I’ve always tried to be consistent about this – EMC partners with technology partners to support what our customers ask of us.

These days, in IT, coopetition is real. Putting aside virtualization thing, watch this – it will blow your mind.

EMC Documentum and Microsoft Sharepoint on their surface look completely competitive, and sometimes they are. But also, sometimes customers ask us to integrate them.

This example, even more clearly than the VMware/Hyper-V angle highlights the dynamic, as the EMC Content Management division isn’t independent. So there are parts of “core” EMC and Microsoft that literally compete and cooperate AT THE SAME TIME.

We also need to maintain joint support/escalation, share roadmaps, solution testing/integration – it’s really unbelieveable how much when you dig under the covers.

There are few black/white alliances at the largest of IT vendors.

What’s the guiding principle? Simple. What does the customer need? When vendors stay focused on this, things tend to work out.

Does a customer want Hyper-V? EMC wants to support them. Do they want VMware? EMC wants to support them. Exchange on VMware? EMC wants to support them. Sharepoint without Documentum? EMC wants to support them. Sharepoint integrated with Documentum? You got it. You see the pattern.

Customers expect their leading vendors to support THEM.

Are there strategic goals for EMC? Sure. Can it be black and white? Only if it were black/white at our customers – which it never is – so no.

Now, within EMC, my job is to make sure that EMC is the best choice for customers, partners, and VMware themselves – and to do it on our own merits.

There’s another group that does the same thing for Microsoft, including Hyper-V. I joke that they are my competition, but in reality they are my colleagues – and we “compete” during the day, and have fun at night.

Does that make sense?