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At the beginning of 2016, VCE was fully integrated into EMC and became the Converged Platform Division of EMC.
On September 7, 2016, EMC was acquired by Dell.<ref>{{Cite web|title=$67 billion Dell-EMC deal closes today|url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2016/09/07/67-billion-dell-emc-deal-becomes-official-today/|access-date=2020-11-20|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}</ref> The Converged Platform Division of EMC is currently known as the Converged Platform and Solutions Division of Dell EMC.
The company initially manufactured converged [[datacenter]] units known as [[Vblock]], which incorporate Cisco [[server computer|servers]] and networking hardware, EMC storage systems, and VMware for [[virtualization]].<ref name="bets">{{Cite news |title= Converged Infrastructure Bets Are In: Where Are They Paying Off? |author= Joseph F. Kovar |date= May 27, 2013 |work= CRN |url= http://www.crn.com/news/data-center/240155540/converged-infrastructure-bets-are-in-where-are-they-paying-off.htm |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref>
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==History==
[[Cisco Systems]], [[EMC Corporation]] and [[VMware]] (partially owned by EMC) unveiled a joint partnership in November 2009 to develop [[cloud computing]] platforms called Vblock Infrastructure Packages.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco and EMC, Together with VMware, form Coalition to Accelerate Pervasive Data Center Virtualization and Private Cloud Infrastructures |work= Press release |date= November 3, 2009 |publisher= Cisco Systems |url= http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2009/corp_110309.html |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> The partnership was originally called the VMware-Cisco-EMC alliance, though the name was later shortened to VCE, for the “Virtual Computing Environment coalition”.<ref>{{Cite news
|title= A Most Interesting IT Experiment: The History (So Far) Of VCE
|author= Joseph F. Kovar
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At the same EMC World trade show, Cisco and EMC introduced a joint venture named Acadia.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco, EMC Form Acadia Joint Venture for Data Centers (Update3) |author= Rochelle Garner |date= November 3, 2009 |work= Bloomberg news |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=azxgvBN9ckao&pos=7 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco and EMC Form Venture to Serve Data Centers |work= The New York Times |author= Ashlee Vance |date= November 3, 2009 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/technology/business-computing/04cisco.html?_r=0 |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref> The goal of Acadia, originally set up as a separate legal entity, was to build Vblock Infrastructure Packages in a standardized and repeatable fashion for customer [[data center]]s.<ref name="chief">{{Cite news |title= Cisco, EMC, VMware Channel Chiefs Talk Up Vblock Partner Play |author= Joseph F. Kovar |date= November 3, 2009 |work= CRN |url= http://www.crn.com/news/storage/221600134/cisco-emc-vmware-channel-chiefs-talk-up-vblock-partner-play.htm |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> [[Michael Capellas]], who also was a board member of Cisco, was named chairman of Acadia, and its first chief executive officer (CEO) in May 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703322204575226973507577344.html |title=Capellas to Run Cisco, EMC Ventures |author=Don Clark |date=May 5, 2010 |work=WSJ.com |publisher=Dow Jones & Co. |accessdate= August 19, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= ACADIA |work= Original web site |url= http://www.acadia.com/index.htm |url-status=dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101019041025/http://www.acadia.com/index.htm |archivedate= October 19, 2010 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> Sales initially encountered some confusion among customers (which often had different staffs for storage and networking, for example), and different fiscal quarter sales cycles.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Customers embracing Vblocks, but VCE sales harmony a work in progress |work= By the Bell blog |author= Steve Kaplan |date= October 19, 2010 |url= http://bythebell.com/2010/10/customers-embracing-vblocks-but-vce-sales-harmony-a-work-in-progress.html |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref>
By the end of 2010, Capellas told analysts the venture had 65 customers, with an average system costing about $2.5 million.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Vblock clouds moisten the data center: Capellas talks up VCE sales and pipeline |author= Timothy Prickett Morgan |work= The Register |date= December 21, 2010 |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/21/vce_acadia_ramp/ |accessdate= August 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Capellas-led coalition making strides by the Vblock |author= John Webster |work= CNET news |date= December 20, 2010 |url= http://news.cnet.com/8301-21546_3-20026158-10253464.html |accessdate= August 11, 2013 }}</ref>
