Virtually Speaking Podcast

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, recorded at VMware Explore 2025, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Michael Miller, IT Systems Architect at Mary Washington Healthcare.   Mike shares his inspiring career journey from working the midnight help desk shift to leading IT architecture at a healthcare organization where uptime isn’t just about business continuity—it’s about saving lives.   He walks through Mary Washington Healthcare’s modernization journey:

At VMware Explore 2025, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Himanshu Singh to discuss the expanded partnership between VMware and Canonical—bringing together the world’s #1 private cloud and the #1 cloud OS.   Himanshu explains how Ubuntu OS with Canonical’s 10-year enterprise support is now bundled as part of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) entitlement, simplifying operations for enterprise customers. A key highlight is the introduction of “chisel containers”—lightweight Ubuntu images optimized for specific workloads. These minimal containers reduce image size from ~200MB to ~50MB, improving efficiency and dramatically lowering vulnerabilities (their demo dropped CVEs from 16 to just 1).   The conversation also explores how the partnership addresses air-gapped environments by delivering pre-compiled virtualized GPU drivers, enabling faster, more secure AI deployments.   Whether you’re running Kubernetes, modern applications, or AI workloads, this partnership delivers a more secure, efficient, a

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast recorded at VMware Explore 2025, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Jon Rosenson, President & COO at Expedient, to explore how Expedient is delivering VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) as a Service.   Expedient, a full-stack cloud services provider with over 25 years of experience and a VMware partner since 2008, helps clients simplify IT by managing VCF on their behalf. Jon explains how Expedient delivers: ☁️ Multi-tenant and dedicated private cloud environments powered by VCF ⚙️ End-to-end infrastructure and expertise so clients only need to subscribe

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 conversation also explores: ⚡ VMware’s commitment to delivering new Kubernetes versions within eight weeks of upstream releases

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.   The discussion also covers:

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:

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 centers Support for existing or new SnapMirror relationships Non-disruptive test failovers using FlexClone technology Fast failover execution in as little as 5–10 minutes   Pricing is capacity-based (about $0.03 per GB/month, or ~$368 per TB/year) — avoiding traditional per-VM licensing.   Currently, NetApp Disaster Recovery supports on-prem to on-prem, and on-prem to EVS or VMC on AWS, with A

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:

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 GCI made during the pandemic, including upgrades to firewalls, network design, compute platforms, storage, and infrastructure-as-code. James highlights the OpEx savings driven by reduced labor requirements, as well as how VCF 9 testing in their labs is shaping decisions on greenfield vs. upgrade paths. For other organizations considering VMware Cloud Foundation, J

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 VCF 9.0 How Private AI is now embedded directly into VCF as a core capability New compliance and security features, including automatic drift detection and remediation Broadcom’s increased R&D investment driving faster innovation and customer excitement Whether you’re an IT leader, architect, or business strategist, this episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at VMwa

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 CPUs A secure model store for governance Data indexing and retrieval services An agent builder service The discussion explores why enterprises are leaning into private AI—from data privacy to economic advantages (up to 3x cost benefits) to sovereign AI requirements. Chris also introduces secure model sharing, allowing multiple tenants to use one model while keeping datasets protected. The episode wraps with real-worl

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 how this service provides: A model manager for enterprise AI models An inferencing service supporting AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel hardware Flexible deployment options, including CPU-based inference The conversation also covers Kubernetes innovations, Database-as-a-Service advancements, and new cyber compliance capabilities. Throughout the discussion, P

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.  

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 cloud repatriation and the Virtually Speaking podcast booth, where they’ll be interviewing experts The power of community connections, customer-to-PM feedback, and the all-important “hallway track” Fun highlights like the party at the Palazzo pool deck featuring the Honey Buckets

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’ll also hear about: NSX components now pre-installed on vSphere hosts in VCF 9, streamlining deployment and accelerating time to value Built-in workload mobility (formerly HCX), tightly integrated into the platform Container networking updates with Antrea A preview of what to expect from upcoming NSX sessions at VMware Explore Whether you’re a VI admin, a cloud architect, or just curi

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 APIs for greater consistency and ease of use Enhanced PowerCLI modules with auto-generated cmdlets The first-ever API change log included in VCF release notes Better alignment with AI tools like GitHub Copilot for faster development Subscribe for more insights into VMware Cloud Foundation and modern infrastructure automation.

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 data sovereignty to support AI initiatives  • A push for cost predictability  • And a significant wave of cloud repatriation, with 69% moving workloads back on-prem Mitesh shares Broadcom’s private cloud journey, highlighting how platform teams, self-service infrastructure, and upskilling initiatives are transforming IT delivery and enabling faster innovation. The takeaway? The future is hybr

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, including multi-tenancy, vSphere namespace integration, and a technical preview of SQL Server support.   They share real-world insight into how Broadcom is using DSM to consolidate database services across their organization, and how DSM’s scaling capabilities help meet the demands of modern, dynamic workloads. If you’re curious about what “Database-as-a-Service” really looks like in a VMware Cloud Foundation e

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 Mode) Flexible Kubernetes lifecycle management decoupled from vCenter patching Live patching for faster, disruption-free security updates VLCM support for mixed hardware clusters Native VPC integration, TLS 1.3 by default, and smarter certificate handling   If you’re looking to understand how vSphere fits into the future of cloud-smart infrastructure, this episode is a must-listen.

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.