Michael Dell Strikes the Right Chords at ‘Dell Tech World’

Cloud, Software and Nerdy Rock Stars: Michael Dell Strikes the Right Chords at ‘Dell Tech World’

From software-defined data centers to Internet of Things and nerdy rock stars, here’s our take on Michael Dell’s keynote at his company’s annual conference in Las Vegas.

vCORE Technology Partners

Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell took center stage for the company’s massive conference in Las Vegas last week, which was historic in its scale and scope, combining all of Dell’s seven brands for the first time. From Dell EMC to VMware to Virtustream, the company flexed its tech muscle and outlined its vision for the future in front of more than 10,000 IT leaders, analysts and others.

IT news source CRN compiled what they considered to be five of Michael Dell’s boldest statements during a keynote that touched on many of the industry’s hot-button issues, including cloud, software-defined infrastructure, Internet of Things and more.

Here’s a look at each of those statements, combined with our own thoughts on each of the issues.

We Share A Vision

Michael Dell: For me, this moment is 34 years in the making, and my hope is that we come together to share more than technology and expertise and products — we’ll have plenty of those — but we share a vision. A vision of a future that is better than today. A vision of technology as the driver of human progress. I’d like the Dell Technologies World to be a platform for the possible. A showcase of the ways — big and small — that you’re using technology to change the world.

Our take: Technology is indeed changing the world; that’s plain to see. But the vast IT resources behind this rapid transformation are more difficult more the general public to comprehend. It’s hard to sum up in a sentence or two, which can make it challenging for IT leaders to explain to friends and families what exactly it is that we do.

In practice, information technology provides the means to accomplish many world-changing outcomes that are more easily understood. The solutions and services offered by vCORE, for example, are helping our clients build rockets for space exploration, improve cancer treatment, enhance traffic safety and produce blockbuster movies that unite millions in a common interest. Digital transformation is indeed unlocking new possibilities and driving human progress. IT is a major player in that progress.

Public & Private Cloud

Michael Dell: Most customers are beginning to realize that the cloud is not a place, but rather a way of doing IT, where everything is software-defined and infrastructure is code. IT is not a question of the public cloud versus the private cloud, but rather there’s a right answer for every workload. By software-defining compute, storage, networking and security – it enables automation and improves agility. But this is no way the exclusive domain of the public cloud. Automating modern infrastructure also creates hyper-efficient, on-premises systems, especially for the predictable workloads, which for most organizations are about 85 to 90 percent. And we’re working to ensure that you can run your workloads seamlessly in any cloud environment.

Our take: The old, counter-productive mindset that pits public cloud squarely against on-premise is fading, as more IT strategists understand the two must work together to tackle the complex applications and workload-demands of today’s business climate. What’s truly important is that IT organizations are equipped with the automation and agility they need to free up resources and think strategically, regardless of where the data lives. For workloads that remain on-premise, software-defining brings cloud-like efficiency and ease to solutions in compute, storage, networking and security.

Software-Defined Future

Michael Dell: Our VxBlock, our VxRack, our VxRail solutions, are your fast tracks to a super-efficient software-defined data center, and we have solutions ready to support your on-premise and hybrid cloud with VMware, Pivotal, Microsoft Azure Stack, Oracle, SAP and many others. For those workloads best suited for the public cloud, VMware is extending its lead as the No. 1 private and hybrid cloud to the public clouds – extending and embracing — for example with VMware Cloud on AWS and on the IBM Cloud. We’re also extending (our) Data Domain (backup appliance) to Virtustream, AWS, Azure and the Google Cloud, and we’re innovating to make it much more secure to move your data in a hybrid and multi-cloud world by software-defining and virtualizing the network with VMware NSX. This is an absolute game changer.

Our take: The software-defined revolution is alive and well, including increasingly-efficient hyperconverged solutions, network security and microsegmentation, cost-saving SD-WAN and more. Programmable infrastructure is allowing IT shops to build virtual environments more quickly while providing the flexibility to change rapidly and reliably. It’s one of the clearest paths to fulfilling the mission of IT organizations everywhere: Accomplish more with less. The number of players in the software-defined area has skyrocketed, but vCORE’s engineering team helps clients sift through the noise and find the right solution tailored for their business needs.

Value Data More Than Apps

Michael Dell: If AI (artificial intelligence) is your rocket ship, data is the fuel for your rocket. And if you know how to use it, with learning and inference, your data will become your most valuable asset — even more valuable than your applications. And the great news about data, is you’re going to end up with tons of it through the Internet of things. … As the Internet of Things explodes, so does the attack surface and security risks. So we’re thinking deeply on how to secure this new, even more connected world. We also need a lot more storage and computing power, and AI-ready infrastructure – and not just for the cloud – for the edge too.

Our take: It’s been said that data is king. If so, those who can protect, analyze and manipulate that data into meaningful business intelligence will find themselves ahead of the pack in their industry. And while AI and IoT are unlocking new possibilities in data analytics, the demands placed on IT infrastructure will be astronomical. The ability to scale and provision quickly will become even more important. So will finding a technology integrator with capabilities across the stack and to the edge. vCORE’s 5 Pillars of Engineering Excellence are designed to do just that.

Nerds As Rock Stars

Michael Dell: Digital transformation has burst onto the public consciousness. Every customer that I meet is reimagining how they use technology in every aspect of their operations to drive growth, new business models, customer relationships and new products and services. Technology is now at the very top of the agenda for business leaders everywhere and for the C-suite. Because today, technology strategy is business strategy. All of us — the nerds, the engineers, the techie — we’re at the center of the conversation. The world’s great introverts are in the spotlight and becoming rock stars.

Our take: It’s about time! For decades, IT seemed to be visible only when something went wrong – a downed network, security breach or end-user problems. Yes, the IT team is there to help in times of crisis, but in a world where digital transformation is increasingly on the mind of CEOs, the engineers behind the scenes are more-often finding a seat at the table. Time to start polishing those social skills.

More from vCORE

Solutions: Elite engineering across vCORE’s “5 Pillars of Excellence” unlocks powerful results across the data center and into the cloud.

Managed Services: From IT Operations as a Service to Managed Security and Staff Augmentation, vCORE’s award-winning services team is hyper-focused on client support and satisfaction.

Offerings: Learn more about specific offerings from vCORE and request a consultation.

Event Recap

Video recap of the mega-event from Dell Technologies:

#DellTechWorld is more than sessions & all-star speakers. Here’s a taste of the full experience: expo, the village, training & certifications, panels, entertainment & networking + all things Vegas. https://t.co/jkvmeHapJH | Be a part of what's next. pic.twitter.com/T4ADqAlzQW
— Dell Technologies World (@DellTechWorld) May 2, 2018

The first-ever Dell Technologies World was held April 30 – May 2 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Cloud, Software and Nerdy Rock Stars: Michael Dell Strikes the Right Chords at ‘Dell Tech World’

From software-defined data centers to Internet of Things and nerdy rock stars, here’s our take on Michael Dell’s keynote at his company’s annual conference in Las Vegas.

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