by: VMware on VMware staff
Part One of this series provided an overview of the VMware IT Performance Annual Report 2022 and VMware IT innovation, and in Part Two, we looked at the digital transformation of our modern apps. In Part Three, we examine modern SaaS innovation.
VMware is undergoing a vast business model transition from perpetual-license software to a subscription and software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. A proliferation of new technologies, high user expectations, globalization, and the need for business continuity are key factors driving digital innovation across our major functions.
Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail
In the 2021 VMware market research report, Driving Digital Business with App and Cloud Transformation, 71 percent of customers said they prioritize investment in digital-first engagement models for their own customers and colleagues. But organizations often struggle with the question of how to get there.
This is where VMware focused its efforts.
Our teams are committed to providing a positive experience at every touchpoint in order to create ideal digital-first engagement models. That means six key innovation areas need to be aligned:
- Systems
- People
- Process
- Data
- Policy
- Sustainability
When these areas function seamlessly together, it enables us to drive business innovation and accelerate our journey toward becoming a full SaaS company.
Systems innovation
Business agility today is a vital component of corporate strategy, but this can be complex, time consuming, and costly. Legacy applications can be expensive and burdensome to maintain, update and support. That’s why it’s necessary to break monolithic systems into business domains to promote faster production and mitigate unforeseen impacts on the systems. Our digital transformation allows our applications to function across desktop, cloud, or on-premises environments, delivering new capabilities in an accelerated timeframe, while improving performance and user experience.
People innovation
Technology, processes, data and policies thrive when people are committed to success. A top-down cultural change at VMware to promote a customer-first mindset puts our dedication to customers and colleagues (our term for employees) front and center.
For our colleagues, we embrace lean development methodologies, a fail-fast philosophy where innovative thinking is encouraged—even if it leads to a dead end—and an agile approach to delivering quality products, regardless of ever-changing business environments.
Process innovation
Process transformation requires a significant shift in our cultural approach to breaking down work silos. The outdated structure of separating the development and operations teams often produced deployments that could take up to six months or more. Our leadership recognized that this wasn’t sustainable if we wanted to be competitive in today’s fast-paced market.
The creation of our DevOps function plays a crucial role in our digital transformation by addressing unproductive silos that impede the rapid release of new technologies. The formation of DevOps allows for faster development and deployment of applications, enabling us to keep up with our customers’ growing needs.
Data innovation
Data transformation empowers our colleagues to operate with a data-driven mindset to produce actionable insights that inform decision making. With this data, we can establish where we stand today and drive progress toward specific business outcomes.
Policy innovation
VMware IT strives to reshape outdated policies that obstruct speed and growth. IT teams collect and populate all their service-readiness knowledge into standardized templates, organized by SaaS lifecycle phases and corresponding definitions/requirements, such as beta, initial availability and general availability.
Sustainability innovation
VMware provides solutions that help reduce the environmental impact of our customers’ digital operations. Our tools and solutions significantly reduce energy costs and the carbon emissions associated with operating a robust digital infrastructure compared with nonvirtualized environments.
You can read the VMware IT Performance Annual Report 2022 to learn more about our digital transformation toward a SaaS model. Read our other blogs about SaaS. Part four of this series will explore VMware security innovation.
VMware on VMware blogs are written by IT subject matter experts sharing stories about our digital transformation using VMware products and services in a global production environment. To learn more about how VMware IT uses VMware products and technology to solve critical challenges, visit our microsite, read our blogs and IT Performance Annual Report and follow us on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube. All VMware trademarks and registered marks (including logos and icons) referenced in this document remain the property of VMware.
