Virtualization PlatformsBlogCloud-Native PlatformsNutanixMicrosoftVMwareRed Hat
Blog • • 3 minute read

Navigating the Modern Virtualization & Container Landscape

The data center is evolving faster than ever. Traditional virtualization platforms remain the backbone of enterprise IT, but container technologies are reshaping how applications are developed, deployed and scaled. For most organizations, the future isn't virtualization vs. containers — it's finding the right balance between the two.

In this blog

  1. Why virtualization still matters
  2. The rise of container platforms
  3. Finding the right balance
  4. How WWT can help
  5. Your next step

At WWT, we work closely with our enterprise partners — VMware by Broadcom, Microsoft, Nutanix and Red Hat — to help customers chart the best course through this ever-shifting landscape. Every organization's journey is unique, and the right solution often blends multiple platforms to meet operational, financial and strategic goals.

 Why virtualization still matters

Virtual machines continue to deliver the flexibility, security and isolation enterprises need for many workloads. They remain the standard for mission-critical applications, compliance-heavy industries and large-scale legacy systems.

Modern virtualization platforms now offer integrated automation and orchestration, hybrid cloud readiness and enhanced security built directly into the hypervisor and management layers. Each of our partners brings unique strengths:

  • VMware vSphere & VMware Cloud Foundation provide proven scalability and deep ecosystem integration.
  • Microsoft Hyper-V & Azure Local deliver cloud-connected virtualization to the edge and datacenter.
  • Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure unifies compute, storage and networking management for operational simplicity.
  • Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization extends Kubernetes to manage both containerized and virtual machine workloads side-by-side.

 The rise of container platforms

Containers enable faster application delivery, greater portability and more efficient resource use. They're ideal for microservices architectures and cloud-native workloads, but they also require orchestration platforms and operational maturity to succeed at scale.

Our partners deliver a range of enterprise-grade container solutions: VMware Kubernetes Service (VKS) for modern app development on vSphere, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) integrated with Azure Local and deployable on multiple virtualization platforms, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) for enterprise Kubernetes with rich developer tooling, and Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) for simplified deployment and lifecycle management.

 Finding the right balance

For most organizations, virtual machines and containers will coexist for years to come. The challenge lies in aligning the right workloads to the right platforms while ensuring security, automation and cost-effectiveness. Decisions should consider:

  • Application requirements — performance, latency, scalability
  • Operational model — team skill sets, tooling, automation maturity
  • Strategic direction — cloud adoption, modernization timelines, compliance needs

 How WWT can help

Our  — a sequence of briefings and workshops — helps organizations understand the challenges, costs and technologies driving change. The series is built around three stages: Understand the Challenge, Understand the Costs and Understand the Technology. At each stage, our subject matter experts provide actionable insights and recommendations tailored to your business.

Virtualization Modernization Education Series

 

From there, we leverage our Advanced Technology Center (ATC) to give customers hands-on access to leading virtualization and container platforms. This allows you to test hybrid integrations, validate migration strategies and explore new architectures before making a commitment. From evaluating solutions and identifying cost-effective designs to developing phased adoption plans, we guide you every step of the way.

 Your next step

Whether you're optimizing an existing virtualized environment, deploying Kubernetes for the first time or building a hybrid cloud that leverages both, WWT can help you navigate the journey. By partnering with leaders like VMware by Broadcom, Microsoft, Red Hat and Nutanix, we give you the right tools — and the right strategy — for today and tomorrow.

Let's navigate the modern virtualization and container landscape together.

Technologies