When it comes to the world of cloud computing, Pure Storage Inc. is known for its emphasis on innovation and customer-centric solutions.

At the recent VMware Explore event, Pure Storage made an announcement that could change how organizations navigate multicloud and hybrid cloud strategies. This development involves an expansion of Pure Storage’s partnerships and has the potential to deliver substantial cost savings for those adopting cloud technologies, according to Cody Hosterman (pictured), senior director of product management at Pure Storage.

“This is a really important step for us around our go-to-market partnership with both VMware and Microsoft,” Hosterman said. “An important part of what we’re introducing here is help to optimize cost and really make the Azure VMware solution environment fit our customer’s needs.”

Hosterman spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Lisa Martin and Rob Strechay at VMware Explore 2023, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the implications of this announcement, highlighting the key takeaways and the promise it holds for the future of cloud computing. (* Disclosure below.)

Pure Storage’s focus at VMware Explore

Pure Storage’s primary focus at VMware Explore revolved around the dynamic world of multicloud and hybrid cloud solutions. The core announcement during the event was Pure Storage’s support for Azure VMware Solution with its product Pure Cloud Block Store.

“It’s the first enterprise block external offering for a VMware Cloud, and we’re super excited to get this in the market,” Hosterman said.

This milestone signifies a significant expansion of Pure Storage’s partnership with industry giants, VMware Inc. and Microsoft Corp. and is an important step in optimizing costs for businesses. Organizations face evolving needs and challenges when it comes to storage capacity. This is exactly what the partnership aims to address, according to Hosterman.

“Our major focus is to help optimize costs and make the Azure VMware Solution environment align with our customers’ needs,” he said. “By introducing our product into the sales cycle, we can shorten it and sell with VMware and Microsoft sellers, opening up new opportunities.”

Unlocking the power of fast storage in the cloud

Pure Storage’s expertise in data reduction efficiency, including deduplication, compression and thin provisioning, plays a crucial role in making flash storage cost-effective. These efficiencies have a significant impact in the public cloud, aligning with the need for efficient cloud utilization, Hosterman explained.

Moreover, Hosterman addressed the VMware use case, highlighting that a substantial portion of the company’s customers rely on VMware for their flash array operations. The co-engineering efforts between Pure Storage and VMware have streamlined this use case, ensuring that customers can seamlessly transition to Azure VMware Solution while leveraging Pure Storage’s renowned fast storage capabilities.

“That is applicable to FlashArray on-premise hardware, Pure Cloud Block Store and Azure,” he said. “If you’re migrating building new applications in the Azure VMware solution … you don’t need to line that migration up with your storage refresh; you move it as needed. That license follows it. The licensing model makes it really flexible to make this migration happen at your pace, at the amount that you want to actually move it to.”

The customer’s voice played a pivotal role in shaping this product, as customer demand and feedback were instrumental in the development of this partnership and product, according to Hosterman. Customers expressed their desire to leverage Pure Storage’s capabilities in the public cloud, and this announcement directly addresses those needs.

“We didn’t want to launch something that was just a checkbox; we wanted to truly solve customer problems around their adoption with AVS,” he added.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of VMware Explore 2023:

(* Disclosure: Pure Storage Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Pure Storage nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE