Dell EMC The Source

#150: Thank You for 150 Episodes Thank You for 150 Episodes. 150 Episodes providing an inside look at Dell EMC Products, Technologies and Solutions.   I’d like to thank all my guests and everyone that helped me in the creation and development of the show.  Thank You! If you miss my voice, you can find me on a handful of other podcasts www.samsdisneydiary.com (Disney Podcast), www.wompratradio.com (Star Wars Podcast) and www.TheDisneyNerdsPodcast.com.  Dell EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

I’ve said it many times on the show, “Without an application, you don’t need infrastructure”; it’s as true today as ever.  A cloud is…  Infrastructure, sometimes it’s in your data center, sometimes it is managed by someone else.  Simplifying the deployment of the infrastructure to support those applications provides the speed to market needed to deploy applications faster.  Dell EMC Ready Bundle for SAP Landscapes and Dell EMC Ready Bundle for Oracle provide the infrastructure needed to deploy quickly and successfully the first time. I spent some time with Sam Lucido (@sam_lucido) on the show floor of Dell Technologies World 2018 to get details. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

During the 2018 Global Partner Summit Keynote, our commitment to the channel was clear.  Making it easier for our partners to do business with Dell Technologies is Priority #1.  Making that commitment real falls to the operations team behind the scenes, and they are all over that commitment.  Darren Sullivan, VP Global Partner and OEM Operations, and Stephanie Mims, VP Channel Operations, are leading the way.   They joined me in the Global Partner Lounge with some updates on what is happening, and how their four focus areas all tie to our #1 Priority, “Make it easier for our partners to do business with Dell Technologies.” Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Dell EMC Partners continue to make the difference.  Our partners deliver on the promise of IT, Digital, Security and Workforce Transformation.   In this episode of Dell EMC The Source, our Partner Spotlight is on CDW.  I sat down with Scott DeTota, Vice President Product and Partner Management CDW, during the Global Partner Summit 2018.  With 8,700 employees, CDW has offices in the UK, Canada and 32 US locations.  With a focus on Cloud, Data Center, Digital Workspace, Networking and Security, get more information at www.DCW.com or drop Scott a line at sdetota@cdw.com Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

