Virtually Speaking Podcast

KubeCon 2026 is underway, and in this episode of Virtually Speaking, Pete Fletcher and Jad Elzein sit down with Himanshu Singh to break down some of the biggest announcements coming out of the show.

We cover Broadcom’s contribution of Project Valero to the CNCF Sandbox and why that matters for the future of Kubernetes backup, disaster recovery, and migration. The conversation also explores what it means to deepen VMware’s long standing commitment to the Kubernetes and CNCF community, and why community driven innovation matters for customers and partners alike.

We also discuss new VKS ecosystem partnerships with F5, Kong, and Tigera, along with the broader strategy of keeping VKS close to upstream Kubernetes while making it easier for platform teams to adopt the tools and architectures they already use.

If you are at KubeCon, stop by Booth 715 to connect with the team and see the latest demos and announcements in action.

#KubeCon #Kubernetes #CNCF #Valero #VKS #PlatformEngineering #CloudNative #VirtuallySpeaking #VMwareCloudFoundation

KubeCon 2026 is officially underway, and we’re kicking things off in one of the most unique ways we’ve ever done - recording from a boat in the canals of Amsterdam 🇳🇱

In this kickoff episode of our Virtually Speaking KubeCon series, Pete, John, and Jad set the stage for the week ahead. From Platform Engineering Day to AI, GPUs, and Kubernetes at scale, there’s no shortage of innovation, learning, and community to dive into.

We talk about what we’re most excited for, the energy around the event, and what you can expect from our coverage throughout the week.

If you’re at KubeCon, come find us at booth 715. If you’re following along remotely, we’ve got you covered with interviews, insights, and conversations all week long.

Let’s get after it.

Artificial Intelligence is dominating every conversation in tech right now, but how much of it is real progress and how much is hype?

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, we sit down with industry analyst and cloud expert Dave Linthicum to take an honest look at the current state of AI adoption in the enterprise. From failed AI pilots and unrealistic expectations to the infrastructure, cost, and governance challenges that many organizations underestimate, Dave shares why so many AI initiatives struggle to deliver real business value.

Rather than focusing on the hype cycle, this conversation explores what it actually takes for enterprises to move from experimentation to production with AI. Dave also discusses the role of infrastructure teams, the risks organizations overlook when rushing into AI projects, and how companies can make smarter investments that deliver measurable outcomes.

If your organization is evaluating AI or already experimenting with it, this episode offers a practical reality check on what it takes to succeed.

Listen to more episodes of Virtually Speaking

Full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_k3uUCO39tAfMY__4iE8bIZg7wfO7SN&si=361xVOiuMF7EYzR6

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Connect with us

Website: https://vspeakingpodcast.com

Get ready for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026 in Amsterdam with this special preview episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast.

Pete Flecha, John Nicholson, Jad El-Zein, and Himanshu Singh break down what to expect from the event, why Broadcom’s presence at KubeCon matters, and how Kubernetes, platform engineering, open source, and AI are continuing to shape the future of infrastructure.

In this episode, we discuss:

What to expect from KubeCon 2026 in Amsterdam

Broadcom’s presence at booth 715

Platform Engineering Day and why it matters

Open source contributions across projects like etcd, Cluster API, Harbor, and Velero

The convergence of AI workloads and Kubernetes

Why Kubernetes is becoming increasingly important across modern infrastructure

How VMware by Broadcom is showing up in the cloud native ecosystem

What the Virtually Speaking team will be doing on-site during the event

We’ll also be recording interviews live from Amsterdam and connecting with engineers, partners, customers, and community members throughout the week.

If you’ll be at KubeCon, reach out. We’d love to connect.

#KubeCon #CloudNativeCon #Kubernetes #PlatformEngineering #Broadcom #VMware #VCF #VirtuallySpeakingPodcast

Identity is the new security perimeter.

In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, Pete Flecha and John Nicholson are joined by Lee Howard, Head of IAM Product Management at Broadcom, to break down Identity Security for VMware Cloud Foundation and why IAM, PAM, and zero trust access are critical for modern private cloud environments.

As part of our VCF Advanced Services Series, this episode explores how identity security has evolved from simple Active Directory authentication and sticky-note passwords to:

Risk-based, context-aware access

Continuous verification and zero trust principles

Privileged Access Management (PAM) with credential vaulting and session recording

Protection for both human and machine identities

Kubernetes-based, cloud-native deployment inside VCF

We discuss how modern IAM platforms leverage standards like SAML and OpenID Connect, how PAM enforces least-privilege access and credential rotation, and how behavioral signals help prevent insider threats and compromised accounts.

If you’re modernizing to a private cloud with VMware Cloud Foundation, identity can’t be an afterthought, it must be built into the platform.

This episode explains how. What You’ll Learn

Why identity is foundational to zero trust architecture

How risk-based access adapts authentication dynamically

The difference between IAM and PAM — and why you need both

How privileged session recording protects against insider threats

Why Kubernetes enables scalable, zero-downtime identity services in VCF

How Identity Security supports DevOps and API-driven application teams

📌 About the VCF Advanced Services Series This series dives deeper into the advanced services available to VMware Cloud Foundation customers helping you understand what’s possible beyond core infrastructure and how these services enhance security, compliance, automation, and operational control.

Watch the full Advanced Services playlist here: 👉 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8_k3uUCO39uFSUmnhzlggmRmEzNQ06GF&si=QNcv8vvkJOM-Gb-V