Comments on: Things That Make You Go Hmmmm – Surprise! VMworld is a VMware Conference

By: An Early VMworld 2009 Apology to my non technical Twitter and Facebook Friends | VM /ETC

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:26:25 +0000

[...] holds the event and showcases all of their products. VMware lets their competitors come too, and amazingly enough allows them to peddle their virtualization alternatives. There is some tradition of spirited debate between [...]

By: Things That Make you Go Hmmmm - VMware Requests Veeam Discontinue Support for Free ESXi in Veeam Backup? | VM /ETC

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:04:32 +0000

[...] Adding to the VMware competition conspiracy theory is last week’s VMworld exhibitors and sponsors contract changes PR nightmare. [...]

By: James Obaji

James Obaji — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:04:45 +0000

i <3 vmware , but ive been wanting to try xen & openvz

By: James Obaji

James Obaji — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:04:45 +0000

i <3 vmware , but ive been wanting to try xen & openvz

By: Dracolith

Dracolith — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:38:59 +0000

This is a pretty standard limitation for most conferences. Partners may have gotten special perks in VMware conferences, or VMware may have been more liberal that most conference, but exhibitors are generally limited to a 10x10 booth...

I think most of Brian Madden's criticisms are totally unwarranted on this matter. It's real distraction from the real issue at hand.

Is VMworld still an independent conference? The answer is yes and no...
Yes, because they're allowing companies that have competing products to exhibit.
No, because they're giving themselves special treatment.

However, more or less, they have always given themselves and their partners special treatment. They just begin to change exactly who they consider their partners to be.

Maybe Microsoft's actions actually warrant their decision to no longer consider them a partner.

This is not new. They always give themselves special treatment, e.g. the keynote
and almost all conference events. Were they letting competitors speak at their keynote before this year? No...

Would they let competing vendors hold workshops at VMworld? No...
It's always been biased to being a pro-VMware conference where VMware partners get preferential exposure, and competitors don't get much access.

By: rbrambley

rbrambley — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:08:12 +0000

VMware's Mike Dipetrillo commented on Scott Lowe's “train wreck” post
(link at end of this post) that VMware's booth at other conferences
has always been restricted to 10 x 10. If so, VMware's change in
contract is standard for the industry.

By: Dracolith

Dracolith — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:08:26 +0000

If Microsoft/Citrix don't like being restricted to a 10×10 booth, they can limit VMware to a 10×10 booth at their own conferences.

That is, if they're even allowing VMware to exhibit at their own conferences….