
Virtually Speaking Podcast
The Virtually Speaking Podcast is a weekly technical podcast dedicated to discussing VMware topics related to private and hybrid cloud. Each week Pete Flecha and John Nicholson bring in various subject matter experts from VMware, recently acquired by Broadcom, and within the industry to discuss their respective areas of expertise.
Latest episodes

Jun 18, 2025 • 12min
VMware Cloud Foundation 9: A Modern, Unified, and Secure Platform
Welcome to the second episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast's VMware Cloud Foundation 9 series! In this installment, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson continue their deep dive into VMware Cloud Foundation 9 with Director of VCF Product Marketing Rick Walsworth.
Key Highlights:
Simplified deployment as a single, unified platform
Enhanced user experience for cloud infrastructure admins and developers
Three key business outcomes: modernizing infrastructure, operating like a cloud, and ensuring security
Improved configuration drift detection and proactive management
Advanced security services, including network detection and response
Self-service capabilities for developers
Insights into workload repatriation and private cloud advantages
Potential for handling sensitive AI and intellectual property workloads
Join us as we continue to explore the transformative features and capabilities of VCF 9 in this ongoing podcast series.

Jun 17, 2025 • 21min
VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Vision and Strategy
Welcome to the first episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast's VMware Cloud Foundation 9 series! In this inaugural installment, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson sit down with Paul Turner, Broadcom’s leader of VCF product management, to kick off an in-depth exploration of VMware Cloud Foundation 9. This series will dive deep into the platform's latest innovations, capabilities, and transformative potential for private cloud computing.
Key Highlights:
The rise of private cloud and its cost-efficiency compared to public cloud services
Sovereign cloud capabilities and regulatory compliance
Innovations in GPU as a service
Native support for VMs and Kubernetes in a single platform
Advances in storage (vSAN) with enhanced performance and resilience
Networking improvements with native VPC setup in vCenter
VMware's partnerships with hyperscalers and 500+ cloud service providers
Join us as we unpack the exciting developments in VCF 9 across multiple episodes.

Jun 17, 2025 • 33sec
Exploring VMware Cloud Foundation 9
VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 is now Generally Available! For the next several days we will be releasing several episodes in our series titled Exploring VMware Cloud Foundation 9. This series takes you behind the scenes with the product experts, engineers, and visionaries driving the VCF 9 transformation. Whether you’re an infrastructure architect, IT leader, or just cloud-curious, these conversations offer real-world insights into how VMware Cloud Foundation 9 is modernizing private cloud infrastructure to support AI, automation, security, and much more. Enjoy!

Feb 28, 2025 • 18min
VMware Telco Cloud at Mobile World Congress 2025
In this episode of Virtually Speaking, we’re gearing up for Mobile World Congress 2025 with Paul Turner, VP of Products, and Anupama, Telco Lead for Product Marketing at Broadcom. We dive into Broadcom’s bold vision for the Telco Data Center, focusing on how simplification, unification, and automation are transforming network operations. With the theme “Your Telco Data Center. Simplified. Unified. Automated.”, Broadcom is set to showcase innovations that help Telcos accelerate service delivery, reduce costs, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. Tune in to get a sneak peek at what’s coming at MWC 2025!

Feb 13, 2025 • 37min
Private Clouds and their Public Value with David Linthicum
David Linthicum, a cloud strategist and author, dives into the often-misunderstood world of private clouds. He debunks the notion that they are inflexible and expensive, highlighting their improved scalability, cost efficiency, and enhanced security. David discusses the shift towards private clouds due to rising public cloud costs and regulatory demands, while exploring how businesses can effectively transition and integrate AI. He also outlines the true benefits of private clouds, emphasizing control over data and operational efficiency.

Feb 3, 2025 • 48min
Workload Migration to VCF
In this episode of Virtually Speaking, Pete and John are joined by Puneet Chawla and Michael McLaughlin from the VMware Cloud Foundation Division at Broadcom to explore the various workload migration paths to VMware Cloud Foundation. They dive into powerful migration tools like HCX, VMware Live Recovery, and the VCF Import Tool, breaking down their capabilities and ideal use cases. Whether you’re looking to streamline migrations, minimize downtime, or optimize your cloud strategy, this discussion provides valuable insights to help you determine the best approach for your environment. Tune in to learn how to make your move to VCF as seamless as possible!

Jan 23, 2025 • 32min
Best Practice or Bug?
In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, we explore the fascinating origins of IT best practices with Cody Hosterman, Sr. Director of Product Management at Pure Storage. Cody shares insights on how many best practices were born out of real-world challenges—often solving for bugs and limitations that shaped today’s IT norms.
We’ll also highlight how VMware Cloud Foundation exemplifies the incorporation of best practices into a comprehensive, full-stack private cloud solution, offering a stable, scalable foundation for modern workloads.
Additionally, Cody discusses how Pure Storage is evolving these practices, embedding them into their fully managed service for Azure VMware Solution: Pure Storage Cloud for AVS. Learn how Pure delivers simplicity, performance, and scalability while redefining the best practices for hybrid cloud environments.
Tune in to hear the stories behind the standards and how VMware and Pure Storage are shaping the future of IT innovation!

Jan 13, 2025 • 37min
Preparing Your Network for VCF
In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, Pete and John sit down with Kyle Gleed and Broc Yanda from Broadcom to discuss how to prepare your network for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). From understanding the essential network prerequisites to best practices for leveraging vDS, LAG, and NSX, they dive into the key steps to ensure a smooth VCF deployment. Whether you’re planning your first VCF deployment or looking to optimize an existing setup, this episode is packed with insights to help you succeed.

Dec 6, 2024 • 14min
Revolutionizing Private Cloud: Broadcom’s VAO Partnerships with Dell, HPE, and Lenovo
In this episode, Alex Mathews and David Cairns from Broadcom’s Value Added OEM Sales team join us to discuss the new agreements with Dell, HPE, and Lenovo under the Broadcom Advantage Program. Learn how these co-engineered partnerships are delivering VMware Cloud Foundation as the premier subscription-based private cloud solution, combining the agility of public cloud with the security and performance of private cloud. Discover how VAO partners create differentiated, turnkey solutions that accelerate digital transformation, streamline management, and provide a seamless, resilient private cloud experience for modern enterprises.

Dec 6, 2024 • 14min
The Lost Art of Blogging: Why it Still matters
In this discussion, Christian Mohn, Chief Technologist and renowned blogger in the VMware community, along with Stine Elise Larsen, delve into the changing landscape of blogging. They debate whether blogging is a lost art amid the rise of video content and social media. The duo emphasizes blogging's power for knowledge sharing and community building, celebrating its unique ability to deliver targeted information. They also highlight the yearning for a vibrant blogging community that fosters collaboration and deep technical conversations.