Broadcom’s VMware has introduced a new entry-level product called vSphere Express, aimed at organizations seeking cost-effective essential virtualization capabilities. The release follows complaints that the company previously pushed smaller clients toward its expensive flagship private cloud bundles.
Targeting Smaller Customers
Many small- to medium-sized business customers previously felt alienated after reports that VMware sales representatives claimed vSphere Standard, the prior entry-level option, was no longer available. Instead, users were directed toward VMware Cloud Foundation, a comprehensive private cloud package that includes numerous advanced features smaller organizations do not require.
Prashanth Shenoy, vice president of product marketing for VCF, told SDxCentral that the company listened to lower-end customers who rejected the broader bundles and requested core virtualization functionality. Shenoy noted that the new product only supports discrete instances without central management capabilities, as reported by The Register.
Pricing and Features
A VMware spokesperson told The Register that the company will sell a per-core subscription license priced significantly lower than the VMware vSphere Foundation and VCF bundles, though a specific price quote was not provided. However, IT distributor TD Synnex lists the product at $9,600 annually for running on up to 128 cores, with no price reduction for fewer cores.
The offering includes fundamental capabilities such as vMotion for live migration of running virtual machines with improved speed and efficiency, alongside high availability for automated restarts of failed virtual machines. Furthermore, unlike vSphere Standard, which went years without a meaningful update, vSphere Express will receive updates as frequently as the VCF and VVF products, according to The Register.
