First Impressions of EMC World

EMC World, EMC’s core annual conference is this week in Las Vegas and there are a number of very core things to watch out for. EMC’s presence in the enterprise space is legendary. However the enterprise space is gaining momentum in the enterprise IT evolution. The question is: Is EMC in a position to support these changes and continue to provide the leadership they’re known for. Bottom line: Companies are moving to the cloud. On the surface, this could present disaster for EMC. Key will be EMC’s ability to shift and help customers embrace the cloud.

Importance of Storage

Storage has grown up. No longer are the days where storage is just a place to store data and files. Storage is now key to the success of any given application. EMC clearly understands this and needs to evolve to this change. This is new! But it provides a radical shift in opportunity for companies like EMC. Look for EMC to make the connection between applications and storage.

Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

EMC provides leadership to enables IT to provide greater business value. The key is to evolve quickly and provide solutions that are needed both today and moving forward.

One could argue that no one company can (or should) be everything to everyone. Even very large enterprise providers such as EMC, need to embrace this shift. One example of EMC’s recent shift is their partnership with SAP. Frankly, this is a great sign of maturity on the part of EMC. Similarly, HP recently started providing their ‘Shark’ solutions for SAP’s HANA. Look for EMC to embrace this relationship and look to other key relationships between EMC and key enterprise players.

Open Source Software Integration

It is clear that open source software (like OpenStack) is changing the way enterprise solutions are built and consumed within a completely new economic model. The more mature enterprise-class providers will acknowledge this shift and embrace it. Look for EMC to provide greater integration with open source solutions.

Enterprise to Service Provider Shifts

Historically, enterprise-class providers create solutions specifically for enterprises…not service providers. Service provider requirements are quite different from that of their enterprise counterparts. At the same time, the shift in demand from enterprise to service provider happens over time, not all at once. Look for EMC to acknowledge this shift in terms of integration between solutions and changes in their management tools. The impact of general-purpose storage solutions also changes the paradigm for EMC. EMC needs to demonstrate value beyond the underlying physical hardware.

The VMware and Pivotal Impact

A constant question for EMC is how VMware and Pivotal play a role in EMC’s future. Both companies provide solutions that support the evolving changes within the enterprise. But potentially create a loggerhead for openness. Can EMC embrace the changes and innovation from both VMware and Pivotal, but still maintain flexibility in their open approach to alternative solutions? Look for indications of this through their partnerships and reference architectures.

Timing is Everything

EMC provides core storage solutions for key enterprise applications. In many ways, these are the very applications that are both sensitive to enterprises and harder to move. In both cases, this translates to risk. Enterprise customers have been hesitant to make the shift from traditional storage solutions to alternative approaches. That attitude is changing. Change is no longer an option it is a requirement. How is EMC taking a leadership role to help existing enterprise customers make this shift? Look for EMC to provide examples of flexibility beyond the traditional enterprise constraints.

In Summary

This year, more than any in the past, is a watershed year for EMC. This year, the stars are aligning where customers are open for change, looking for help and ready to get started. The traditional enterprise sacred cows are up for grab. Now is the time for EMC to demonstrate how they can make this shift and continue to provide leadership to the enterprise customer.