Summary: VMware's latest step sheds clues on the past, including the demotion/sacking of Greene

VMware, which is run by former Microsoft executives [1, 2, 3], is also controlled by EMC, which is Microsoft's Partner of the Year for 2008. It was in 2008 that EMC did a lot to destroy 'old' VMware (putting former Microsoft executives in charge, in due course). Now we find out that it goes even further as more of Microsoft's friends from EMC [1, 2, 3, 4] will descend to VMware.

Virtualization software company VMware will be taking over a line of data-center management software from parent company EMC, the companies announced Thursday.

And then comes this new explanation regarding change in leadership:

EMC still allows VMware to partner with competing storage vendors, but fired Greene in July 2008 in a move apparently caused by rifts between Greene and the EMC leadership. Greene was replaced by former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz.

An EMC executive indicated that Thursday's transaction would have been less likely to happen if Greene were still VMware's CEO. When asked if negotiations between the companies were difficult, Jay Mastaj, general manager of EMC's Ionix division, said "Let's put it this way: It was a hell of a lot easier than when Diane was here."

Two years ago we wrote about Maritz and Tucci's Microsoft slog against VMware's management. It's ugly stuff and former VMware staff mailed us about these issues. ⬆