Back in April at the OpenStack Summit, VMware had the opportunity to highlight its leadership in OpenStack Networking.  I presented a deep dive technical session about VMware’s network virtualization technology, and Sachin Thakkar demonstrated how VMware technology enables advanced load-balancing, VPN, and firewalling in cloud deployments within OpenStack. To top it all off, networking guru Martin Casado spoke on major technical trends in networking and how these changes in network architecture – which is happening broadly across the cloud whether in OpenStack or non-OpenStack environments – represents an opportunity for network virtualization platforms to deliver transformative value in speed, cost and most importantly, choice to customers (summed up well in this blog post).

This week VMware will be at the Red Hat Summit in Boston, where we will highlight the support of VMware network virtualization with Red Hat OpenStack. Today, Red Hat and VMware are already with one of the world’s largest telecommunications providers and one of the most well-known Web 2.0 companies to enable VMware network virtualization with Red Hat OpenStack. VMware and Red Hat are now showing further commitment to supporting such joint customers. Mike Werner, senior director, Global Ecosystems at Red Hat, stated:

 “Red Hat and VMware are collaborating to support joint customers who are transforming their data center network operations and economics through network virtualization. Red Hat will distribute and support the platform software Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenStack, including Open vSwitch, and work together with VMware to support joint customers who chose to run VMware network virtualization software on the Red Hat platforms.”

 

For our part, VMware will be participating in the official launch of the Red Hat OpenStack Cloud Infrastructure Partner Network at the event. Hatem Naguib, VMware’s vice president, Cloud Networking and Security, said in support of the announcement:

 “VMware supports heterogeneous cloud environments and engages across a rich ecosystem of vendors, such as Red Hat. Red Hat OpenStack used with VMware network virtualization can help customers transform networking to a more agile, software-based model. We’re excited to join the Red Hat OpenStack ecosystem, and to provide customers with further choice in building their cloud infrastructure.”

 

The rationale for VMware’s involvement in OpenStack is simple. OpenStack is a framework for assembling a cloud solution from the customer’s choice of underlying compute, network and storage technologies and VMware’s combination of technical leadership and innovation across such technologies is second to none. Our work with Red Hat to enable VMware network virtualization for joint customers is just one example of how VMware is working to make enable customer choice when it comes to building cloud solutions.

 Dan Wendlandt, Sr. Product Line Manager