Innovation Heroes: How smart IT leaders navigate virtualization changes

“When something large happens, people quickly react and make poor decisions. And because this is your core infrastructure, that’s not a good idea.”
—Cody Hosterman

When major shifts hit core infrastructure, IT leaders don’t get the luxury of panic. They get pressure. And right now, few shifts have been more attention-grabbing than the recent disruption in the virtualization landscape, forcing many to rethink their roadmaps.

At the center of that disruption is Broadcom’s $69 billion acquisition of VMware. The deal has introduced new licensing models, bundled product suites, and significant changes to how infrastructure software is priced, sold, and supported.

So, what should IT decision-makers be doing now to respond strategically?

In this installment of Innovation Heroes, Ed McNamara sits down with Cody Hosterman, Senior Director of Product Management – Cloud at Pure Storage. Hosterman speaks with hundreds of CIOs and infrastructure leaders each year through executive briefings and strategy sessions — and lately, he says, they’re all focused on one thing: the new virtualization reality.

“A lot of customers are still feeling it out,” Hosterman said. “What are others doing? What are you seeing in the market? What is Pure trying to do to help me with this?”

Start with what you own

Hosterman’s first recommendation for IT leaders: don’t rush to replace anything just yet. Start with a full assessment of your current infrastructure.

“Take a deep breath. That’s always a good place to start,” he said. “Forget about already thinking about, ‘What do I do next?’ Let’s look at my existing infrastructure.”

Leaders need to right-size workloads and take full stock of their licensing and utilization before jumping to conclusions or committing to new vendors. And as the dust settles, one thing is clear: IT leaders shouldn’t navigate this alone. According to Hosterman, channel partners like SHI are playing a critical role in helping customers move forward with confidence.

“Honestly, the channel partners often know the customer’s VMware environments better than the customer,” he said. “You can help the customer make the right choice and build the right architecture.”

SHI’s vendor-agnostic approach, combined with deep infrastructure expertise, allows organizations to benchmark options, model costs, and map out an approach that aligns with long-term business goals — not just short-term reactions.

For more on how SHI is helping customers adapt, see Broadcom acquires VMware: How SHI can help you navigate the changes.

Key takeaways for IT leaders

• Begin by conducting a comprehensive review of your existing VMware environment. Focus on utilization, licensing, and cost optimization.
• Avoid rushing into alternatives. Optimize what you have before committing to a new platform.
• Clarify your infrastructure strategy for the next two to three years. Let that guide your decisions, not vendor pressure.
• Lean on trusted advisors like SHI to model scenarios, explore options, and maintain business continuity.
• Organizations with strong automation, monitoring, or clear hybrid strategies are faring better amid change.

Looking to take control of your hybrid cloud future?

Pure Storage’s hybrid cloud solutions seamlessly integrate on-premise and multi-cloud environments. With AI-driven automation, security, and high performance, you can easily move, replicate, and protect your data.

Listen to the full conversation here. You can also find episodes on SHI’s Resource Hub, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms, as well as on YouTube in video format.

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