How IoT and Video Surveillance are Making the World Safer, that’s the breakout session presented by friend of the podcast, Ken Mills (@OtherKen) at Dell Technologies World 2018.   I was able to catch up with Ken while the Expo Hall was being deconstructed, apologies for the construction noise in the background. As Ken describes it, video surveillance is no longer about collecting video; it’s about understanding what is happening at the device, at the edge, and making realtime decisions.    Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Dell EMC Partners continue to make the difference; our partners deliver on the promise of IT, Digital, Security and Workforce Transformation.   In this episode of Dell EMC The Source, our Partner Spotlight is on FusionStorm.  I sat down with Dan Serpico, CEO FusionStorm, during the Global Partner Summit 2018.  We talked partnership and extending Dell Technologies infrastructure to solutions providers and joint customers.  FusionStorm is a leader in hyper-converged infrastructure, helping our customers deploy faster driving business results. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Paul Galjan (@PaulGaljan), Senior Director, Microsoft Hybrid Cloud joins me from the Dell Technologies World 2018 Expo hall with the latest on VxRack: Azure Stack. Microsoft Azure stack delivers unmatched levels of integration, automation and manageability and enables customers to increase IT efficiencies while adopting a Dev/Ops model.  Dell Technologies is the only vender able to provide an Azure Stack turnkey hybrid cloud platform offering: A Foundation of Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and Dell EMC Networking Simple, self-service, policy-enforced encruption-as-a-service, through Dell EMC CloudLink SecureVM. Dell EMC best-in-class backup and recovery technologies Reduced complexity and risk with build in lifecycle components for the entire hybrid cloud platform. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Dell EMC Partners continue to make the difference; our partners deliver on the promise of IT, Digital, Security and Workforce Transformation.   The Global Partner Summit was the perfect opportunity for our Partners to get the latest details on our plans and strategies moving forward. We have also leveraged the time to listen to those partners, and that’s exactly what “The Source – Partner Spotlight” is all about.   For this episode, I’m joined by Scott Miller, Sr Director Partnerships at World Wide Tech.   We talked Transformation, Agile Development and Transformation, both internally and with our end customers. For more information visit www.wwt.com or drop Scott an email scott.miller@wwt.com Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Almost a year ago, Patricia Florissi Blogged about a Distributed Data Analytics Platform and the World Wide Herd.  The concept of creating a global network of distributed Apache Hadoop instances forming a single virtual computing cluster.    The concept opens the door to an amazing amount of possibilities, orchestrating computations across the globe from edge to core to cloud.  I caught up with Ahmed Osama, (@Ahmed_OZ) Sr Innovation Manager, and Lori Schlesman (@LoriSchles) Lead Program Manager for the WWH Project, to find out what our customers have been using the platform for various use cases. For more information drop an email to federatedanalytics@Dell.com!  Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Dell EMC Channel Service’s theme at the Global Partner Summit (GPS) is “Delivering Value Through Services”.  Driving more profitability to our partners so they can deliver greater value to our customers.  Dell EMC provides a services portfolio and delivery enablement that improves the value our partners deliver to customers. Erica Lambert (@EricaLambert03) Vice President of Channel Services Sales, joined me in the Global Partner Lounge with details about our channel partners we are happy to hear.   Aligning services between Dell Technologies and our partners, delivering the best experience possible for our end users.  For more details visit the Dell Partner Portal.   Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The general session at the Dell Technologies Global Partner Summit 2018 provides a perfect stage to showcase our channel executives as they highlight the Dell Technologies Vision, and Partner Enablement Programs.     The Global Partner Summit also provides an opportunity to address the specific needs of a global organization.  The Regional/International Breakouts are designed to address those specific needs.  I sat down with Alvaro Camarena, Vice President Latin America Channel.  With 240 LATAM Partners attending the Global Partner Summit, Alvaro was more than happy to talk about helping those partners with their transformation and in turn helping to transform our end users.  Alvaro reflects on building the channel, and what it takes to be successful today and where we are headed.  Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell EMC VDI Complete Solution has one goal:  Make it easier to buy, implement and support Virtual Desktops with unique, end-to-end client  solutions including technologies across the Dell Technologies family of companies.   Starting with Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) leveraging Dell EMC VxRail or vSAN ReadyNodes on Dell PowerEdge Servers, Virtualization Software from VMware via VMware vSpherer and Horizons, and Dell endpoints including Wyse Thin clients and OptiPlex micro PCs, VDI Complete is an end to end solution. Add Dell Financial Services (DFS) to that technology stack, and you have a fully integrated flexible consumption model providing predictability and scale at a fixed cost per desktop per month.       Rishi Manocha (Rishi_Manocha@DELL.com) joined me from the Dell Technologies World 2018 Expo Hall with the latest. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Brandon Sweeney (@bsweeneyatVMW), Sr Vice President VMWare Channel and Commercial Sales, joins me from the Global Partner Summit at Dell Technologies World 2018. It’s clear that enabling our joint partner channel is the key to growth and end user enablement.   The entire Dell Technologies Family benefits when our partners are successful.   Brandon talks innovation and depth of technology solutions across the Dell Technologies family and enabling our partner community. If you’re a Partner where should you start?  Brandon helps point us in the right direction. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

The general session at the Dell Technologies Global Partner Summit 2018 provides a perfect stage to showcase our channel executives as they highlight the Dell Technologies vision, and Partner enablement programs.     The Global Partner Summit also provides an opportunity to address the specific needs of a global organization.  The Regional/International breakouts are designed to address those specific needs.  I sat down with Tian Beng (@Tian_Beng_Ng), Sr Vice President and GM APJ Channels, to get an international prospective of the conference, our channel partners and customers.  TB talks about the “extraordinary year” celebrated by the APJ team in 2017 and looks forward to 2018.  With over 500 partners making the trip from APJ to Las Vegas, TB was more than happy to share the excitement and opportunity ahead for Dell Technologies and our Partners. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

