VMware vCloud Air Network Introduced 

VMware, Inc. today announced the VMware vCloud Air Network to provide greater choice and flexibility to businesses looking to capitalize on the advantages of hybrid cloud. As the world's largest network of validated cloud services based on VMware technologies with more than 3,800 VMware Service Provider partners in more than 100 countries, the VMware vCloud Air Network represents an evolution and expansion of the company's VMware Service Provider Program (VSPP).

The company also announced the rebranding of VMware vCloud Hybrid Service to VMware vCloud Air. The name change underscores VMware'scommitment to deliver value added as a service solutions (e.g. Infrastructure as a Service, Desktop as a Service, Disaster Recovery as a Service, etc.) to customers on its hybrid cloud platform. Future as a service offerings from VMware will carry the "Air" brand suffix to align with this strategy.

Since its launch in 2013, VMware vCloud Air (previously, VMware vCloud Hybrid Service) has rapidly expanded its global footprint to provide U.S., European and Asia-Pacific businesses with the fastest path to hybrid cloud. Now with eight data centers in the U.S., U.K. and Japan, VMware recently announced its hybrid cloud expansion in the Asia-Pacific region via a joint venture with SoftBank Telecom Corp. and SoftBank Commerce & Service Corp.(SoftBank C&S) that brought vCloud Air to Japan. VMware also announced a strategic partnership with China Telecom to build a world-class hybrid cloud service in Beijing.

"We continue to see tremendous momentum for VMware vCloud Air as more and more businesses look to capitalize on the undeniable operational and economic benefits of hybrid cloud," said Bill Fathers, executive vice president and general manager, Hybrid Cloud Services Business Unit, VMware. "TheVMware vCloud Air Network represents another key element of our cloud strategy -- enabling customer choice and flexibility to find the ideal, local cloud service based on industry leading VMware technology. Our customers can focus their resources on growing their business, knowing that by using VMwarevCloud Air or one of our vCloud Air Network partners, their IT team can seamlessly and securely extend their data centers and applications to the cloud."

VMware vCloud Air Network - Validated, Local Cloud Services

The VMware vCloud Air Network supports customers with increased service flexibility, greater options for global cloud services and the choice of local cloud service providers from either VMware vCloud Air or from the ecosystem of VMware vCloud Air Network Service Provider partners.

In the VMware vCloud Air Network, customers can use a new partner badging system to identify and select from VMware vCloud Air or VMware vCloud Air Network Service Providers. Service providers designated as "IaaS Powered" have clouds based on VMware vSphere as their foundational technology. Partners that are "Hybrid Cloud Powered" have validated their service using VMware vCloud Director to enable bi-directional workflow between the customer environment and the partner cloud. "Horizon DaaS Powered" partners have validated clouds to support desktop as a service deployments. VMware will also offer future badge validations to promote additional partner cloud services based future vCloud Air services.

Additional VMware vCloud Air Network customer benefits include:

• Multiple compliance certifications, infrastructure and application services in managed and self-service environments as well as vertical market specializations;
• Data sovereignty provided through local VMware vCloud Air datacenters and VMware vCloud Air Network Service Providers;
• A seamless transition from on-premises to the cloud for VMware customers.