Analyst Blog: The New Cloud Playbook – Kubernetes, Private Cloud, and Open Source
Source: VMware Blog
VMware Cloud Foundation Webinar – Application Modernization & Kubernetes
Speakers: Lee Sustar (Forrester), Audrey Bian (Broadcom), Natalie Fisher (Broadcom)
The discussion centered on the challenges enterprises face and the emerging technologies reshaping cloud operations, security, and risk.
Lee Sustar – Accelerating Application Modernization
Cloud‑native technology is gaining momentum, beyond public cloud.
Enterprises are adopting Kubernetes at the edge, service‑mesh solutions, and WebAssembly (WASM) while keeping cloud‑native security and observability top‑of‑mind. Although public‑cloud adoption continues, many cloud leaders plan to increase private‑cloud spending for reasons such as AI sovereignty, cost management, and leveraging existing data‑center investments.
AppMod is everywhere.
Containers are no longer limited to new projects; they are being introduced into existing workloads. Leaders are using domain‑driven design (DDD) to modernize with a clear understanding of business domains, context, boundaries, and legacy decomposition.
Open‑source flexibility, security, and ecosystem maturity continue to drive Kubernetes and container adoption across enterprise environments.
Kubernetes has become the core infrastructure abstraction that can be applied consistently across data centers, clouds, and the edge. By using Kubernetes as a common horizontal platform, enterprises achieve consistent operations across domains, teams, and environments.
Key drivers of Kubernetes and containers in private cloud
- Security and compliance
- Infrastructure optimization
- Horizontal & vertical scalability and performance
- Modernization initiatives
- Developer productivity and application portability
When Kubernetes works hand‑in‑hand with open‑source tools, enterprises can expect reductions in operational labor, faster release cycles, and less developer time spent on non‑coding activities.
Governments increasingly require private‑cloud deployments.
European and North‑American government mandates, together with geopolitical fragmentation, are raising regulatory pressure and making it harder to obtain solutions that support modernization.
The future of cloud is abstracted, intelligent, and composable.
AI‑assisted code development (e.g., TuringBots) is advancing rapidly, and platform operations are becoming more intelligent thanks to innovations across the Kubernetes and cloud‑native ecosystem. This represents a major hinge point for technology and AI adoption, powered by a Kubernetes‑based ecosystem that delivers consistent infrastructure abstraction and platform intelligence.
Audrey Bian – VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) & vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS)
VMware Cloud Foundation: A Unified Platform for Modern Apps
Modern enterprises need a platform that simplifies operations while supporting both traditional and modern workloads. VCF delivers a single, secure, and extensible foundation for running VMs and containers.
The Foundation
- Compute, storage, and networking layers that ensure performance, security, and efficiency.
- vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS) – a CNCF‑certified Kubernetes runtime that provides an enterprise‑ready platform, avoids vendor lock‑in, and supports multiple Kubernetes versions.
Comprehensive Services
VCF integrates VM Service, Network Service, Data Service, and Private AI capabilities, making it ideal for AI/ML, distributed databases, and other modern workloads. Multi‑cluster management simplifies lifecycle operations, policy enforcement, and governance—critical for scaling Kubernetes across environments.
Who VCF Empowers
| Role | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Cloud Admins | Single platform for VMs and containers; consistent, simplified Kubernetes operations; centralized governance and policy; flexible Kubernetes version support for smoother upgrades. |
| Platform Engineers | CNCF‑certified Kubernetes runtime with 24‑month standard support; scalable multi‑cluster management; consistent APIs to provision and manage building‑block services; easy integration with existing toolchains. |
| Developers | Self‑service APIs and tools that accelerate delivery of modern applications. |
The webinar underscored that the convergence of Kubernetes, open‑source flexibility, and AI‑driven automation is reshaping how enterprises modernize applications and operate private‑cloud environments.
Why Decision Makers Choose VCF
Decision makers appreciate the benefits available through VCF as they support the larger enterprise from multiple positions. Enterprises can expect lower cost and faster ROI due to consolidated infrastructure reducing silos and licensing costs while enabling faster app delivery. They can also expect improved security and compliance from end‑to‑end encryption and isolated clusters that meet strict regulatory requirements. And since teams can leverage familiar VMware skills to manage Kubernetes, enterprises can close skill gaps and reduce the need for retraining.
Open Source: The Foundation of Innovation
For platform teams modernizing private‑cloud environments, open source—through projects like Kubernetes, Harbor, etcd, and Cluster API (CAPI)—is the primary engine of innovation and interoperability. Over 90 % of organizations rely on open source in their cloud‑native stack (CNCF). These projects deliver:
- Innovation Velocity: Upstream tools like Prometheus, Argo, and Harbor evolve rapidly through community‑driven development.
- Enterprise Flexibility: Open APIs and standardized tooling enable portability across clouds, clusters, and CI/CD pipelines.
- Operational Trust: Enterprises require predictable lifecycles, security posture, and governance to run open source at scale.
Natalie then explained the value of open source as the foundation of modern private cloud:
Open Source: The Foundation of Modern Private Cloud
Open source isn’t just part of VMware’s architecture; it’s an ecosystem we actively participate in and help sustain. From Kubernetes to tools like Harbor, etcd, and Cluster API (CAPI), open source drives the innovation customers need as they modernize private‑cloud environments.
Why It Matters
Platform teams are increasingly expected to deliver public‑cloud‑like outcomes—fast provisioning, secure pipelines, GitOps, observability, and AI/ML—while meeting internal compliance requirements. Open source powers nearly every building block of this experience. According to CNCF, over 90 % of organizations rely on open source in their cloud‑native stack.
But adopting open source at scale isn’t easy. Reliability, lifecycle management, and governance matter as much as features. Through active upstream participation and enterprise‑grade integrations, Broadcom helps customers adopt these projects securely and operate them reliably at scale.
Watch the Webinar
The New Cloud Playbook: Kubernetes, Private Cloud, and Open Source
For more information on vSphere Kubernetes Service, click here.
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