theCUBE is back for the sixth year at the VMworld conference, where the big question is just how seriously should the industry take VMware, Inc.’s vCloud Air.

Kicking off theCUBE and SiliconANGLE’s coverage from the Moscone Center in San Francisco, co-hosts John Furrier and Dave Vellante say they hope to discover the answer during theCUBE’s three day of live coverage at VMworld 2015.

Looking back to the first VMworld in 2010, Vellante remembers when it was all about the ecosystem, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) was not a factor. He thinks in today’s marketplace it is critical for VMware to diversify, find new revenue streams and add value beyond the hypervisor itself.

VMware must figure out its direction

Furrier believes that AWS is a serious threat, and asks the question, “Does VMware have to become more vertically integrated to survive?” With the explosion of developer operations (DevOps), and a highly fragmented market, he sees VMware “groping for a solution” in a Cloud-native future. With the field still wide open, the customer needs reassurance that making the choice to develop new core customer-facing applications on vCloud Air will pay off in the long term. Using the metaphor of vCloud Air as a boat sailing on the ocean, Furrier says, “If the winds shift, they could go in the wrong direction.”

As well as hopefully answering the question of VMware and vCloud Air’s future, theCUBE’s coverage of VMworld 2015 will include discussions around the start-up ecosystem. Furrier looks forward to welcoming a group of venture capitalists to discuss potential white space opportunities, as well as forecasts that we will see a bunch of start-ups emerging.

Watch the full kickoff interviews below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of VMworld 2015.

Photo by SiliconANGLE