IoT is everywhere!  Chris Wolffe,(@Chris_Wolff) Head of IoT and OEM solutions for Dell Technologies talks IoT, IoT is all about smart technologies in packages solutions that can be easily deployed to enable business and human progress. Dell's capacity, expertise and methodology accelerates Future Makers time from dream to revenue. Partners play a critical role in bringing those game-changing ideas to fruition. Chris’s team is focused on developing programs and strategies that help our technology partners (intel, ms, vmware), ISVs, channel partners and systems integrators make IoT smarter form the edge to the core. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Jay Snyder, (@JayBOD3) Sr Vice President, Global Alliances, Service Providers and Industries joins me this time on Dell EMC The Source Podcast. Through Global Alliances, Jay focuses on several distinct domains; leading the overall relationship for Dell Technologies most strategic global system integrators, the program and sales efforts for the cloud service provider partners, the Telecommunications sales vertical and the global industries sales teams.  Having all three in a single organization allows them to leverage each other for solution success. Having introduced the idea of “Solutioning” at the global Partner Summit last year, the success has proven to be amazing, and this year the theme is to “amp” up that strategy.  The goal is to become the go to technology provider for the expansion and standardization of Dell Technologies via our Alliance Partners and Service Providers at scale.      Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Bryan Jones (@BryanEJones), Sr. Vice President and GM of OEM and IoT Channel Solutions joins me on this episode of Dell EMC The Source to provide some insight into the IoT and OEM strategy at Dell Technologies. The IoT Business Unit is leveraging technology from all seven strategically aligned Dell Technologies Business Unites to create IoT Solutions for our customers.  The OEM component is taking those IoT Solutions add their Intellectually Property and take the enhanced solutions to market to make a difference.  For more details visit www.dell.com/OEM Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The event inside the event, The Global Partner Summit brings together over 6,000 Dell Technologies Partners.  The Summit is designed to enable our partners and equip them to deliver best in breed technology solutions to our joint customers.  Cheryl Cook (@CookCherylS), Sr Vice President Dell EMC Partner Marketing joined me just after her Global Partner Summit Keynote with some of the latest details.  Cheryl talked to enabling our Partners via the Dell Technologies Advantage, the MyRewards Program, Webinars, Videos and other tools to help our partners lead the transformational journey our mutual customers are on.  Join me this time on Dell EMC The Source Podcast when we get into details.  Be sure to visit www.Dell.com/Partner for more details on the Dell Technologies Partner community. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell EMC Heroes Program is celebrating its One-Year Anniversary.  The program is designed to enable our Partner Systems Engineering Community by sharing knowledge, best practices, and real-world experience.  I sat down with Vince Affatati (@VincentAffatati), Global VP Channel Pre-Sales, after the “1st Anniversary Celebration” at Lagasse Stadium during the Global Partner Conference.  With over 300 Partners representing all corners of the globe, to say Vince was fired up would be an understatement.  This time on Dell EMC The Source Podcast. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

SPECIAL REPORT: Dell Technologies World 2018 “Make it Real”.  To say that the first Dell Technologies World is an amazing experience is an understatement.  From General Sessions, Guru Sessions, Breakout Sessions, Hands-on-Labs Training, Certifications and Customer Briefing Experience all topped off with an incredible Customer Appreciation Event. The Solutions Expo provides a perfect opportunity for direct interaction with Dell Technologies Sponsors and Exhibitors, and every year the Solutions Center gets bigger.  Incorporating all aspects of Dell Technologies, the centerpiece of this year’s Expo Hall is all about realizing 2030 and enabling human progress in the ‘Engines of Human Progress” showcase.  I spent some time with Adeel Omer (@GeekinAustin) touring the Solutions Expo attempting to capture as much of the expo as possible.  Join for this special LIVE report form Dell Technologies World 2018.  Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Maurice Harty and Joseph Correia have transformed the Hands on Labs for Dell Technologies World 2018. Moving to a modern Software Defined Datacenter stack, the hands-on labs are now able to deliver a common user experience across Dell Technologies products and solutions. Users have the ability to choose from a full lab or individual modules giving them the ability to customize their experience based on their interests. With labs based on technologies from Virtustream, Pivotal, VMware and Dell EMC, users have almost 50 labs to choose from, including vSpherre v6.5 What’s New, Pivotal Ready Architecture, Pivotal Container Services (PKS) and Kuberneties and VMware Pulse IoT Center 7 LIOTA (Little IoT Agent). In addition to the Hands on Labs, Technical workshops provide the perfect class room setting for digging deeper into a number of familiar and emerging technologies. Workshops included a “Bockchain Hack-a-Thon” and Preparing for Your vSphere 6.5 upgrade. Maurice and Joe were more than happy to share the latest in this episode of Dell EMC The Source Podcast.   For more details on the Hands-On-Zone, check out the official page and be sure to follow @DellEMCHOL.

The conference inside the conference, The Dell Technologies Global Partner Summit was hosted by Global Channel, OEM and IoT President, Joyce Mullen (@Joyceatdell). The theme ROARED off the stage as Joyce highlighted our 2017 accomplishments and new Programs and Solutions specific to our channel partners for 2018. Our #1 Priority is helping our Global Partners and OEMs help our joint customers. I caught up with Joyce just a few minutes after the Global Partner Summit Keynote. From the Dell EMC Ready Stack Certified Reference System to the Dell EMC MyReward Program, the excitement is clearly contagious. Looking to learn more about becoming a Dell Technologies partner? Visit dell.com/partner and be sure to follow @DellEMCPartners. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Dell Technologies World is NEXT WEEK!   Dell Technologies World is for technologists, thought leaders and executives ready to transform their careers and organizations. Find topics at all levels of technical competency, from application development to infrastructure modernization; from innovation strategy to cloud and security. Tap into the expertise of Dell Technologies engineers, trailblazers and architects who make transformation real every day.   With so much happening, where do you start?  I talked to Greg McCarthy (@GMcCarthy24) from the Dell Social Team to get the details on the action-packed conference.  Get all the details and the full agenda at www.DellTechnologiesWorld.com Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

