VMware Go: Small Business Virtualization?
According to a press release, VMware Go is
"Ideal for small and midsized businesses (SMBs), VMware Go will dramatically simplify the process of virtualizing their applications by automating the installation and configuration of the industry-leading hypervisor, VMware ESXi."
Virtualization isn’t just for big businesses. That’s the message from the VMworld conference, where VMware is launching VMware Go — a web-based service that strives to help small and midsize businesses more rapidly embrace virtualization. Here are some perspectives.
According to a press release, VMware Go is
“Ideal for small and midsized businesses (SMBs), VMware Go will dramatically simplify the process of virtualizing their applications by automating the installation and configuration of the industry-leading hypervisor, VMware ESXi.”
The service, VMware says, was developed in partnership with Shavlik Technologies. It’s available as a beta now (http://www.vmware.com/go/vmware-go-beta) and will launch as a free service in 2010, VMware says.
The Bigger Picture
Big businesses certainly understand virtualization. But I do sense considerable curiosity and confusion in the small business market, where entrepreneurs are seeking guidance on desktop and server virtualization.
Meanwhile, I’m hearing from more and more managed service providers (MSPs) that are striving to leverage virtualization — either in their own data centers or in co-location centers or even on-premise at customer settings.
For small business VARs, in particular, I think VMware will need to aggressively educate Microsoft’s partner network — where certified Exchange, SharePoint and other types of solutions providers are looking to simplify server environments through vertualization. I’ll be curious to see if VMware Go accelerates that effort.
A side note: I can’t help but wonder if the VMware folks stole a page from the Autotask marketing play book, which has offered Autotask Go as a starter platform to managed service providers for about two years.
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Great post – We’ve been making virtualization a standard component in our networks for close to a year now – it’s a definite fit in the SMB space. On another note – it appears your link above to VMWare Go is getting redirected to ESXi.
Jeremy: I will check the link above with VMware.
Side note: VMware is out with a Top 10 List describing why small businesses should virtualize. Sure, it’s a marketing piece. But perhaps MSPs can use portions of the list as they pitch virtualization to SMBs.
Jeremy and Joe: This is the right link- after you sign in on that ESXi page you get the option for VMWare Go Beta.
Zach: Thanks for the clarification and fact-check. VMware supplied the link so yes, it does appear correct.
I think another piece of it is awareness and price. As a sm business owner myself, I know of virtualization and that its out there and I know VMWare costs a fortune. So my question is do SMBs even know there is a SMB version out there that (presumably) costs less?? I have no idea of the cost myself and I bet most non-tech business owners don’t know either.
Stu
@StuFinancesTech
VMware does have a product called VSphere 4 Standard that comes with 1 year maintenance for just over $1000. This is a good starter package for a small business to get their feet wet.
Rick: Thanks for the data points, assuming your number are accurate (I haven’t verified them).
Stu: I think you need to weigh the VMware costs vs. the $$$ saved in actual hardware purchases, heating, cooling, administration, etc. I haven’t done the math myself… yet…