VMblog:  There was a lot of excitement and buzz around ZertoCON, Zerto's annual user conference this year.  What can VMworld attendees expect to see and hear at your booth this year?

Caroline Seymour:  The crowds who visit our booth this year will get to see the latest updates to our IT Resilience Platform, Zerto 7.0. The updates introduce our best-of-breed technology to highly secure environments with a deeper partnership and technological integration with VMware. We will also be presenting a deep dive into how Zerto is delivering IT Resilience and complete data protection for these environments. As we do every year, we will continue to push ahead and fundamentally change the way IT organizations manage data through converged backup, DR and cloud mobility into a single easy-to-navigate platform. Overall, we have an eventful VMworld 2019 planned with brand new product features, announcements, raffle contests and in-booth theater sessions. 

VMblog:  How does Zerto fit within the VMware ecosystem? 

Seymour:  Zerto has been a member of VMware's TAP since 2010, active in supporting VMUGs across the world, and consistently working with multiple VMware products in a collaborative manner. Zerto also integrates with VMWare APIs in products, such as vSphere and vCD, to provide a best of breed IT Resilience Platform allowing customers to protect their applications. 

At VMworld, our SVP of Product, Rob Strechay along with Paul Turner, Senior Director, Cloud Platform Product Management with VMware, will discuss our latest offerings. They will be leading a breakout session related to VAIO and IT Resilience. Rob and Paul will discuss how, with Zerto, VMware customers can now use the VMware ecosystem for quick deployment of Continuous Data Protection in an on-premises or multi-cloud environment; all while meeting increasing demands for security in their digital transformation projects. 

VMblog:  What can VMworld attendees expect to learn about Zerto's industry-leading three-way convergence of disaster recovery, backup and cloud mobility? 

Seymour:  Attendees looking to improve their IT resilience will learn that Zerto provides the only all-in-one IT Resilience Platform. Our booth and breakout sessions will show IT pros that, by using a converged resilience platform with Continuous Data Protection, they will be able to reduce cost and complexity associated with application migrations and data protection of all kinds. Furthermore, with orchestration among DR, backup and cloud mobility built into the Zerto platform, VMworld attendees will see firsthand how the platform enables recovery and migration processes to be fully automated. And when it comes to analytics, the three-way convergence gives users 24/7 visibility and control, even across clouds. There's a tremendous amount of need around this last point, and we expect to have quite a lot of conversations around cross-cloud visibility at the show. 

VMblog:  What do you think we need to do collectively as an ecosystem to strengthen the industry?

Seymour:  As an industry, we need to focus on successful outcomes for all customers, first and foremost. This means working together even when there is competition.  We must ensure that APIs are available across deployment solutions and we should continue to find ways to work together when the customer runs into trouble.  If we focus on customer first, the rest will take care of itself. 

VMblog:  VMworld attendees like to make their "Must See" lists ahead of the conference.  Why should they add Zerto to their "Must See" list this year?

Seymour:  Data is quickly becoming an organization's most valuable asset and is more crucial than ever to business operations. This value and dependence is only going to increase. In this kind of environment disaster recovery and resilience is a top priority for many IT organizations, but at the same time many are struggling to understand how to achieve IT resilience without a lot of fuss. We see customers in this position time and time again, yet their concerns quickly fall away once Zerto is successfully implemented. No one else offers an all-in-one IT Resilience Platform, and the simplicity that this convergence offers makes Zerto worthy of any "must see" list. 

VMblog:  In addition to hosting the VAIO breakout-session, Zerto is also hosting a few TechTalks this year. What insights and value will session attendees glean? 

Seymour:  Our senior solutions engineer, Nick Scuola will give a TechTalk at 1:30 p.m. on the 28th that gives IT professionals advice on how to incorporate a business approach into their skillset. Our belief is that, in today's changing landscape, IT professionals that can both address business challenges with a technical approach and technical challenges with a business approach will be the most successful. Speaking from personal experience, Nick's talk will highlight the importance of considering the way your business operates during a technical design process. 

Also on the schedule is Zerto systems engineer, Michael Martino, presenting a TechTalk at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, the 29th about the art of recovery. He'll discuss the shortcomings of backup alone and the benefits of restoring your data. Just because you put some VMs back into an environment and power them on doesn't mean you've recovered an application; many things can still go wrong. To avoid possible pitfalls, Michael will discuss what can be done to minimize the time and effort needed, and reduce the stress involved with restoring your important applications. 

VMblog:  Zerto's had a strong and consistent presence at VMworld over the years.  What makes this conference so attractive and valuable to Zerto? 

Seymour:  VMworld is one of the most well-attended, most highly-respected tech conferences available. As members of the VMware community, it's important that we're at the show to represent our contributions to the IT Resilience space. And, nodding to the mention above, we're especially excited to showcase this year given our new, deepened, VAIO-based relationship with VMware. Learn more about this relationship from the announcements made earlier this year at ZertoCON.  

VMblog:  As a VMworld 2019 sponsor, how can people connect with you this year?

Seymour:  As a VMworld Gold Sponsor, we look forward to connecting with attendees at any and all of the following:

• The Zerto Booth: 435
  • Stop by for in-booth theater sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
  • Check this page closer to the event to see the full schedule
• Breakout Sessions:
  • VAIO for IT Resilience - Zerto & VMware with what you need to know
  • The Art of Recovery
  • VMTN TechTalk: Upgrade Your Technical Skills Using a Business Approach
• Zerto RedWed
  • Visit Zerto Booth 435 and pick up your Master of Disaster shirt. Make sure to rock your Zerto shirt throughout the show and if you're seen by our Zerto spotters, you could win some amazing prizes throughout the week.
• Schedule a meeting at VMworld with one of our experts today!