VMware Launches vSphere 4.1, Renewed Channel Efforts
Fresh out of VMware: vSphere version 4.1 with a slew of new features, plus an updated focus on the channel and VMware partners. The moves come as both Microsoft and Red Hat make competitive virtualization claims vs. VMware. Read on and find out what Doug Smith, senior direct of global distribution for VMware, has to say about the latest VMware partner program moves.
Once upon a time, partners were rewarded based on their size, and their “level” within a partner program. But VMware is changing their focus from that quantitative level of rewards and shifting to a more qualitative one. Says Smith:
“[Now we’re] lessoning focus on the tiering model of [of partner programs]. [We’re more interested in] what solutions do you sell? It’s not important if you’re a big or medium partner, but [rather] what kind of partner. [So we’re] investing channel dollars around more programs. Premier partners [can access enhanced] rebate programs to increase the cash you can make.”
But even if you’re not a premier partner, there’s new incentives. Smith says a new solutions rewards rebate program is now paid on a quarterly basis and aimed at solutions partner specialization. For instance, do you have Desktop competency? There’s additional margin, without registration, Smith says,
Smith noted that VMware worked on the channel improvements for about a year, and they interviewed both customers and end users to figure out what would work for both parties, asking ‘what’s relevant to you’ and ‘how can we help you’?
“[So] we’re investing in our partners more than we ever have before. Investments with our partners are being aimed at the new solutions we’re offing in the market place. The program will continue to evolve, change and improve…over time. We’re investing in more around new solution sets and acquisitions we’ve made and the partners that have invested with us.”
The Software
Here’s the quick and dirty bullet points on what VMware is putting out on the latest vSphere
- vMotion now in VMware vSphere 4.1 Essentials Plus and Standard Editions helps quickly migrate virtual machines across hardware environments without interrupting business operations.
- Cheaper: The most popular VMware vSphere edition for businesses with fewer than 30 applications, VMware vSphere 4.1 Essentials provides an all-in-one solution for small businesses for $495 for 6 processors, or $83 per processor.
- ESXi Now VMware vSphere Hypervisor, available at no cost: VMware vSphere Hypervisor (formerly ESXi single server edition) delivers the proven foundation of VMware’s virtualization technology to customers of all sizes at no cost.
Plus, vSphere 4.1 features…
- 2X larger resource pools with 3X the management power.
- Up to 25% better performance and reduced cost per application
- 5X Faster Virtual Machine Migrations
- New network and storage I/O controls
- Increased performance through open integration with storage environments with VMware’s storage partners
Amid these improvements, VMware continues to face aggressive competition from established rivals like Microsoft Hyper-V and emerging rivals like Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization. Microsoft attacked VMware and Google during last week’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2010 (WPC10), and Red Hat took a similar competitive stance vs. VMware during Red Hat Summit in June 2010.
