VMware, Inc. announced continued momentum in its Partner Connect program with the addition of a new VMware Cloud Native Master Services Competency (MSC), the first competency related to the VMware Tanzu portfolio. This new Cloud Native MSC will provide a foundational step to enable current and future partners to architect a Kubernetes-based platform supported by complementary technologies from the cloud native ecosystem for continuous delivery of applications and is intended to recognize partners who specialize in Kubernetes operations, site reliability engineering and DevOps.

The VMware Cloud Native MSC is the first Master Services Competency to launch following VMware's announcement of Partner Connect in March. VMware Partner Connect is the new, flexible and dramatically simplified program for partners to do business with VMware in a way that aligns with their business models.

"VMware's new Cloud Native MSC is designed to help partners expand their services capabilities and opportunities and recognize them for their Kubernetes and platform operations expertise," Teri Bruns, Vice President, Tanzu Ecosystem Partners, VMware. "This competency will help VMware partners embrace the industry shift to Kubernetes and modern applications and enable partners to build new revenue streams as container usage skyrockets."

Cloud Native principles have come to define modern applications as business critical - the use of containers, microservices and APIs is now widespread. This requires that organizations embrace new methods for building applications, and repeatable processes for refactoring and re-platforming existing applications. Importantly, underlying infrastructure must also rapidly evolve to support the needs of modern applications. That's why Dimensional Research found that among enterprises running Kubernetes, 59% are already doing so in production.¹ Partners that embrace these principles can guide their customers and accelerate application modernization initiatives.

The Cloud Native MSC builds upon foundational training and certifications introduced in early 2019 and provides partners with the capabilities to offer and deliver VMware Tanzu platform services to their customers. The competency validates a partner's understanding of Kubernetes concepts and equips them to help enterprise run and manage modern applications. The competency covers core offerings of the VMware Tanzu portfolio, including VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid and VMware Tanzu Mission Control; though principles are relevant to the wider cloud native ecosystem.

Earlier this year, VMware announced the availability of vSphere 7 with Kubernetes, evolving its flagship platform to support virtual machines and containers. As customers continue to demand Kubernetes-based solutions to support the delivery of modern applications across multi-cloud platforms, the new skills attained by achieving the Cloud Native MSC will allow partners to help hundreds of thousands of vSphere customers operate a modern applications platform.

"VMware Tanzu solutions are disrupting how applications are built, run and managed - and with that comes opportunity for partners," said Bruns. "Your customers' success depends on their ability to deliver revenue generating applications and capabilities faster, and to operate those applications and services reliably and at scale. This MSC is ideal for Partners who have existing infrastructure expertise and want to expand their business to deliver professional services across DevOps, and drive the consumption of new modern apps via the Tanzu portfolio."

Requirements for individuals and requirements for the partner organization to achieve the Cloud Native MSC include:

• Three (3) individuals must complete the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Certification and the VMware Cloud Native Master Specialist Badge, and
• The Partner organization must submit one (1) Customer Reference which validates that it has successfully completed an installation of the appropriate product.

Further illustrating the significance of the Cloud Native MSC, nine partners have already achieved the certification:

• AHEAD
• Altoros
• Boxboat Technologies
• Data Essential
• EngineerBetter
• Huco
• ITQ
• Metanext
• TeraSky

Master Services Competencies (MSCs) are VMware partner designations designed to recognize services-capable partners with delivery expertise and experience within a VMware solution area. These competencies now allow partners to differentiate in six key solution areas: Cloud Management and Automation, Cloud Native, Data Center Virtualization, Digital Workspace, Network Virtualization and VMware Cloud on AWS.