Acadia and the Virtual Computing Environment coalition combined into a single entity in January 2011, called VCE, the Virtual Computing Environment Company.<ref>{{Cite web |title= VCE Coalition Combines with Acadia, Simplifies Name to VCE |work= The VAR Guy |date= January 21, 2011 |url= http://thevarguy.com/virtualization-applications-and-technologies/vce-coalition-combines-acadia-simplifies-name-vce |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= VCE Coalition and Acadia Combined and Renamed VCE, the Virtual Computing Environment Company |work= Press release |date= January 20, 2011 |publisher= VCE |url= http://www.vce.com/about/media/news?id=tcm:20-468 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> Originally located in [[Silicon Valley]] and [[Dallas, Texas]], an expansion was announced in March 2011 to [[Richardson, Texas]] with an investment from the [[Texas Enterprise Fund]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= VCE, Major Cloud Computing Company, Plans Major Expansion in Richardson |work= Press release |date= March 15, 2011 |publisher= VCE, The Virtual Computing Environment Company |url= http://www.vce.com/about/media/news?id=tcm:20-476 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> In October 2011, another office opened in [[Marlboro, Massachusetts]], close to VCE's EMC-owned manufacturing plant in [[Franklin, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= Cloud computing allows companies to outsource IT services |author= Priyanka Dayal |work= Worcester Business Telegram |date= December 11, 2011 |url= http://www.telegram.com/article/20111211/NEWS/112119983/1002/business |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= EMC, Cisco, Intel & VMWare Launch Joint Venture in Marlborough |author= Brandon Butler |work= Worcester Business Journal |date= October 13, 2011 |url= http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20111013/METROWEST01/310139999/emc-cisco-intel--vmware-launch-joint-venture-in-marlborough |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref> In July 2012, Cisco executive Praveen Akkiraju was appointed CEO and Frank Hauck as president.<ref>{{Cite news |title= VCE Appoints Praveen Akkiraju Chief Executive Officer |work= Press release |date= July 19, 2012 |publisher= VCE |url= http://www.vce.com/about/media/news?id=tcm:20-2159 |archive-url= https://archive.is/20130809191844/http://www.vce.com/about/media/news?id=tcm:20-2159 |url-status= dead |archive-date= August 9, 2013 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> It was estimated VCE had 1200 employees at the time, with undisclosed revenues but accumulated losses.<ref>{{Cite news |title= VCE Taps Cisco Veteran As New CEO |work= CRN |date= July 19, 2012 |author= Chad Berndtson |url= http://www.crn.com/news/networking/240004002/vce-taps-cisco-veteran-as-new-ceo.htm |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref> Publicized customers included [[Babson College]]<ref>{{Cite news |title= Taking College IT Out of the Hardware Business |author= Bridget McCrea |date= September 15, 2011 |work= Campus Technology digital magazine |url= http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/09/15/taking-college-it-out-of-the-hardware-business.aspx |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref> and the [[Mississippi Community College Board]].<ref>{{Cite web |title= Vblock Video Success Story – MS Community College Board |work= Press release |date= July 11, 2012 |url= http://www.ventech.com/2012/07/vblock-video-success-story-ms-community-college-board/ |publisher= Venture Technologies |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref> The press debated if the venture should be considered a "[[startup company]]", with one headline joking "VCE = virtual cash erosion" and questioning millions of dollars of executive compensation.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Vblocks bleed out EMC money: VCE = virtual cash erosion |author= Chris Mellor |date= August 8, 2011 |work= The Channel |url= http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/08/08/vce_losses/ |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref> Others considered the arrangement to be a wise investment.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Is VCE a Flailing Startup? A Study of Snark in New Media |author= Mark Hopkins |work= Silicon Angle |date= August 17, 2011 |url= http://siliconangle.com/blog/2011/08/17/is-vce-a-flailing-startup-a-study-of-snark-in-new-media/ |accessdate= August 21, 2013 }}</ref>
Through 2012, there was a mixture of some success (with speculation of layoffs), and continued confusion due to products from competing partners such as [[NetApp]] FlexPod and [[Xsigo Systems]].<ref>{{Cite news |title= The VCE Gamble: You Got To Know When To Hold 'Em, Know When To Fold 'Em |author= Chad Berndtson and Joseph F. Kovar |date= November 26, 2012 |work= CRN |url= http://www.crn.com/news/data-center/240008994/the-vce-gamble-you-got-to-know-when-to-hold-em-know-when-to-fold-em.htm?pgno=2 |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco's 3-ring circus: Xsigo CEO on bait and switches |author= Chris Mellor |work= The Register |date= February 24, 2012 |url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/21/vce_acadia_ramp/ |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref> Cisco had announced its own "framework" called CloudVerse in late 2011 that was not specific to VMware.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco’s Bigger Bundle of Networking |work= New York Times Bits |author= Quentin Hardy |date= December 6, 2011 |url= http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/ciscos-bigger-bundle-of-networking/ |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco CloudVerse: Build One Private Cloud, Multiple Hypervisors |work= Information Week |author= Charles Babcock |date= December 8, 2011 |url= http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/infrastructure/cisco-cloudverse-build-one-private-cloud/232300123/ |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref> In August 2012, EMC announced a VSPEX reference architecture and partnership with [[Lenovo]] and other distributors that was seen as competing with a lower-cost option.