At VMworld 2015 there has been a lot of excitement around the newly announced VMware Validated Designs – those prescriptive Software-Defined Data Center architectures & designs being created and validated by VMware experts and made available to you.
Included as part of the VMware Validated Designs announcements is a new Certified Partner Architecture Program, and I’d like to take a minute to introduce you to this program and help you understand how it works and point you to where you can get more information.
Introducing the Certified Partner Architecture Program
What exactly is the Certified Partner Architecture Program? It’s a new program put in place to certify partners SDDC architectures to ensure they are in compliance with established VMware Validated Designs and best practices.
The goal of the VMware Validated Design is, in a nutshell, to help accelerate SDDC adoption. This is being done by providing prescriptive guidance on everything from architecture design principles, to step-by-step implementation and deployment guides, and even guidance on ongoing operations and maintenance of the SDDC. 
Working in conjunction with the VMware Validated Designs, the goal of the Certified Partner Architecture Program is to provide a formal framework for VMware partners to certify their solutions that integrate and run on top of the VMware Validated Designs. This program will allow partners to:
- Formally certify their own Software-Defined Data Center architecture designs and best practices as aligning with the VMware Validated Designs and best practices.
- Ensure that their architectures remain compliant with the VMware Validated Designs and best practices.
Upon completion of the certification process, the partner’s architecture will then be eligible for the VMware Ready logo in the Certified Partner Architecture category and listing on the VMware Compatibility Guide (VCG).
Certified Partner Architecture Program Benefits
For partners who embrace this program there are a number of, to include:
- Access to proven and tested VMware Validated Designs and best practices libraries which will provide guidance about the design and deployment of Software-Defined Data Centers.
- Technical training and content around architecture design for Software-Defined Data Centers.
- Technical guidance during the architecture review process required for certification.
More Information
To learn more about the VMware Certified Architecture Program please visit the program page on VMware’s Developer Center.
To learn more about the VMware Validated Designs be sure to check out the white papers and keep checking back here for future posts.
The VMware Software-Defined Data Center Foundation White Paper
Automated Provisioning with the VMware Software-Defined Data Center White Paper
Follow me on Twitter! @Kyle_Gleed
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