For almost a decade, VMware Inc.’s work in virtualization software and services has brought it to a competitive path to hybrid cloud computing. It has amped up its acquisition strategy, including the multibillion-dollar deal for Pivotal Software and Carbon Black Inc., to provide better application development and security across all major cloud platforms.

Although companies such as these provide seemingly disjointed services, VMware’s vision has been able to remain consistent in its efforts to unify workload and application management across on-premises, public cloud and end user devices, according to Robin Matlock (pictured), chief marketing officer of VMware.

“All of these acquisitions are plugging into the vision,” Matlock said. “That’s why we’re buying them, because they are very aligned to our strategy and vision. I think it’s very important that the market sees one VMware, [with] one vision and strategy. We will either do it organically or will acquire interesting combinations of companies to drive unique value to our customers.”

Matlock spoke with Dave Vellante and John Furrier, co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the VMworld event in San Francisco. They discussed the resilience of VMware’s vision, the new acquisitions and shifts in marketing strategies (see the full interview with transcript here). Answers have been condensed for clarity.

Furrier: The resiliency around the staying power of the product and technology leadership happens. This year it’s containers; the attendees are excited by it. [There is] still evolution on the technology side; still a great community.  

Matlock: Resiliency is in the fabric of VMware, but I think innovation is what is the secret sauce. And we know in Silicon Valley, you better innovate and keep moving forward or you’re going to find yourself left out. Some of the big acquisitions that we announced just last Thursday … the intent to acquire Pivotal, [and] the intent to acquire Carbon Black. Further, then we will either do it organically or will acquire interesting combinations of companies to drive unique value to our customers. 

Vellante: From a marketing standpoint, the vision has been consistent. But now with all these acquisitions you’re making, you’re really embracing a much broader vision. And your marketing message has to evolve as well. 

Matlock: All of these moves year after year are just validating and supporting the delivery of that vision to our customers. And I think the big moves this year are no different. Whether it’s Tanzu for Kubernetes, whether it’s a Carbon Black acquisition idea, [or] whether it’s Pivotal. These are just steps along a journey that’s going to deliver on our vision, which is delivering any application on any cloud consumed by any device, all with security intrinsically built in the fabric.  

Vellante: Technologists who master multicloud will own the next decade. That is a strong message that you’re sending to your buyers.

Matlock: It went from computing to storage to networking, [and] it’s now into multicloud. These are incredible opportunities, and these technologists are the ones that can deliver this value for their enterprises. Our job is really to enable [customers] to have a rich, powerful experience without friction … and operate those workloads in any of those environments. 

Furrier: Has there been a shift in demographics to your audience?

Matlock: Well, it is an evolving journey. I think we have a long way to go. We largely still have an infrastructure audience here; there’s a mobility crowd here; there’s a cloud architect crowd here. The new audiences are going to be the platform architects, that DevOps community. And we do have shifts in that, but I would say that’s part of the value. As we bring Pivotal into the family, we can now merge these audiences.

The telco, the 5G we do think that’s going to be a very significant wave and is going to create new opportunity for new application types [and] new fundamental architectures that we can now merge between telco and enterprise. So we think it’s a rich ground for innovation.

Vellante: How integrated is [the vision] with the rest of the decision-making process? 

Matlock: All of these acquisitions are plugging into the vision. That’s why we’re buying them, because they are very aligned with our strategy and vision. I think it’s very important that the market sees one VMware [with] one vision and strategy.

You know, if it’s delivered in a product and it’s through an acquisition as a different brand, that’s OK. We can work on that over time. But as long as we’re laying out one strategy and vision to the marketplace and just showing these are evidence of proof points of that journey. For example, Carbon Black are experts in security. I think we want to capitalize on that expertise. We want to protect that expertise. 

Furrier: [At VMworld 2019], are there any must-sees? What are the people talking about?

Matlock: For sure you’ve got to get into this Kubernetes stuff. If you don’t come out of this week of VMworld with a good handle on what is Tanzu, what is Tanzu Mission Control, what are we doing with the Heptio acquisition, what is PKS evolution, I think you would be missing something if you really don’t grok that.  [Also] Project Pacific where Kubernetes and vSphere are tightly integrated.

I think there’s a lot happening in the networking space. [VMware Chief Executive] Pat [Gelsinger] was pretty bold up there about what is the opportunity relative to network virtualization — the time is now. So I think you’ve really got to get into that from the data center to the edge to the cloud. Network transformation’s hot. And we’re really clear on hybrid cloud and multicloud. 

Furrier: I’ve got to ask about the word “trust.” I’ve always seen a lot of marketing around companies always trying to market around trust. How do you see that as a marketer, and what’s the conscience on the VMworld?

Matlock: I think you’ve got to be very careful as a marketer to market trust. I think you need to demonstrate your trustworthiness. You need to be consistent. You need to be credible. You need to be there when the times are tough. You need to be not always asking for something in return. And if you earn trust, you don’t really have to say it.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s blanket coverage of VMworld this week: 

Photo: SiliconANGLE