Virtually Speaking Podcast

Storage is at the center of rising infrastructure costs, and in this episode, Pete and John sit down with Rakesh to explore how VCF 9.1 is tackling that challenge head-on.

From cutting hardware requirements in half to introducing global deduplication and native S3 object storage, this conversation dives into how vSAN is evolving to support modern workloads while driving down costs. They also explore new cyber recovery capabilities that bring compute, storage, and networking together for a more complete resilience strategy.

If you’re looking to understand how storage is changing in the AI and cloud-native era, and what it means for your environment, this episode is packed with insights.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 introduces a wide range of improvements across the platform, and in this episode, Pete and John sit down with William Lam to walk through the updates that matter most to practitioners.

From zero-touch provisioning and faster patching to fleet management, real-time metrics, and the evolution of the VCF management platform, William shares a hands-on perspective shaped by real-world testing and customer feedback.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 is all about making the platform easier to consume and operate at scale. In this episode, Pete and John sit down with Dilpreet, Head of Engineering for VCF, to explore how that vision comes to life.

From the introduction of VCF Automation and Kubernetes-based APIs to multi-cluster management and faster deployment models, this conversation focuses on simplifying how infrastructure is delivered and managed. They also dive into VKS 3.6 updates, including faster cluster deployment, expanded ecosystem support, and contributions to the CNCF community.

If you’re looking to understand how VCF 9.1 improves developer experience, automation, and platform operations, this episode is a must-watch.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 brings major updates across compute, storage, and networking, and in this episode, Pete and John sit down with Vijay, product lead for core infrastructure, to break it all down.

From smarter memory utilization to native object storage and improved cyber resilience, this conversation focuses on the features that directly impact how customers run and scale their environments. Vijay also shares how VCF 9.1 simplifies networking integration and helps bridge the gap between virtual and physical infrastructure.

If you’re looking to understand the core infrastructure innovations in VCF 9.1 and what they mean for real-world deployments, this episode delivers the highlights.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 is here, and in this kickoff episode, Pete and John sit down with Paul Turner, VP of Products for VMware Cloud Foundation, to set the stage for what this release really means.

From rising hardware costs to the explosion of AI-driven applications, the data center is changing fast. Paul shares how VCF 9.1 is designed to address these shifts, helping organizations build an AI-ready platform that delivers efficiency, security, and operational simplicity.

The conversation covers the real challenges customers are facing today, including cost pressures, the need for automation, evolving security models, and the growing importance of Private AI. If you want the big-picture view of where infrastructure is headed and how VCF 9.1 fits in, this is the place to start.

What does it really take to migrate to VMware Cloud Foundation 9?

In this episode of Virtually Speaking, we sit down with a real customer to unpack their journey from a global vSphere environment to VMware Cloud Foundation 9. From early planning and architecture decisions to unexpected challenges and lessons learned along the way, this is a candid look at what a large-scale migration actually looks like in the real world.

We cover everything from consolidating global data centers and deploying VCF 5.2 to making the leap to VCF 9.0, including why features like simplified lifecycle management and Private AI played a key role in the decision.

If you’re planning a migration or just want to hear how others are approaching modernization with VCF, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply right away.

What you’ll learn

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow Virtually Speaking for more conversations with customers, experts, and practitioners building modern private cloud environments with VMware Cloud Foundation.

We’re back with a recap episode from VMUG Connect Minneapolis, and this one is all about what actually matters on the ground.

Joined by Brad Tompkins, we break down key takeaways from the event, from rising hardware and memory costs to the real conversations happening between practitioners navigating security challenges and evolving infrastructure decisions.

What stood out most? The connection. Unlike massive conferences, VMUG Connect brings together a smaller, highly engaged community where real conversations happen. Whether it’s NSX rollouts, security strategies, or simply sharing lessons learned, this is where practitioners come to learn from each other.

We also dive into:

Flexibility in moving from vSphere 8 to 9 and into VCF at your own pace

Expanded hardware compatibility and what that means for upgrades

Practical security approaches that raise the bar without overcomplicating operations

Why smaller events like VMUG Connect create more meaningful engagement

Plus, we look ahead at upcoming VMUG Connect events in Toronto, Dallas, and Orlando, and what attendees can expect, including certifications, deeper technical sessions, and more time to actually connect.

If you’re thinking about your next move with VCF, or just want to hear what your peers are really saying, this is the episode for you.

In this episode, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sat down with Dilpreet Bindra to break down some of the key announcements from KubeCon and what they mean for platform teams, Kubernetes operators, and the broader cloud native community. The conversation covered Broadcom’s continued investment in upstream Kubernetes, including the contribution of Velero to the CNCF as a sandbox project, and why that matters for disaster recovery and migration strategies. They also explored how projects like Cluster API and etcd are helping improve lifecycle management, reliability, scale, and operational consistency.

They dug into how VMware Kubernetes Service is benefiting from upstream alignment, faster adoption of new Kubernetes releases, improved pod density, deeper integration with virtualization, and the growing importance of intelligent placement as modern infrastructure evolves to include specialized hardware like GPUs. The episode also touched on how automation, multi cluster management, and Kubernetes based consumption APIs are helping platform engineers simplify operations across VMs, Kubernetes, data services, and AI services.

If you’re looking for a grounded conversation on where Kubernetes operations are headed and how enterprise platforms are evolving to make Kubernetes easier to run at scale, this is a great way to kick off our KubeCon 2026 recap series.

KubeCon 2026 is underway, and in this episode of Virtually Speaking, Pete Fletcher and Jad Elzein sit down with Himanshu Singh to break down some of the biggest announcements coming out of the show.

We cover Broadcom’s contribution of Project Valero to the CNCF Sandbox and why that matters for the future of Kubernetes backup, disaster recovery, and migration. The conversation also explores what it means to deepen VMware’s long standing commitment to the Kubernetes and CNCF community, and why community driven innovation matters for customers and partners alike.

We also discuss new VKS ecosystem partnerships with F5, Kong, and Tigera, along with the broader strategy of keeping VKS close to upstream Kubernetes while making it easier for platform teams to adopt the tools and architectures they already use.

If you are at KubeCon, stop by Booth 715 to connect with the team and see the latest demos and announcements in action.

#KubeCon #Kubernetes #CNCF #Valero #VKS #PlatformEngineering #CloudNative #VirtuallySpeaking #VMwareCloudFoundation

KubeCon 2026 is officially underway, and we’re kicking things off in one of the most unique ways we’ve ever done - recording from a boat in the canals of Amsterdam 🇳🇱

In this kickoff episode of our Virtually Speaking KubeCon series, Pete, John, and Jad set the stage for the week ahead. From Platform Engineering Day to AI, GPUs, and Kubernetes at scale, there’s no shortage of innovation, learning, and community to dive into.

We talk about what we’re most excited for, the energy around the event, and what you can expect from our coverage throughout the week.

If you’re at KubeCon, come find us at booth 715. If you’re following along remotely, we’ve got you covered with interviews, insights, and conversations all week long.

Let’s get after it.