While Hyper Converged Infrastructure provides the ability to simplify the deployment of cloud and application solutions, it also brings with it some unexpected considerations.   Chad Engel (@Engel_Chad), Sr Sales Director Hyper Converged, likes to consider them the three P’s: People, Process and Politics.  In some cases, the three P’s can lead to a delay in adopting the benefits of a hyper converged infrastructure. Chad has some interesting thoughts on how to bring down those barriers and embrace the operational efficiencies of Hyper Converged. As Dell EMC Hyper Converged Solutions extend to include development stacks such as the VxRail AS (Azure Stack), the value prop becomes clearer, infrastructure to accelerate application and business enablement. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

With Cloud data center providers embracing Canadian soil, the adoption of hybrid cloud strategies in Canada has increased considerably.  Or as Peter Near (@pnear), National Director of Systems Engineering VMWare Canada puts it, “Canadians have gone from pumping the brakes to pressing the accelerator”, regarding Hybrid Cloud Adoption.  In this episode of Dell EMC The Source Podcast, Peter explains the benefits to those Canadian customers that needed to wait for local cloud data centers, and the maturity of the tools and processes available to make the move.  No longer are we talking about converting and re-platforming.  We are talking about taking what we are doing today, modernizing what we are doing in our private cloud and easily integrating with public cloud, and simplifying the ability to move workloads as requirements change.  For all my Canadian friends, be sure to follow @VMWareCanada and @DellEMC_Canada for the latest. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

A few months ago, I sat down with Patty Moy, Director Dell EMC Heroes Program. She updated us on the program and the plans for 2018, including the Global Partner Summit, part of Dell Technologies World 2018. Part of that discussion included the quarterly Dell EMC Heroes Exchange events providing an opportunity for our partners to get details on product features, roadmaps, and solutions showcases in the area.  I recently attended one of the Heroes Exchange events, Top Golf Tampa. I took the opportunity to ask a few of our “Heroes” what they thought of the event. With a physical round table, Patty and I asked John Warren and Gary Isle of Tech Data and Rob Steele of Roundtower Technologies about the event. Listen in this week on Dell EMC The Source Podcast.

Communities and organizations everywhere are looking for ways to improve safety, this is especially important in urban areas.  Video management and video surveillance systems can be complex by nature.  V5 systems, a Dell EMC Partner, has created a self-powered outdoor security and computing platform designed for the industrial IoT.  The portable security solution, built on the Dell Internet Gateway, is designed to simplify the deployment process and accelerate the time to value.  By creating an industrial platform that customers can quickly deploy in areas without power or internet access, V5 is changing the game.    You couldn’t walk past the Dell EMC presence at the Intel Partner Connect Conference without noticing an interesting looking pole and solar panel in the center of the expo.  The V5 Portable Security Unit, or PSU, was the center of attention.  Built on the Dell Internet Gateway with Intel Technologies, the PSU represents the world’s first wireless, multi-sensor, portable security solution. I talked to Michele Stoehrer, Director of Business Development @v5Systems at the Intel Partner Connect Conference to find out exactly what this system was all about; and as it turns out, there is much more to the story.  The V5 computing platform provides the foundation for Artificial Intelligence and Edge Computing – Making the industrial IoT real. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Like Dell EMC and Dell Technologies, Intel is transforming as a company. According to Ricardo Moreno, VP and GM of Global Partner Sales, “Intel is going through the biggest transformation in our history”. Intel Partner Connect provided the perfect opportunity to connect with Rachel Mushahwar (@RachelMushahwar) General Manager, Americas Industry at Intel. We talked IoT, Data Center, Flash technologies and client solutions, but more importantly, we talked solutions. From reducing the time it takes for an MRI to performing financial transactions 10x faster. From Intel’s 50th birthday, Moore’s Law, Intel IoT Market Ready Solutions, Drones and helping our customers transform the way they interact with their customers.   Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Enterprises everywhere are increasingly adopting converged infrastructure (CI) as one of the best ways to rapidly adopt new technologies, reduce risk and simplify operations. Customers using Dell EMC VxBlock Systems report significantly better business outcomes with lower costs, faster time-to-deploy, simpler life cycle management and more time to focus on new business initiatives. With the first Dell EMC Converged Systems deployed in 2009, Dell EMC continues to collaborate with Cisco accelerating our customers’ ability to adopt new hardware and software even faster. Cisco Live Barcelona was the perfect opportunity to launch the latest VxBlock converged system, VxBlock 1000. I was not able to attend, but via the magic of radio and a little help from Paul Young (@youngp2) it’s like I was there. Paul caught up with Jon Segal (@Jon_Siegal), VP Product Marketing Converged Platforms, Dave Hayward, and Tom O’Reilly (@Tom_Oreilly_x), CTO EMEA. For the latest on Dell EMC Converged Offerings, be sure to follow @DellEMC_CI. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Technology changes, it’s a fact of life, and sometimes making a multi-year commitment can be a difficult decision. The Dell EMC Future-Proof Storage Loyalty Program gives you additional peace of mind with guaranteed satisfaction and investment protection for those future technology changes. The program covers the Dell EMC Storage Portfolio including; VMAX All-Flash, XtremIO X2, SC Series, Dell EMC Unity, Data Domain, Integrated Data Protection Appliance (IDPA), Isilon and Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS) appliance. Dell EMC Storage and Data Protection offers unbeatable value with a modern, efficient and feature rich product portfolio at no additional cost to you with purchase of a support agreement. Brian Henderson (@BHendu), Storage Portfolio Marketing Director, gives us the details on the 3-Year Satisfaction Guarantee, Hardware Investment Protection and Predictable Support Pricing along with 4:1 All-Flash Storage Efficiency Guarantee, Never-Worry Migratio, All-inclusive Software and Built-In Virtustream Storage Cloud. www.dellemc.com/futureproof Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

