VMware, Google Partner: VMware Cloud Foundation To Run On GCP

While the new Google Cloud VMware Solution by CloudSimple seems similar to the integration of VMware workloads on Amazon Web Services via VMware Cloud for AWS, the focus is on a single partner, CloudSimple, in which Microsoft has an equity stake.

VMware and Google Cloud are expecting to unveil a new strategic relationship to support VMware workloads running on the Google Cloud Platform.

The two tech giants are planning to announce Google Cloud VMware Solution by CloudSimple, a new offering that leverages VMware Cloud Foundation infrastructure software running on GCP.

The new offering seems similar to VMware Cloud for AWS, the strategic partnership between VMware and Amazon Web Services under which VMware-based workloads run natively on AWS.

[Related: VMware Cloud For AWS: The Tech Groundwork Is Laid, Partners Look At How To Adopt]

For now, it appears that Google Cloud VMware Solution by CloudSimple is being designed and operated by CloudSimple, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of cloud-focused services including data center retirement or migration, cloud bursting, disaster recovery, virtual desktop infrastructure, VMware workloads, and integrated public cloud services.

CloudSimple's founder and CEO is Guru Pangal, the co-founder of StorSimple, a cloud storage technology developer acquired by Microsoft in 2012. Microsoft Ventures, now known as M12, in 2016 invested in CloudSimple.

The primary focus of CloudSimple, a VMware Cloud Verified partner, has until now been bringing VMware workloads to the Azure cloud, according to the company's website.

Google Cloud VMware Solution by CloudSimple is designed, developed, and operated by CloudSimple, and includes VMware's vSphere compute virtualization, vSAN storage virtualization, and NSX networking virtualization technologies deployed in GCP and operated by CloudSimple.

Google Cloud will provide the first line of support, the companies said.

VMware declined via email to provide additional information. CloudSimple did not respond to a request for further information by press time.

However, Pangal, in a prepared statement, said his company is committed to bringing customers' private cloud workloads to public clouds in a non-disruptive fashion.

"CloudSimple’s next gen cloud platform delivers agile, automated deployment and operation of GCP’s dedicated infrastructure," Pangal said in that statement.

VMware and Google Cloud already partner on multiple fronts, including GCP integrations with VMware NSX Service Mesh and VMware SD-WAN, and GCP's Anthos multi-cloud offering running on VMware vSphere, vSAN, and NSX.