Phoenix Software staff win Broadcom VCF Knight status

Phoenix Software has announced that two employees have achieved Broadcom VCF Knight status, Broadcom's highest recognition for partner professionals.

Infrastructure Practise Lead Richard Worth and Senior Technical Consultant Robert Dent both received the Broadcom VCF Knight - Storage certification, recognising expertise in VMware Cloud Foundation-related storage.

The achievement strengthens Phoenix's position within Broadcom's partner network, where it holds UK Pinnacle and Expert Advantage status. It also reflects continued investment by the York-based business in technical staff with specialist VMware expertise.

Broadcom's Knight programme identifies partner specialists with experience in the architecture, design, implementation and support of Broadcom technologies. In this case, the focus was on VMware Cloud Foundation and related storage work.

The process involves several stages rather than a single exam. Candidates must pass multiple advanced technical tests, submit evidence of customer designs, deliver a live technical demonstration to a Broadcom sponsor, and then undergo nomination and review by a Broadcom panel.

The certification typically takes several months to complete and requires periodic renewal, making it a relatively rare qualification within the VMware and Broadcom partner ecosystem.

Worth has worked in IT for more than 25 years, including nine at Phoenix, where he leads the infrastructure practice. His background spans networking, storage and virtualisation, all closely tied to the technologies covered by VMware Cloud Foundation.

Dent has worked with VMware technologies for more than 20 years, beginning during an early IT apprenticeship and later implementing virtualisation environments at the University of Hull. His experience also includes servers, storage, NetApp and vSAN, and he gained his first VMware certification while working at the university.

Technical route

The certifications come as many customers reassess their VMware environments following Broadcom's acquisition of the software business. That has increased scrutiny on partners able to demonstrate deep product knowledge and delivery experience.

Both men completed the same rigorous process to secure the designation, which Phoenix described as evidence of its ability to support organisations running complex virtualised infrastructure.

Worth said: "The difference with the Knight programme is that it recognises not just what you know, but what you've actually delivered. It reflects real-world experience - designing, implementing, and solving problems for customers. For me, VCF brings together everything we do across networking, storage, and virtualisation into one cohesive platform."

Dent linked the certification to customer expectations around complex infrastructure projects.

Dent said: "This is one of the highest standards a consultant can achieve. It's exactly the level of expertise customers expect when they're investing in complex platforms like VMware Cloud Foundation. For me, it's also about continuing to learn and building environments where the wider team can develop their skills."

Phoenix operates across software licensing, hardware, software asset management and managed IT services, and has been in the market for more than 30 years. It works with public and private sector customers on IT strategy, infrastructure design, deployment and software management.

The latest certifications suggest the company is seeking to deepen specialist skills in core infrastructure areas as customers continue to assess how they manage virtualisation, storage and networking in consolidated cloud environments.