The Dell EMC Customer Solution Centers (CSC) are designed to help you, our customers, Make it Real. A place where our world-class IT experts collaborate with you to share best practices across the Dell EMC and Dell Technologies product portfolio. Supporting Technical Briefings, Architectural Design Sessions and Proof of Concepts, the CSC provides the ability for you to see the solutions of the future and test your solution against your business needs – so you can move forward with confidence. I sat down with KC Choi, Sr Vice President Dell EMC Presales. We talked “Making it Real” and how to engage in the CSC and Executive Briefing process. With 18 locations globally, most CSCs are located alongside one of our Executive Briefing Centers, providing the ability to test drive how the solutions will work.   Locations in North America include: Chicago, Hopkinton, Nashville, New York, Round Rock, Santa Clara, Washington DC – There is sure to be a CSC near you.   If you’re international, centers in Asia Pacific include Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo – EMEA: Cork, Dubai, Frankfurt, Luderick, Lodz, Paris and in Latin America, Mexico City and San Paulo. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell EMC Heroes Program was launched at Dell EMC World 2017. The program is designed to create a technical community between Dell EMC Systems Engineers and our Partners Systems Engineers globally. The Heroes Program is all about you, our partners and connecting you with the latest information on our products, solutions and technologies. Attend Quarterly Heroes Exchange events featuring the latest details on product features, roadmaps, and a solution showcase in your area. Other offerings include a Semi-annual Partner Technology Advisory Board and Annual Partner CTO Summit, the Heroes Program is designed to enable you our partners to fully understand the scope of Dell Technologies and Dell EMC solutions.    I sat down with Patti Moy, Director Dell EMC Heroes Program, to get a mid-year update on the program and what to expect leading into Dell Technologies World and the Global Partner Conference. Patti talked about a holistic approach to Data Center Design, not just storage, not just servers but everything in the Data Center. If you’re a Dell EMC Partner, you can learn more about the Heroes Program on the Partner Portal, from your local Partner SE or by dropping a note to DellEMCHeroesProgram@dell.com; there is also a LinkedIn community here   Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Frank Hauck started his EMC career 30 years ago.  He currently serves as principal liaison to global customers, strategic international countries and markets and other external stakeholders, helping to coordinate account teams, alliance teams and others around the world to engage customers on their transformative IT journey. As President of Dell EMC Customers & Markets within the Infrastructure Solutions Group, Frank has traveled the globe and participated as the Keynote presenter at numerous Dell EMC Forum Events.  Most recently, he was the keynote speaker at one of the last Dell EMC Forum Events in Charlotte, North Carolina.  While his schedule was tight, I was honored that Frank agreed to spend some time talking about our Global Customers and his experiences helping those customers along their Digital Transformation.  Thanks for the time Frank, and we look forward to Dell Technologies World and the Dell Technologies Forum events that will follow. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Dell EMC Partners are technology experts who help understand and solve our joint customers’ business problems and drive business to even greater success.  Ahead is one of those technology partners actively helping our customers transform how they run applications and infrastructure.  One of the breakout sessions at the Dell EMC Forum Charlotte, NC was “Think Ahead: How Optimizing Your Data Center Can Pave the Way to Digital Transformation”.   John Cole, Solutions Principle at Ahead presented the session.   I caught up with John after the breakout.  We talked “Meaningful Enterprise Cloud” and real examples of customers implementing Dell EMC Converged Platforms with Ahead to deliver real results, like reducing SQL Server Provisioning from a month to less than an hour.   For more information on Ahead visit  www.ThinkAhead.com. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell EMC Ready Bundle for Red Hat OpenStack Platform combines a core validated architecture with select extensions to create an adaptive infrastructure that integrates the best innovations from the OpenStack community with proven Dell EMC and Red Hat technologies. This open, secure, reliable and supported solution is built on validated, integrated components and features rapid, automated provisioning to simplify and speed deployment; helping you can take advantage of cloud benefits sooner. I sat down with, Peter Teeling (@DellTeeling) and Jerry Ness (@Jerry_Ness) at the Dell EMC Forum in St. Louis. They had just presented the topic during a standing room only breakout session. We talked Open Stack, Jet Pack Automation Deployment Engine and Accelerating Application Deployment. For more information check out Dell.com/openstack and http://dellemccloudbuilders.com/ to learn more. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

