--- title: "\"IT is not a chocolate factory. It's more complex.\" Best bits from General Session with Carl Eschenbach at VMworld, Barcelona" description: Today at VMworld in sunny and super hot Barcelona more than 800 attendees listened to inspirational speeches on how the software-defined data center is extending the proven model of virtualization across storage, networking and security. canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/it-not-chocolate-factory-its-more-complex-best-bits-general-session-carl-eschenbach-vmworld/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # "IT is not a chocolate factory. It's more complex." Best bits from General Session with Carl Eschenbach at VMworld, Barcelona Today at VMworld in sunny and super hot Barcelona more than 800 attendees listened to inspirational speeches on how the software-defined data center is extending the proven model of virtualization across storage, networking and security. [Learn More](https://www.acronis.com/en/products/cyber-protect/) [![Image 2: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/ "Acronis Editorial Team") [Acronis Editorial Team](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/acronis/) 2 min read Last updated 20 November 2022 Today at VMworld in sunny and super hot Barcelona more than 800 attendees listened to inspirational speeches on how the software-defined data center is extending the proven model of virtualization across storage, networking and security. Carl Eschenbach, VMware's President and COO, and VMware's engineering leaders showcased technology that is transforming IT by virtualizing and automating computing, storage, networking and security across private and hybrid clouds. We were there to contemplate the new trends, hear some jokes and get inspired. Photo: @VirtualisedReal Here are some of the best bits from the General Session at VMworld in Barcelona: 1. Nothing can be achieved without powerful software. 2. Business relies on IT. The only way to reduce the amount of friction between business and IT is the software. 3. IT as a Service and moving away from legacy systems is the only way forward. Automation is not an option, it is key. 4. IT as Service should include self-service, transparent policy and automation. 5. IT is not a chocolate factory. It's more complex. 6. The world is going to be much bigger and faster than ever before. Photo: @VirtualisedReal Let's discuss this in depth at the Acronis booth G122 at VMworld today or tomorrow! Also make sure to visit Acronis Breakout Session: “Self-Service Backup and DR for IaaS: The Service You Can’t Live Without” tomorrow, Thursday at 10.30 am. [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) [Cyber protection](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cyber-protection/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Acronis Editorial Team](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/d85707ae91461544212d39836dc32b42.png) Acronis Editorial Team Acronis is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-storage-most-efficient-most-reliable-easy-scale/) [Acronis Storage: Most Efficient, Most Reliable, Easy to Scale](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-storage-most-efficient-most-reliable-easy-scale/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/3-mistakes-you-made-vmworld-barcelona/) [3 Mistakes you Made at VMworld in Barcelona](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/3-mistakes-you-made-vmworld-barcelona/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=acronis.com) ## Related stories Want to learn more? Read the latest stories featuring this solution on our blog. 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