vmware explore – vLenzker – a comdivision partner

#VMwareExplore in Las Vegas -> Let’s learn how to play Poker and Join the event

12. August 202512. August 2025lenzker

As you might know we are organizing a Poker event on Monday in Las Vegas. If you have no clue how Poker works, just watch the following clip.

If you have no idea what happened?! -> Check out the following play rules.

We play in 5 phases.

The Deal – Everyone gets two private cards (your “hole cards”). These are just for you.
The Flop – Three community cards are placed face-up in the middle. Everyone can use them, in combination with their own two cards, to make the best 5-card hand.
The Turn – A fourth community card is added. Betting continues.
The River – The fifth and final community card hits the table. This is your last chance to bet, bluff, or fold.
Showdown – If more than one player remains, you reveal your cards. Best 5-card hand wins.

Those are the best cards * Source Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_hands

The goal is simple: win the pot by having the best hand… or by convincing everyone else you do. In poker (and in negotiatiosn), confidence counts as much as the actual cards you’re holding. Since I always lose at Poker I guess thats the reason why at comdivision we have fixed prices & don’t negotiate :P

And if you still have no clue you could still join and enjoy the atmosphere. Just play it like I would…

You want to join the comdivision Poker event? Check it out here:

Vegas, VMware, and… a poker tournament? That’s exactly how we’re kicking off Monday evening at VMware Explore 2025. On Monday, 25 August, 8:00 PM, the comdivision crew is taking over the prestigious Poker Room at The Venetian Hotel for an evening of cards, competition, and conversations you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re a Texas Hold’em veteran or you’ve only played on the odd poker night with friends, this is the perfect setting to relax, connect, and maybe pick up a few bluffing skills — could come in handy during your next subscription renewal negotiation.

The setup is simple: comdivision covers the event fees, you just bring yourself. Everyone starts with the same stack of 10,000 chips (no cash value), so it’s about skill, luck, and maybe a well-timed poker face. At the end of the night, the top three chip leaders will walk away with special prizes:

1st: Seat at the comdivision Architecture Think Tank + exclusive branded prize
2nd: Seat at a comdivision Challenge Days event + exclusive branded prize
3rd: 20 cd:credits + exclusive branded prize

Even if you’re not eligible for prizes due to company or legal policies, you can still play — you just won’t be in the prize ranking. comdivision staff will be playing too, but don’t worry… we’re excluded from winning anything (except bragging rights).

Seats are limited, the stakes are fun, and the conversations at the table might be as valuable as the cards in your hand. See you Monday night — and remember, in poker and in IT architecture, sometimes you win by not showing all your cards.

Check it out here: https://go.comdivision.com/en/comdivision-poker-vegas2025

@Lenzker is back in Las Vegas – VMware Explore 2025, let’s go

4. August 2025lenzker

I haven’t been to Las Vegas in quite a while. The last time I walked down the Strip, vSphere 8 wasn’t even announced, Broadcom had yet to finalize any big acquisition, and VMware Explore was still called VMworld (and there was an event like #vSoccer & #vDodgeball that demonstrated my lack of fitness).

So I went down the registration road & here we are

I’m back.
Flight booked – ✅.
Explore pass – ✅.
Hotel sorted – ✅.

I’ve always loved this event. Not just for the technology, but for the atmosphere. The community vibe. The conversations you don’t find in slide decks. The random reunions with people you’ve only seen on Zoom over the past years. It’s the energy that makes Explore what it is. And if i look at my linekdIn Poll still 33% of my network will come to the US.

What’s new this year? Besides a whole new range of tech topics and announcements, VMware Explore 2025 introduces a more flexible event structure. For the first time, you can choose between three different types of passes depending on how deep you want to dive into the content—or how much you just want to connect with others.

The Full Event Pass gives you the classic, all-in experience: breakout sessions, Hands-on Labs, access to the general session, the party, the Hub, the exam voucher , and yes, the infamous backpack [if somebody wants it – drop me a message :)]. It’s what most of us are used to from past years—and still the best choice if you’re coming for both knowledge and community.

The Essentials Pass is a lighter version of that. You’ll still get to queue for sessions onsite, hear from leadership in the general session, and meet vendors and peers in the Hub. It’s a focused, flexible way to attend – especially if you want to avoid being overscheduled.

Then there’s the Meetings+ Pass, which actually had me thinking. It’s clearly geared toward business networking: access to the Meeting Center, the Hub, partner areas, and sponsored sessions. I’m a big fan of the face-to-face format, and this pass supports exactly that .So yes, I briefly considered going the Meetings+ route. If you know me, you know I enjoy meeting folks from across the ecosystem,partners, customers, tech friends. Building those connections is a huge part of what Explore is about for me.

