VMware: Dell's purchase and the spoils of war
Many, including HP CEO Meg Whitman, have predicted chaos for Dell as it integrates EMC into its current offerings. Some have gone so far as to say that Dell will destroy VMware. I don't believe that Dell will destroy VMware, nor do I think that Dell will extract all the profit out of it to fund Dell's dreams. I also don't believe that Dell's ownership of VMware will send the masses running toward Microsoft for Hyper-V salvation. I get the distinct impression that VMware will stand as a separate entity, with its own leadership, as it has from the beginning.
From Meg Whitman's comments in the above referenced post: "Fourth, this move is going to cause chaos in the channel as they bring together two different programs and approaches." To that statement, I quote Sun Tzu, from the Art of War: "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."
I think that whatever minimal chaos this deal causes, business continuity will prevail. There's no reason to do things any differently than they're done right now. VMware isn't doing anything wrong. Although I haven't always agreed with everything its leadership has done, the company isn't hurting financially. It produces the best and most supported virtualization products on the market.