[The Source Podcast] Emerging Media: Flash, Compute, Interconnects and Apps and the Data Center. Hello 2018! What is emerging media? For years now, we have equated emerging media to “Flash Storage” and rightfully so; remember 2016 The Year of All-Flash? As promised, Flash has fundamentally changed the way enterprise storage systems are designed, and to a greater extent, Flash has changed the way we live – whatever device you are reading this on most certainly has NAND Flash at its core. But, as it turns out, Flash was just the latest evolution of Moore’s Law. While Flash continues to evolve: TLC, QLC, V-NAND, MLC Z-NAND, Z-SSD and 3D XPoint for example, we have just begun to scratch the surface. Emerging media applies to other areas as well. Who better to update us than the Vice President of Dell EMC Emerging Media and Dell EMC Fellow, Danny Cobb (@Dcobbweb). Emerging Media applies to much more than just storage media. The media evolution applies not only to storage, but applies to Interconnects, Compute, Applications and Application Development and the Data Center itself. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell Technologies Executive Briefing Program provides a perfect opportunity for our customers to address a wide range of IT topics, built on a foundation of trust, as well as Dell’s commitment to solving your complex business challenges. Executive Briefings provide the opportunity to participate in a customized program based on your current IT environment — and the issues on your horizon. I sat down with John Clifford, (@John_A_Clifford), Global Lead Dell Technologies Executive Briefing Program.  We talked transformation, for both our customers and internally.  Throughout 2017, the Executive Briefing Centers have undergone an extensive transformation and are entering 2018 ready to deliver our customers the best of Dell Technologies.    Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Dell EMC Ready Solutions for Data Analytics are designed to help our customers and partners deploy systems for supporting the deployment of advanced analytic workloads. Covering Data Analytic Solutions for Hadoop covering both Cloudera and Hortonworks along with Splunk Solutions. Dell EMC is focused on providing the right Solution to accelerate your Data Analytic workloads.   Cory Minton (@Cory_Minton), Principle Systems Engineer for our Data Analytics Solutions and host of the Big Data Beard Podcast, was more than happy to talk about the latest enhancements in the data analytics space, and how we help address our customers business problems.   You can find more information on all of the Dell EMC Ready Solutions for Data Analytics here. Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Don’t miss the blog, now part of Direct2DellEMC Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The Dell EMC Forum 2017 provided the opportunity for Dell EMC customers to get the latest updated direct from product and solutions specialists. With a cornucopia of breakout sessions available, not many presenters get to present multiple sessions.   Garrett Van Siclen (@gtvansiclen) is one of the exceptions; covering Dell EMC Data Protection Solutions including Data Protection Storage, Data Protection Software and Converged Data Protection, including “Why Dell EMC Data Protection, Modernization and Transformation”. I caught up with Garrett near the Data Protection Solutions booth in the Solution Expo; he was more than happy to talk Data Protection including the latest Converged Data Protection offering, the Integrated Data Protection Appliance. For more information on the Dell EMC Data protections portfolio be sure to visit www.dellemc.com/dataprotection for more on the Dell EMC Integrated Data Protection Appliance visit www.dellemc.com/idpa Couldn’t make the Dell EMC Fourm in your city? Don’t miss the Virtual Dell EMC Forum www.dellemc.com/virtualforum Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Don’t miss the blog, now part of Direct2DellEMC Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Technology is advancing at an exponential rate, changing how we live and work. Customers in every industry are fundamentally rethinking their business models. IT is the heart of this transformation, the Dell EMC forum event series allows us to continue that conversation. I sat down with Bryan Jones (@BryanEJones), Sr Vice President Dell EMC Field Marketing at the Dell EMC Forum Vancouver right after his morning keynote. We talked Dell Technologies and bringing the best of the best to our customers with the Dell EMC Forum. Bryan talks transformation and some big news regarding the Dell EMC Forum series in 2018 and beyond. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

