TWiT - The Vegas Edition

It’s been a bit since we last had a TWiT newsletter. We are still trying to figure out the cadence and a few other details. But that doesn't mean we haven't been all over the country, as the post-Covid conference and season is in full swing.

This blog will be a quick hit on what's been going on the last couple of weeks. As usual, let me know your thoughts!

Cisco Live was off the hook

?I'm a little late in providing my feedback on Cisco Live. This delay is due mainly to not enough hours in the day. Maybe a little to do with needing sleep, too. But, here's my two cents on the event and the company.

? The Cisco light show – off the hook!

?Anybody who thinks Cisco is a networking company that builds a bunch of gear and sells to an existing install base has not followed the company. I don't know that the good folks at Cisco would even agree with me, but this is a company evolving (has evolved) into an IT solutions provider focused on connecting, securing, managing, and optimizing the modern workplace. From the device to the edge to the cloud to the datacenter.

? Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins talks strategy

?I heard CEO Chuck Robbins say that Cisco is looking at enabling business outcomes and mapping that enablement back to a technology IP portfolio instead of building technology in search of a problem. Novel concept, huh? This may sound basic and simple, but as an analyst (and ex-IT nerd), it says a lot about the changing culture at this company that has made its name in designing and building the most advanced networking technology.

Lenovo ISG Analyst Summit – pay attention to this company

I, unfortunately, had to bolt from Cisco Live a day early to get to a previously made commitment – the Lenovo Infrastructure Group Analyst Summit. While I was disappointed to leave the fun at Cisco, I was excited to hear what Kirk Skaugen and the team had to say following a very successful quarter. It was worth the trip.

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? Lenovo demonstrated a strong vision at its analyst summit?

What I like about the Lenovo ISG team is that it is a group of really talented folks with one collective aim – to be the most trusted partner. The most trusted partner to direct customers consuming Lenovo technology at scale. The most trusted partner to service providers and channel players building differentiated solutions on Lenovo servers and infrastructure.

As a server guy, I love to hear folks like VP & GM Kamran Amini give his perspective on the server market dynamics and Lenovo's strategy. Likewise, it is fascinating to listen in on CMO Susan Blocher's go-to-market vision and how that has paid off (numbers don't lie).

But a session that surprised me was how Lenovo manages its supply chain with VP of Global Supply Chain, Ben Massie. Given the supply constraints the industry has faced in the last couple of years, Lenovo has continued to gain recognition and use its supply chain management as a competitive strength.

Lenovo ISG is placing its bets in a few areas – the edge, the cloud (CSP), TruScale, mass customization, and AI. Based on what I saw and heard, I think this team is hitting velocity, and we'll continue to see strong performance on a quarter-to-quarter basis.

Oracle earnings – OCI is growing fast

?So, here’s a question. Is Oracle a database company? A data management company? A cloud company? All of the above? I’m going with “all of the above.” In case you didn’t notice, the company’s cloud business had another crushing quarter where it saw a 19% increase in revenue, coming in at $2.9B.

Companies like Oracle are especially impressive to me as they are able to find ways to drive new revenue as they continue to serve existing markets. Much like many of the software giants that have been around for a while, Oracle could have easily coasted on its revenue generated from existing enterprise licenses. Instead, it built a cloud business and established itself as a legitimate player in the CSP space.

And if that's not enough, it uses the cloud to develop further its original core competency – data management in the cloud. Autonomous database (ADB), Autonomous Data Warehouse (ADW), and Heatwave are three areas where the company has made its core technology more easily accessed and consumed. And this strategy enables customers to consume other cloud services from OCI.

We will continue to track Oracle’s cloud business as it projects strong growth over the next few quarters.?

HPE Discover – a preview

?This week finds me, Moor Insights & Strategy Founder & Chief Analyst Patrick Moorhead, and colleague Steve McDowell back in Vegas for Discover 2022 – HPE's first in-person Discover since 2019.

HPE Discover – it’s all about the cloud

?Full disclosure – I’m not a Vegas guy. Great city. Great people. Not my cup of tea. But I'm thrilled to be back for this show. If there were a spread on what would be talked about at this year's show, I would put all my money on GreenLake.

Here’s what I am hoping to hear from CEO Antonio Neri and the team:

-??????Progress on GreenLake adoption in HPE customers

-??????Expansion of GreenLake portfolio and services

-??????Progress on developing a holistic security portfolio that focuses on zero trust, cyber resiliency, and security modernization

-??????Customer validation of HPE’s strategy across these vectors

?Steve and I will do daily podcasts and blogs on what we see and hear at Discover. Make sure you listen in.

Further, Patrick Moorhead will be teaming with Daniel Newman to deliver executive-level insights and perspectives from HPE and its partners. Be sure to listen to its Six Five live streams.