Why You Should Use a Trusted VMware Partner for Your Move to the Cloud

Having a hard time choosing your next cloud partner and thinking about using VMware? Wondering why you need a VMware partner?

Choosing the right partner is crucial for every business. But, quite often, it’s not an easy thing to do, especially when you are talking about the hosting industry. Many providers on the market are offering all kinds of deals and packages. Finding the right package that can meet all your cloud management needs can be a challenge. 

VMware is a quality product that can cover everything you need, but how do those who know they desire the benefits of VMware for their infrastructure decide on the best hosting provider?

In this blog, you’ll find an answer to that question. You’ll also realize that you need a VMware partner for your VMware cloud for the best performance and service. 

What is a Trusted VMware Partner? 

VMware is among the largest cloud providers in the industry. Private cloud, public cloud, or even hybrid cloud solutions can be provided by them, along with a bunch of tools that will make your cloud management easier. 

Being a trusted VMware partner means that a hosting provider, such as Liquid Web, is a part of the VMware Partner Connect Program. As a result, you are allowed to resell and host VMware services while simultaneously having the power of flexibility to tailor your products according to your customer needs. 

Moving certain enterprises to the VMware cloud environment will bring some challenges, which is why a trusted partner is crucial for success. Without a partner, you will need to ensure that:

• Technologies on your cloud can handle your applications and websites. 
• Downtime during migration is minimal to non-existent. 
• Infrastructure care is handled by experts. 

These are just some of the obstacles you will need to overcome, which must be managed at a reasonable price. The complexity of the transition is the main reason why people have a hard time understanding when is the right time to migrate to the cloud.

Luckily, these obstacles will be easier to overcome with a trusted VMware partner. 

What is Required to Be a VMware Partner?

First and foremost, you need to choose between three different business models: Resell, Cloud Provider, and Services.

Choose a Business Model

Resell

This model is meant to be used if you want to resell VMware products and services while VMware still handles licensing and support.

Cloud Provider

You’ll want to use this business model if you plan to build cloud environments with VMware services in your own data center. This means that licensing and professional help for your services will be offered by you as well. 

Services

The last model is used when you want to provide implementation services to your clients.

4 Steps to Become a VMware Partner

Here are the four steps to becoming a VMware partner:

1. VMware Enrollment Forms and Agreements

You can enroll in this program on the official website of VMware. This first step consists of reading and accepting various forms and agreements to proceed.

2. Partner Connect Compliance Training

You and your staff will have to go through compliance training. The purpose of this is to make sure that you are fully aware what are the benefits of the Partner Connect program and how it works. 

3. Partner Connect Program Fee

This fee is paid annually, and it’s always fixed. If you progress to another tier, the fee will remain the same. It’s worth mentioning that the fee applies only to mature markets. 

4. Partner Connect Program Paths

You can choose which field of the IT industry you want to specialize in. Paths are divided into five fields: 

• Hybrid Cloud: Consists of data center virtualization, cloud management and automation, and cloud provisioning.
• Multi Cloud: All of the above with the addition of VMware Cloud on AWS.
• Modern Applications: This specialization is necessary if you are looking to build applications and microservices. VMware Tanzu and Kubernetes are used here.
• Network and Security: This specialization is for you if you want to provide a lower risk of cyberattacks. A converged networking and security stack will build a strong cloud defense. 
• Digital Workspace: Virtual desktops are the forte of this specialization path. Create secure and easily accessible workspaces. 

Partner Connect Mastery Tiers

All of the paths above have mastery tiers. When a company attains all the necessary solution competencies, it can move up to a higher tier. Currently, three tiers can be achieved in a Partner Connect program:

1. Partner

If you complete a solution competency in any of the paths listed above, you reach Partner status. Solution competencies are sets of training that have to be passed. They can be either self-paced or led by an instructor in a so-called boot camp.

2. Advanced

You can move on to the Advanced tier when you complete the necessary solution competencies in your path and when you earn enough tier credits. Tier credits are earned by making revenue from the usage of VMware services and solutions.

3. Principal

You’ll have to reach the Advanced tier first if you want to move to Principal. This is the highest mastery tier that you can achieve. You’ll also need to earn enough tier credits and pass through the necessary training materials. This last tier will make you eligible for the biggest incentives, and it will reward you with the Partner Connect Principal Bade.

For more information, refer to the VMware program preview.

What is VMware Certification?

VMware certification is proof that an individual is well equipped to handle VMware infrastructure and products. Just like any other certificate from the IT world, a VMware certificate requires you to pass specific exams. Which specific exams are in question depends on the certification you want to complete. 

