VMworld 2018 Recap: 3 Things You Should Know

VMworld 2018 may be in the books but don’t count on its impact fading any time soon. Once again, VMware’s annual technology showcase didn’t disappoint in terms of noteworthy VMworld 2018 recap blog postannouncements. Once our Data Center team had time to digest all of the news to come out of the conference, we got their take on the biggest stories from Las Vegas. Also in this, their official VMworld 2018 recap, we’ll cover how those items could impact businesses during the coming months.

Topic #1: vSphere 6.7 U1

One of the biggest announcements at VMworld 2018 concerned the forthcoming release of vSphere 6.7 U1. This solution, which will hit general availability later this year, was positioned as a necessary evolution of the vSphere platform. Let’s rundown the practical applications of some of the more intriguing new features and integrations coming to vSphere.

Admins can say goodbye to Flash as 6.7 U1 brings total feature parity to vSphere’s HTML 5 web client. The old Flash-based client served its purpose but vSphere admins have been longing to use a more modern web interface to manage their environments. Well, it’s here – or at least it will be soon.

A new web client isn’t the only change coming with vSphere 6.7 U1. Admins can also expect to gain the ability to:

  • receive and execute essential drive and firmware upgrades by way of Update Manager.
  • more securely decommission hosts due to safeguards built directly into 6.7 U1.
  • dive deeper into vSAN cluster performance and issues using the new monitoring and remediation capabilities delivered through enhanced vRealize Operations integration.

VMware also debuted a new vSphere licensing tier called Platinum. This new level takes the features already offered in vSphere Enterprise Plus and incorporates them with VMware’s App Defense platform. This union will provide hands-free VM monitoring and response, in the event of suspicious activity. For organizations in need of all the bells and whistles contained in this package, this is the most cost effective way to get them.

Topic #2: Workspace One

Also at VMworld 2018, VMware unveiled several new features coming to Workspace One. While improving security was certainly a major theme of these upgrades, there was a broader story to tell about bringing some simplicity to admins’ workdays.

To start, VMware announced the integration of Workspace One with NIST’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures reporting. As a result, admins will be able to monitor the security status of their organization’s desktop endpoints and mobile devices all from a single location. With this capability, they can identify any vulnerabilities in monitored devices and easily determine the exact scope of those susceptibilities.

Additionally, VMware detailed the expansion of Workspace One’s Trust Network. This collection of integrated third party security offerings grew to include even more best of breed vendors, including CheckPoint. This further simplifies the security process by rolling insights generated by solutions from vendors like CheckPoint into a single management pane as opposed to multiple portals.

There is one last Workspace One tidbit worth highlighting. Even though it is outside the security domain, it does fall squarely alongside the idea of simplicity. Workspace One admins will gain the ability to import app configurations right from Microsoft SCCM. This can be particularly valuable to those looking for a more modern way of managing Windows 10. Provided they already have their configurations down pat in SCCM, admins can achieve the modern management style they want without kicking up any additional manual work in the process.

Topic #3: VMware Cloud on AWS

The final major story our team wanted to highlight in this VMworld 2018 recap involves VMware Cloud on AWS. VMware announced it would be significantly lowering the barrier to entry, and not just in terms of price. Companies will have a chance to try out a single host version of VMware Cloud for AWS. Then, after seeing what the platform is all about, organizations can either call it a day or roll out a full, redundant environment within minutes. This is a great opportunity for organizations that have yet to invest in the cloud but who are interested getting a taste of what it has to offer.

Next Steps: Going beyond the recap with VMworld 2018

Want to discuss these or any other news from VMworld 2018 in greater detail? Our Data Center team members are ready to share their insights! Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to get the conversation started today!

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