But then I checked the session catalog.

And there it was: deep dives on VMware Cloud Foundation 9. New architecture models. Operations and automation changes. A real shift in how we approach private cloud.

My technical heart kicked in.
I’ve always been hands-on. I want to get my information straight from the engineers and field experts who built it. I want to sit in the front row and ask the awkward architecture questions. I want to come home with practical insights I can use in customer projects the next day.

So yes I went for the Full Event Pass.

Not just for the VCF content (though that was the tipping point), but because I still enjoy getting certified on-site, wandering through the Hands-on Labs, soaking in unexpected product updates, and of course: joining the party. Let’s not kid ourselves—Explore without the party just isn’t the same.

So here we are. I’m heading back to Vegas.

I’ll post my session list in a follow-up. There’s a good mix of technical VCF sessions, architecture content, and a few that dive into where the whole Broadcom + VMware story is headed from a partner perspective.

If you’re attending, let’s grab a drink. Or coffee. Or food. Or meet in a breakout. Or just say hi while crossing The Hub. You know how it is—random encounters often lead to the best ideas.

Btw. we are also organizing a Poker event – And if you want to see why I am one of worst Poker players in the world…. join us :)
https://go.comdivision.com/en/comdivision-poker-vegas2025

Looking forward to connecting, learning, sharing and yes, maybe dancing a bit too :D.

Let’s make this one count.
See you in Vegas.

#VMware Explore 2024: Join Us in Barcelona to get even more confident in the new #Broadcom Chapter

13. September 2024lenzker

Due to some personal health incidents I was not able to join VMware Explore in Las Vegas -> But guess WHOOOO’s backkkk….

VMware Explore is back this year in Barcelona November 4th-7yh. This event marks the first European VMware Explore in the new VMware Broadcom era following the Broadcom acquisition. Attendees will gain insights into the evolving dynamics of VMware under Broadcom’s ownership, with a focus on VMware Cloud Foundation 9 and leveraging VMware for AI workloads.

For sure we all know William Lam’s playlist to bingewatch the session that have been presented at the US conference (https://github.com/lamw/vmware-explore-2024-session-urls/), but still there are several good reasons to attend Barcelona in Person.

Why Attend VMware Explore? Here Are 10 Compelling Reasons:

Connect and Network: Forge meaningful connections with fellow data center enthusiasts. Whether you’re meeting new faces, sharing a meal, or engaging in business discussions, VMware Explore offers the perfect platform to build lasting relationships. Contribute to the community through blogs, tweets, or vBeers, and you’ll find that giving often leads to receiving valuable insights and support.
Explore the Solutions Exchange: Dive into the core of the software-defined data center and multi-cloud ecosystem. The Solutions Exchange provides a unique opportunity to explore the latest innovations. Engage in in-depth discussions with booth representatives, and if needed, schedule one-on-one meetings to address your specific needs and ideas.
Attend High-Quality Breakout Sessions: Choose from a wide range of breakout sessions designed to enhance your knowledge and skills. Your VMware Explore ticket grants access to all sessions, even post-event. Be sure to check out William Lam’s comprehensive collection of direct links to previous sessions for a preview of the valuable content you can expect.
Engage with the Community at VMTN: Visit the VMTN booth and join discussions at the blogger table. Share your expertise or learn from others in a welcoming, community-focused environment. Submit your own session proposal or simply absorb the wealth of knowledge available. Unfortunately, vBrownbag will not be attending this year, but don’t miss out on joining the VMware #code program at the community booth.
Meet the Experts: VMware Explore gathers a high concentration of industry experts. Arrange meetings to discuss specific challenges, design questions, or product insights. This is a unique opportunity to gain direct input from some of the best in the field.
Pre-Event Networking: Connect with attendees beforehand on social media platforms like Twitter/X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more. Discover what’s happening in Las Vegas, join or organize public meetings, and keep up with vendor and community-sponsored evening activities. Register early for various late-night events to secure your spot.
Participate in the Hackathon: Join the hackathon for a collaborative and intellectually stimulating experience. Work with brilliant minds to tackle specific challenges. Even with limited time and resources, the hackathon is a fantastic way to engage with peers and enjoy a creative challenge.
Meet the Community and Social Media Team: A highlight each year is the community booth, where you can interact with bloggers and active community members. Engage with VMware’s social media team, including Eric Nielsen and Corey Romero, who help make this community vibrant and welcoming.
Return to Work with New Ideas: Gain fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to apply in your daily job. Engaging with thousands of smart, forward-thinking individuals will inspire new approaches to technologies, methodologies, and problem-solving.
Discover Business and Job Opportunities: While this might not be the primary argument for your boss, VMware Explore offers the potential to uncover new business and job opportunities in the SDDC and cloud sectors. Understanding the market and environment at VMware Explore will help you identify and capitalize on these opportunities.