It all starts with data analytics. The practice of applying modern analytics software tools across data of all types, including unstructured, semi-structured, and structured data; as well as real-time/streaming and batch. Discovering insights to enhance the understanding of business and customer behavior is the primary goal. These analytics-driven insights can be used to shape business outcomes, improve competitive advantage, enhance financial decisions and develop more concise projections. I sat down with Erin Banks (@BanksEK) aka #BigDataBanks at the Dell EMC Forum Montreal to get the latest. From pizza to elevators to Mexican food and grocery stores, Big Data is nothing without Big Data Analytics. We have the details this week.   For more inofrmation visit: dellemc.com/bigdata or Email: data_analytics@dell.com Get Dell EMC The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The keynote and breakout sessions of the Dell EMC forum event series represent a huge opportunity for our customers and partners to learn the latest. The Dell EMC forum is much more than sessions. The solutions expo provides a perfect opportunity to connect and share best practices and see real solutions in action from Dell Technologies and our partners. The Solutions Expo includes a look at our client devices and a hand on lab for getting some “stick time”. I spent some time with Sonia Sharma who was happy to cover the details. In addition to the expo, some of the Dell EMC forums include a “Guest Speaker” – In Toronto the speaker was Wendel Clark, former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wendel talked Helmets, Sticks Technology and Hockey. Wendel’s guest session is included in this week’s Dell EMC The Source Podcast. Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

The best time to solve a problem is before it happens. The automated proactive and predictive technology Dell EMC SupportAssist helps reduce the steps and time it takes to find a resolution, often detecting issues before they become a crisis. I was able to spend some time with Wayne Ricketts, Regional Product Manager SupportAssist, between his customer conversations at the Dell EMC theater in the Microsoft Ignite Solutions Expo. For more information please visit www.dell.com.supportassist Get The Source app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play. Dell EMC The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

  Dell EMC Cloud for Microsoft Azure Stack is a hybrid cloud platform for delivering infrastructure and platform as a service with a consistent Azure experience on-premises and in the public cloud. Access, Create and share application service securely in Azure and Azure Stack for both traditional and loud native applications. Building on the Dell EMC Press release from Microsoft Ignite, “Dell EMC Expands Commitment to Microsoft Customers with Converged Infrastructure Advancements” I spent some time with Paul Galjan (@PaulGaljan), Sr. Director Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Solutions to get the details about the Microsoft ignite announcement and followed up on the latest post conference news, fully integrated Dell EMC PowerEdge 14G Server Platform taking Azure Stack to the next level. Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com Dell EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

Dell EMC ScaleIO Ready Node combines powerful Dell PowerEdge servers and the software-defined block storage capabilities of ScaleIO to deliver endless server SAN possibilities. Offering All-Flash and Hybrid configurations, the ScaleIO Ready Node is pre-validated, tested and configured to provide the best performance possible.  Meet your business objectives while greatly simplifying the process of procuring and deploying a server SAN. I caught up with Brian Lewis (@v_Lewis) at the Dell EMC Forum in Minneapolis, he had all the details of the ScaleIO Ready node family. Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com Dell EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

The Dell EMC Forum is a multi-format event experience designed for IT decision makers and executives seeking insights to cloud solutions and opportunities to engage with peers. “Realize your Digital Future”, this year’s Dell EMC Forum theme is all about helping IT become the business. Featuring executive keynotes and breakout tracks that cover Digital Transformation, Best of Breed Infrastructure, Converged Systems, Cloud Strategy and Workforce Transformation, the Dell EMC Forum offers something for everyone. Upcoming events in North America include: New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Montreal, Dallas, Vancouver, Seattle, Houston and St Louis. Register for the free event at www.dellemc.com/forum Aaron Chaisson (@AaronChaison), VP Global Portfolio Messaging, was the Keynote Speaker for Minneapolis, MN. I caught up with Aaron in the field level suite of US Bank Stadium right after his keynote; that interview, and the full Keynote address is in this week’s Dell EMC The Source Podcast. Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com Dell EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

