, simplified management, and the ability for organizations to become their own cloud providers. The key message is "VCF for All" - whether you're a small IT team...

Welcome to the seventh episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast's VCF 9 series! In this installment, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson unpack VMware Cloud Foundation 9 with William Lam, Distinguished Platform Engineer at Broadcom.   Key Highlights: Complete re-architecture of the software stack Core Platform Innovations:   - Compute: Support for VMs up to 1000 vCPUs and 16TB memory   - Memory Tiering: Transparent NVMe memory expansion   - vSAN Global Deduplication (30-40% storage efficiency)   - First-class Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) constructs in vCenter   Unified Management Capabilities:   - Global control plan...