Paul Maritz to step down as VMware CEO?

VMware chief executive Paul Maritz is to be replaced by EMC's chief operating officer Pat Gelsinger, it has been claimed.

According to a story on US channel news site CRN US , it is unclear whether or not Maritz will stay on at the firm.

However, both Maritz and Gelsinger have previously been tipped to replace EMC CEO Joe Tucci when he retires.

However, sources have also linked Maritz with a move to Cloud Foundary, a VMware initiative that aims to provide developers with a range of platforms and frameworks to create their own cloud apps and services.

Maritz joined VMware through its 2008 acquisition of cloud platform specialist Pi Corp and has been the company's CEO for four years.

"Maritz's departure would definitely be a loss for VMware, but Gelsinger has a great track record as well," an anonymous sourced told CRN US.

At the time of writing VMWare had declined to comment, while IT Pro was still waiting on a response from EMC.

Caroline Donnelly is the news and analysis editor of IT Pro and its sister site Cloud Pro, and covers general news, as well as the storage, security, public sector, cloud and Microsoft beats. Caroline has been a member of the IT Pro/Cloud Pro team since March 2012, and has previously worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.