VMware Steps Up Attacks on Microsoft Virtualization

The folks at VMware are continuing their assault on anyone else's claims of good return-on-investment numbers for competing virtualization platforms.

Microsoft has posted a free, questionnaire-based TCO/ROI calculator on its web site. It's not impressing VMware.

Tim Stephan, on VMware's corporate blog, writes:

Of course the results were all hypothetical, because Hyper-V is not yet available, but what we found when running a realistic scenario through the model and then from reading the report's fine print, is that like most Microsoft version 1.0 products, the initial release of this calculator has numerous errors, contains critical design mistakes, and completely misses its mark. Any results generated from this model are so unrealistic as to be completely worthless for accurately comparing costs and benefits of alternate virtualization solutions. (Maybe we all need to wait for the SP1?)

Other than that, how did he like it?

He gets specific, saying among other things: "The tool assumes the following pricing for Windows Server 2008 Editions: $719 for Standard, $2334 for Enterprise, and $2381 for Datacenter. That doesn't match up to the list pricing that Microsoft publishes on its website, so the prices must be some sort of volume/discounted pricing."

One gets the feeling that we'll soon know everything we always wanted to know but were afraid to ask about Microsoft server licensing, courtesy of VMware. Microsoft's Hyper-V appears to be still on track for a formal launch at some point this summer. Maybe then VMware will take the gloves off. . .

Meanwhile, let's not forget Citrix. That company is set to hold its partner event this week, and don't be surprised if there are a fast and furious number of virtualization announcements out of them. For more on Citrix' plans, you can read Samara Lynn's recent CRN piece explaining the company's technology strategy.