<ref>{{Cite news |title= EMC Lenovo Deal Raises Questions For EMC-Cisco VCE Partnership |author= Joseph F. Kovar |date= August 2, 2012 |work= CRN |url= http://www.crn.com/news/storage/240004893/emc-lenovo-deal-raises-questions-for-emc-cisco-vce-partnership.htm |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= EMC hands disties licence to assemble VSPEX: Tells resellers to build it themselves or get someone else to do it |author= Paul Kunert |work= The Channel |date= August 15, 2012 |url= http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/08/15/emc_vspex/ |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= EMC Intends VSPEX for Data Center Flexibility |work= Channelnomics |date= April 12, 2012 |author= Larry Walsh |url= http://channelnomics.com/2012/04/12/emc-intends-vspex-data-center-flexibility/ |accessdate= August 13, 2013 }}</ref>
In a November 2012 report by [[Gartner]], VCE had a 57.4% share of integrated infrastructure systems in the second quarter of 2012 based on revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Market Share Analysis: Data Center Hardware: Integrated Systems, 1Q11-2Q12 |publisher= Gartner |author= Adrian O'Connell |date= November 30, 2012 |url= http://www.vce.com/asset/documents/gartner-market-share-analysis-report.pdf |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> Gartner had previously tracked server, networking, and external controller-based storage as individual markets. VCE was named one of the “2013 Virtualization 50” by ''[[CRN Magazine]]''.<ref name="crn13">{{Cite news |title= 2013 Virtualization 50 |work= CRN |date= May 24, 2013 |url= http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/virtualization/240155351/2013-virtualization-50.htm?pgno=43 |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> In May 2013, VCE estimated a $1 billion annual sales rate with more than 1,000 Vblock Systems sold.<ref name="bets" /> However, in US [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] filings, EMC accounted for a cumulative loss of over $430 million by September 2012, and Cisco a loss of $457 million by early 2013, since revenues are recorded to the owning companies, not VCE itself.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Cisco, EMC tout VCE market share, but report losses |author= Larry Dignan |work= Between the Lines |publisher= ZDNet |date= February 21, 2013 |url= http://www.zdnet.com/cisco-emc-tout-vce-market-share-but-report-losses-7000011627/ |accessdate= August 11, 2013 }}</ref> EMC reported an investment of $667.2 million in cash and $13.2 million in stock-based compensation to VCE, for a stake of about 58%.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Quarterly Report for period ended September 30, 2012 |date= November 2, 2012 |work= Form 10-Q |publisher= SEC |author= EMC Corporation |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/790070/000079007012000154/emc-2012930x10q.htm |accessdate= August 11, 2013 }}</ref> Cisco reported a gross investment of $457 million, for a stake of about 35%.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Quarterly Report for Quarter ended January 26, 2013 |date= February 19, 2013 |work= Form 10-Q |publisher= SEC |author= Cisco Systems, Incorporated |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000085887713000013/csco-2013126x10qq2.htm |accessdate= August 11, 2013 }}</ref>
By 2013, some of the same press writers that initially criticized VCE came to view the structure of VCE as being good business for investors.<ref>https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/06/emc_vce_losses/</ref> Other press highlighted VCE as a source of innovation and financial performance for investors.<ref>http://www.eweek.com/storage/why-vces-newest-vblock-systems-demonstrate-innovation.html</ref><ref>http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/unfiltered-opinion/vce-stars-in-emc-financial-results.html</ref> Total VCE for 2013 has been reported at over $1B with over a 50% year-over-year growth rate.<ref>http://wikibon.org/wiki/v/VCE_Drives_Simplification_Past_$1B</ref>
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===Original systems===
In 2009, the Virtual Computing Environment coalition announced three models of Vblock Infrastructure Packages. Vblock 2, intended for high-end data centers, was designed to support 3,000 to 6,000 [[virtual machine]]s using Cisco UCS, Cisco Nexus 1000v and multilayer director switches (MDS), as well as EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage and VMware vSphere software. Vblock 1, intended for the midmarket, was designed for 800 to 3,000 virtual machines and had had a similar configuration to the Vblock 2, but with EMC [[Clariion]] storage rather than EMC Symmetrix VMAX. Vblock 0, the intended low-end configuration, was projected for release in 2010 to support 300 to 800 virtual machines and use a similar configuration, but with EMC [[Celerra]]storage.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Virtual Computing Environment Coalition |date= November 5, 2009 |author= Joerg Hallbauer |work= Gestalt IT |url= http://gestaltit.com/all/tech/storage/joerg/virtual-computing-environment-coalition/ |accessdate= August 9, 2013 }}</ref> The term "infrastructure package" was later changed to "infrastructure platform" and then just "Vblock System".
===Vblock===
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