Raul Coria Pacheco, Product Manager, IPM
Every year when VMware’s EMPOWER comes around, I clear my calendar and make sure I’m at the event, whether it’s virtual, hybrid or in-person. I’m a strong believer in VMware, and have invested a huge amount of my career in learning more about VMware’s products and solutions. It’s without doubt the best partner event I’ve experienced, and I’m hugely excited about what the company has in store for us this year at VMware EMPOWER Online 2022.
EMPOWER is a unique forum, in that it gives partners like us the opportunity to hear directly from the engineers and developers who are at the core of VMware’s technology. This access is unparalleled and unlike anything else I’ve experienced before. The knowledge shared is so rich in detail on potential use cases, and where the opportunities are for partners like us to add value, that put simply, the event is unmissable. But it’s not just the product insights that help my team and I engage with customers better; I also return to the office with a dose of motivation to sell more solutions and explore new avenues for IPM as a business.
We’re a team that is constantly striving to expand our knowledge of all VMware portfolios and products. In fact, we were the first partner in Spain to achieve six out of the seven VMware Master Services Competencies (MSCs). These advanced technical certifications are proof of the high-level service capability and expertise that we hold, and EMPOWER provides the perfect enablement opportunity for us; with its enormous range of training sessions, it’s a great chance to refresh, revise and increase our levels of certification across VMware’s product suite.
Kubernetes, for example, is a very exciting space in the IT industry right now. It’s one reason I’m excited to learn more about the growing VMware Tanzu portfolio at this year’s event, and the app modernization opportunities that are out there for partners. The sales sessions are always very informative, and Anu Srinivasa’s session on ‘Nail Your Kubernetes Pitch with Tanzu for Kubernetes Operations’ in particular looks like it will help us create even more opportunities and engagements around Tanzu with our customers. I have a technical background myself, so I also have my eye on a couple of technical sessions too, including Scott Rogers’ session on Tanzu Observability and using ‘Observability to Augment Your Next Deal’, which certainly stands out.
Community is another key theme of EMPOWER that I’ll be embracing again this year. It’s always valuable to hear about other partners’ experiences, learnings and innovations, and I tend to find that I return both equipped with a broader understanding to impart to my customers, and energised by the challenge of helping them drive genuine business value from VMware’s technology.
Given the deep-rooted connection my colleagues and I have with VMware, these sessions alone are more than enough to draw me to the event. But with VMware also introducing profitability tools to help partners estimate and predict margins, calculate incentives and build new business models based on its portfolio, I’m buzzing with questions and anticipation for when this year’s event comes around. Come and join me!