VMware divided learning paths into nine different categories, which are:

• Data Center Virtualization: Create scalable and secure cloud environments.
• VMware Tanzu: Create applications on Kubernetes within vSphere.
• Storage and Disaster Recovery: Handle sophisticated disaster recovery tools created by VMware.
• Network Virtualization: Reduce the time of network provisioning and achieve greater operational efficiency.
• HCX: Make process of application migration easier.
• Telco: Design, optimize, and deploy 5G services.
• VMware vRealize Suite: Automate your entire DevOps infrastructure.
• VMware Cloud Foundation: Platform for management and architecture of multi cloud environments.
• Desktop Application Virtualization & Management: Virtualize desktops and applications.

Certifications themselves are generally divided into three categories:

• VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA): Having this certificate means that you have a basic knowledge about virtualization and vSphere utilization.
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP): This certification is mostly for IT professionals that are dealing with VMware products on a daily basis.
• VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP): Advanced version of the previous certificate, which means that you are fully capable of creation, optimization, and deployment of VMware solutions in cloud environments.

What is the VMware Cloud Provider Program (VCPP)?

The VMware Cloud Provider Program is one of the key benefits that you should look for when you are in need of a reliable cloud provider. Liquid Web is proud to be a part of this program and can use Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products developed by VMware to help you build cloud environments that will cover all your needs and are easy to scale as your business grows. 

Why You Need a VMware Partner

The answer to this question is quite simple. You want your business to be in good hands, right? If you choose a VMware Partner such as Liquid Web, you can be sure that the backend of your enterprise will be handled by seasoned infrastructure experts. 

Here are five reasons why you need a Vmware partner:

1. 24/7/365 Support of Infrastructure and Virtual Machines: With our team taking care of your cloud, you will have more time to focus on your business.
2. Scalability, Redundancy, and Full Customization: Our experts scale your cloud based on your needs.
3. NetAPP SAN (Storage Area Network) with High-Performance Capabilities: Fast and highly scalable storage for your data. Multiple servers can access the same SAN. This makes it the perfect solution for high-usage file servers or media libraries.
4. Cutting-Edge Virtualization: Gives you an opportunity to create, clone, and replicate virtual machines on the go.
5. Environment is Behind a Hardware Firewall: With a hardware firewall, you have granular control over your traffic and access to ports.

On top of that, you’ll find out that partners can offer you a whole portfolio of VMware software add-ons to create an environment that will fit right into your plans. 

And that is exactly the vision of the VMware partner network. VMware, along with its partners, is creating a global program that provides virtualization benefits and cloud technology to customers worldwide.

5 Benefits of a VMware Partner

Here are the five benefits VMware partners cannot ignore:

1. Experts are Handling the Most Sophisticated Part of Your Business

Here at Liquid Web, you have a team of experts that have worked in the hosting industry for decades. You will be advised by a representative on which VMware solution would best fit your needs and get continuous support from The Most Helpful Humans in Hosting® which consists of Linux Red Hat certified experts. You will be in good hands from start to finish. 

2. Scalability on Demand Based on Your Needs

If you have reached a point where you have outgrown dedicated server hosting and are starting to feel its limitations, moving to the cloud is the right choice. However, once you reach the limits on your initial private cloud setup, it doesn’t mean that your business continuity will come to a halt, requiring you to move again. Liquid Web’s VMware private cloud solution is scalable on-demand.

3. Freedom of Choice

You can combine certified experts with the software add-ons from VMware, and you will have a whole array of options to choose from. If you are not sure what your cloud needs, a solutions architect can help you with that. The goal is to architect the right solution for your needs. In other words, you’ll be able to choose how you want to build, manage, and secure your private cloud. 

4. Fully Managed Services

VMware Private Cloud is fully managed, so you can completely focus on your applications. Think of your private cloud as a data center where you decide how it will operate. From the very first steps where you are creating your own private network, all the way to the deployment, you are involved in every step. Once your cloud is up and running, 24/7/365 infrastructure care is something you can leave to us.

5. Partner That You Can Rely On

Liquid Web proudly wears a badge of being a professional solution provider for VMware cloud. That badge also gives you confidence that your business is in good hands and that any obstacles that will eventually pop up will be taken care of while maintaining uptime. Liquid Web makes sure that you deliver your service or product to the end-users. 

Move to the Cloud with VMware Private Cloud

If you are considering migrating to cloud infrastructure, VMware could be the thing that you are looking for. With Liquid Web, the management of your infrastructure and virtual machines is handled for you. Here are the top benefits of why you need to partner with Liquid Web:

• Scalability on Demand: You don’t have to pay for excessive resources when you are not using them. Simply scale down your cloud and pay only for the resources that you need at a given time.
• Fully Managed Service: Why do you need a managed VMware cloud? Professionals take care of your infrastructure for you so you can focus on your development, marketing, and business goals.
• Ability to Tailor Your Cloud: Dozens of software solutions can help you create an environment which will meet all your cloud criteria.
• Integrated Backup Solution: In case something goes south and you are facing potential data loss, everything is backed up.
• High Availability: VMware Private Cloud is built so that your end users can always access your applications.

Contact us to learn more about VMware Private Cloud and get started today. One of our cloud solutions experts will be happy to get you on the right track.