Platform9 Launches Managed Kubernetes Service of VMware

Platform9 launched what it claims is the first instance of a managed Kubernetes service for VMware vSphere environments deployed in an on-premises IT environment.Madhura Maskasky, vice president of product for Platform9, notes that VMware offers a managed service around a distribution of Kubernetes tightly integrated with its NSX virtualization software for cloud computing environments. The Platform9 Managed Kubernetes (PMK) service, however, is built on a distribution that is 100 percent compatible with the upstream instance of Kubernetes made available via the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). That capability is critical because developers and IT operations teams alike are making it clear they don’t want to employ and support instances of Kubernetes based essentially on a fork of Kubernetes and end up becoming dependent on a single vendor to support, says Maskasky.