Ready to Transform Your Career?

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to enhance your skills, network with industry leaders, and explore the latest in VMware technology. Convince your boss and register for VMware Explore 2024.

And if you are still reading this and meet me in person; let’s catch up… I will be at one of the pre-conference event starting on Sunday [and I hope to not end up in a club at the beach this year :)]

VMware Explore 2022 – The 2 minute story around multi cloud in the Virtual Machine & Dev world

3. July 20223. July 2022lenzker

Things have changed over the last few years. I have become a dad, my blog was on pause, but now I am back :) And so are our IT-events. Like Olivia Newton-John have foreseen it in 1982 – let’s get physical.

VMworld is now VMware Explore – and a lot has changed. The window for VMware was open just for a short timeframe (a little reference to himym) has decided to not be solo anymore & get part of broadcom. Even though we are in the middle of the takeover and certain scenarios have been discussed I am looking forward to how VMware will present itself during this years VMware Explore. To bring you on track what major topics are going to be the theme I am going to give you a short wrap up about the current state of VMware’s VM & Container/Dev strategy.

Register HERE

As in the years before VMware will have two main conferences in the United States (San Francisco) & Europe (Barcelona). Besides that 4 more 2 day events are coming to countries with a huge growing market around IT.

The topic will remain the same as the last years: multi-cloud multi-cloud & multi-cloud (and for sure workplace :). VMware’s Cloud Console is gaining more and more cloud services. A lot of common products we use are available as a subscription based service & still there is a lot to do from my point of view.

VMware follows certain strategies in the world of multi-cloud. One of those strategies is

“One (cloud) foundation to rule it all”

Within the pure infrastructure & virtual machine space VMware is pushing its cloud foundation (vSphere, vSAN & NSX) into all major clouds for several years now. The goal here is to convince customers & enterprises getting rid of their datacenters to migrate everything as it is in a lift & shift manor to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba, Oracle Cloud or one of the plenty VMware Cloud Provider’s out there.

And if you don’t want to go to the cloud? If you simply want to keep your datacenter or choose a partner as a co-location for your datacenter VMware is going to give us surely more insights in vSphere+ & vSAN+: the new subscriptions around vSphere & vSAN included in a centralized cloud console. What would be the target of the business to go that road?

This strategy is is something we have seen for years now. What are the challenges for VMware & it’s partners? Convince companies that it is more useful to keep the current operations models you have to today & migrate it to the cloud. That will just works when you talk to companies that are satisfied with how the IT is operates today. Otherwise the CIO will prefer a way to migrate to the native infrastructure service instead of putting it on a vmware-in-the-middle stack.

If you have a solution based on vSphere/vSAN/etc. running today, that satisfies the business goals but lacks scaleability, availability (in terms of – I need that solution on all continents within days) and maybe operability the VMware Cloud Story is just great. IMO the best way to get the quick wins of lift & shift projects into the cloud.

But since most cloud initiatives also wants to reduce the amount of legacy VMs with a concrete set of things like cpu, memory & disk we need to talk about modern applications that are not just installed on a ‘fat’ system. We need to talk about applications that scale out if required & scale down to zero once they are not used. The answer to that is:

tanzu

Now you see it :) VMware’s Tanzu is an interesting name for all tools & solutions around developing application & running them. Over the years the story around kuberentes has changed a lot and seems to be finally finalized (the story is finalized not the products & velocity of features / products within tanzu).

Within the comdivision team we did some cool stuff around the infrastructure part of tanzu & if someone would ask me what the goal here is I would say the following.

The cloud native landscape is huge and to get things here up & running from scratch is nearly impossible for enterprises.

With tanzu & its tools VMware tries to make a lot of those things consumable in an easy fashion. From an infrastructure point of view Tanzu Kubernetes (Grid) clusters are the key.

You run this K8s conformant (VMware supported) cluster everywhere (on vSphere/EC2/Azure VMs), manage it centrally with the SaaS solution Tanzu Mission Control.

If you want to create new clusters -> Just do it. If you want to scale out k8s clusters -> Just do it. If you want to extend clusters with services from the Cloud Native landscape? -> Just do it.

With just do it I mean -> run a simple cmdlet for the pros or click on the proper buttons in Tanzu Mission Control.

From my point of view what Cloud Foundation is the core foundation for the infrastructure within all the clouds, is the Tanzu Kubernetes (Grid) cluster for everything cloud native.

So I am really looking forward on new things coming into the cloud native world & I am really hoping that broadcom will follow VMware’s current strategy in the cloud-native space.