VMware Looking To Attract ISVs To Its Public Cloud With New Partner Program

VMware wants independent software vendors building apps on its vCloud Air public cloud, and it launched a partner program Thursday with technical and marketing guidance for ISVs that want to jump aboard.

VMware's vCloud Air ISV Partner Program includes details on "key hybrid cloud use cases, such as dev/test, packaged application migration, and disaster recovery," VMware said Thursday in a press release.

ISVs taking part in the program can get their apps certified with "VMware Ready" status, which shows the app has been tested and validated to run on the vCloud Air public cloud.

Related: VMware Opens Early Access To FedRAMP-Hopeful Public Cloud For Gov't Customers

The program has three levels -- 'Access' is the entry-level, 'Elite' is the midrange and 'Premier' is the top tier. Each comes with a logo for ISVs to display on their websites.

VMware often notes that vCloud Air is based on its vSphere server virtualization technology, which is what many enterprises are already using in their private clouds.

ISVs can take advantage of the same pathway, according to VMware.

The vCloud Air ISV Partner Program also includes business, sales and marketing assistance for ISVs that are looking to adjust their business models to the cloud, Ajay Patel, VMware's vice president of application services for vCloud Air, said in a blog post Thursday. VMware has been running the program as a pilot with "key" ISV partners, he said.

Marc Trimuschat, vice president of global business development and alliances at Silver Peak Systems, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based WAN optimization vendor that has been taking part in the pilot program, said the key advantage of vCloud Air is that it uses the same infrastructure most enterprises are using on-premises.

"We quickly tested and certified our virtual WAN optimization solutions, and were able to run them through the certification process without much alteration," Trimuschat told CRN.

Rick Cameron, vice president of business development at RiverMeadow, a San Jose, Calif.-based cloud service provider, is also seeing the benefits.

"vCloud Air is an enterprise-grade system, and ISVs that get their products working on it will find that it's a very different experience for customers," Cameron said. VMware has provided lots of technical and marketing assistance as part of the program, he added.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 26, 2014