This morning’s Dell EMC Press release reads “Dell EMC Expands Commitment to Microsoft Customers with Converged Infrastructure Advancements” covers the latest Converged Platforms designed to accelerate our customers Microsoft application deployments. From the latest Dell EMC XC Series data protection integration, Microsoft Azure Stack integration and Dell EMC Ready bundles for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Storage spaces. While the press release specifically targeted our latest Microsoft Announcements, timed with Microsoft Ignite. In reality, this is the latest in a long line of Dell EMC Converged and Hyper-Converged application enablement. While I was at Microsoft Ignite I sit down with Armughan Ahmad (@ArmughanAA), SVP & GM, Solutions & Alliances. We talked Customer Priorities and providing choice, regardless of application requirements, from Do It Yourself to Ready Nodes, Ready Bundles and Ready Systems. Dell EMC can accelerate your application deployments. Azure Stack Review from CRN: Dell EMC Brings Azure Stack To Channel Partners, Improves Hyper-V Support For Its XC Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com Dell EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)  

Dell EMC is once again a Gold Plus Sponsor of SAP TechEd 2017 in Las Vegas, September 25 – 29th. Be sure to stop by our Booth #800 to meet with our experts and find out how Dell EMC can help you accelerate your digital transformation with SAP. Check out the Intense Popcorn Showcase and get some freshly popped popcorn. Learn how we are providing real-time data monitoring and control between intelligent sensors and the Dell IoT Gateway - certified on SAP Leonardo.  For more details on the Popcorn Showcase, read Gunther Manz' recent blog post on the detailed overview of the real-time interaction using machine learning with enterprise business systems at remote industrial sites. Be sure to Follow @DellEMCSAP and of course, @Jim_Franklin Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

ScaleIO software solutions has been helping Dell EMC customers deliver scalable, flexible block storage for traditional and cloud native workloads.    ScaleIO.next announced at Dell EMC World 2017 and is on target for availability before the end of 2017.  ScaleIO.next adds compression, snapshots, VVols and Direct Path IO support in addition to enhanced space efficiency.  I caught up with Jason Brown (@FelixNU98), Principal Product Marketing Manager ScaleIO, at VMworld 2017 to get the latest on ScaleIO.next.  We talked use cases and consumption models.  For Software Only, visit www.dellemc.com/getscaleIO for details; ScaleIO Ready Nodes, pre-configured and pre-qualified, or VxRack System Flex featuring rack scale flexible deployments, ScaleIOs flexible deployment models provide choice in deployment.   Dell EMC ScaleIO YouTube Playlist and vLab models here.   Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com  EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

The VMworld 2017 Solutions Exchange featured over 220 sponsors and exhibitors showcasing their ideas and technology of tomorrow.   The Solutions Exchange was not only a perfect opportunity to showcase Dell EMC, front and center as always, the expo was also an opportunity for Dell Technologies to showcase how our efforts are shaping our customers Digital Transformation. And in addition, the Xcape Room, IoT showcase and VDI Complete Solutions expo provided ample opportunity to explore Dell Technologies solutions. There was more than enough time to explore; and as is now tradition, Adeel Omer (@GeekInAustin) and I spent some time walking around the Solutions Exchange doing our best to capture the moment. Don’t miss “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)

VMworld 2017 Keynote Day 2 was loaded with “Pivotal” announcements. from Pivotal Container Services (PKS) to VMware on Amazon Web Services. What does it all mean? I spent some time with “Chad” @Sakacc following his annual, and much anticipated, State of the Union Breakout Session. Like last year, this episode is a bit longer than normal. It includes Chads full breakout session “State of the Union: Everything multi-cloud, converged, hyper-converged and more!” If your looking for more detail, look no further than the Virtual Geek Blog. Here are some direct links to VMworld 2017 content – Thanks for listening. VMworld 2017 XtremIO-X2 The Best Clean Sheet AFA Gets Better VMworld 2017 Re-inventing Data Protection for VMware VMworld 2017 Pivotal Container Services PKS VMworld 2017 Continued Advances in hybrid cloud NHC VMworld 2017 Continued Advances in hybrid cloud EHC VMworld 2017 Continued Advances in hybrid clouds lessons learnt VMworld 2017 Thoughts on VMware cloud on AWS VMworld 2017 Making DIY HCI Easier vSan READY Nodes VMworld 2017 Vxrack SDDC 2.0 and VMware Cloud Foundation VMworld 2017 Vxrail The Best HCI Appliance for VMware gets even better  “Dell EMC The Source” app in the App Store.  Be sure to subscribe to Dell EMC The Source Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and visit the official blog at thesourceblog.emc.com EMC: The Source Podcast is hosted by Sam Marraccini (@SamMarraccini)