Dell extends Private Cloud to Nutanix for multi-hypervisor

Dell Technologies has expanded its Dell Private Cloud offering to support Nutanix, giving organisations reassessing virtualisation and infrastructure another option.

The update lets customers deploy Nutanix software on Dell infrastructure. It also adds configurations that pair Nutanix AHV with Dell external storage, which Dell says enables compute and storage to scale independently.

The announcement comes as many IT leaders review their reliance on single suppliers for core infrastructure. Dell cited research showing 52% of IT leaders are considering multiple hypervisors to reduce vendor lock-in.

Product Scope

Dell Private Cloud is a packaged private cloud offering that combines Dell compute, storage, and automation tooling. It is designed to provide a consistent deployment and operations model across different software stacks.

Nutanix support adds to existing options. Dell Private Cloud launched with VMware support and later expanded to include Red Hat OpenShift.

The Nutanix integration centres on Nutanix AHV, the hypervisor included with the Nutanix Cloud Platform. Customers can now run AHV with Dell PowerFlex storage, and Dell plans to add integration with Dell PowerStore later this summer.

Dell described the addition as part of a broader move towards disaggregated infrastructure, where organisations scale compute and storage independently rather than expanding a fixed, tightly coupled system.

Operational Tools

Customers using Nutanix will be able to continue using familiar Nutanix operational tools, including Prism for administration and monitoring.

Dell also highlighted its Dell Automation Platform as the layer that coordinates deployment and ongoing management for Dell Private Cloud. It covers initial provisioning, day-to-day administration, and lifecycle processes such as updates.

For IT teams running mixed environments, the goal is a common operating experience across hypervisor choices. That matters for organisations modernising data centres without creating separate processes for each platform.

Market Context

Hyperconverged infrastructure became popular by combining compute and storage in a single system and simplifying management compared with traditional three-tier architectures. Many enterprises used it to standardise operations and deploy new workloads faster.

Demand has shifted as organisations run a broader mix of applications, from container platforms to traditional virtual machines. Infrastructure planning is also under pressure as organisations balance refresh cycles, subscription costs, and operational continuity.

Dell's move reflects renewed attention on hypervisor choice. Many customers have been evaluating alternatives and multi-hypervisor strategies in response to changes in the virtualisation landscape over the past two years.

Economics And Investment

Dell said pairing Nutanix AHV with Dell external storage gives organisations another way to manage cost and procurement. Independent scaling can help avoid buying additional compute when only storage is needed, or vice versa.

Dell also emphasised reuse of existing infrastructure, saying organisations can extend deployments without replacing hardware, depending on their current estate and configuration choices.

The move appears aimed at customers that want to run multiple platforms in parallel, including those keeping VMware for some workloads while moving others to different hypervisors or platforms.

With Nutanix support, Dell is also aligning more directly with an established ecosystem in hyperconverged and virtualisation software. Nutanix has promoted AHV as an alternative for customers looking to reduce dependence on VMware.

Customer Options

Customers can deploy Dell Private Cloud with Nutanix and Dell PowerFlex immediately. PowerFlex is Dell's software-defined storage platform for scale-out architectures.

PowerStore integration is scheduled for later this summer. Dell positions PowerStore as its flagship midrange storage system, widely deployed across enterprise estates.

The expanded support increases the number of infrastructure combinations available for private cloud deployments. It also places more emphasis on integration between Dell's automation tools, server and storage systems, and third-party virtualisation software.

Dell described the move as a shift in private cloud conversations from platform selection to infrastructure adaptability. "The private cloud landscape is evolving rapidly, and IT leaders are shifting their focus from "which platform" to "how do we build infrastructure that adapts to our changing needs," it said.

It added that multi-hypervisor environments are becoming more common as organisations standardise operational processes while supporting more software stacks. "With 52% of IT leaders now considering multi-hypervisor strategies to avoid vendor lock-in, the demand for flexible, scalable solutions has never been more critical," it said.