Comments on: Will VMware become the next Novell? http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2009/07/08/will-vmware-become-the-next-novell/ Beyond the Manual, with Mike Laverick (VCI, VCP, CCI, CCEA, MCT, MCSE) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:25:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Tarry Singh http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2009/07/08/will-vmware-become-the-next-novell/comment-page-1/#comment-36609 Tarry Singh Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:07:28 +0000 http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/?p=1314#comment-36609 Well with ESXi and the stuff that went around the whole free download go me very curious so I called a friend [who also is an entrepreneur and could have been directly affected by the ESXi stuff as his business was to make money out of the ESXi freeness, so to speak] and asked him why did VMware do that and what did they not look at when they did that. I was amazed and actually not surprised with the administrative sluggishness on VMware's part that they never kept a track on folks that got/downloaded ESXi. So the accounts were not kept, naturally you wouldn't keep as they weren't "paying" customers. Now with solutions rising across the virtualization spectrum providing all sorts of support made it hard for them to understand why and how ESXi suddenly became a lead for paying customers. Sad part is that many customers will quietly move away to Hyper-V or other solutions like XenServer , few will stay back till the upgrade moment comes and will probably not even contact VMware (VMware may have to ask the partner to supply the names of the customers who they just snubbed/rubbed the wrond way). So before folks get a bit too excited here, I am saying (which I have said publicly) is: - VMware must keeping innovating, get friendly to customers and all the stuff the Mike said above - VMware can get its in-house administrative tasks that involve stuff like talking to customers, VARs etc - Really get some really good help at the backend and ensure that you know what goes in and what goes out [get soft folks on board while keeping engineers not at all involved with that kind of BS] Times are hard and they are not about to get any better but with some simple and prudent practices VMware can extend its winning streak by a few years. VMware has always been very dear to me, simply because it gave me and to many of us in the IT industry the hope and joy of "coolness", it would be a shame to see them go down. Tarry Well with ESXi and the stuff that went around the whole free download go me very curious so I called a friend [who also is an entrepreneur and could have been directly affected by the ESXi stuff as his business was to make money out of the ESXi freeness, so to speak] and asked him why did VMware do that and what did they not look at when they did that.

I was amazed and actually not surprised with the administrative sluggishness on VMware’s part that they never kept a track on folks that got/downloaded ESXi. So the accounts were not kept, naturally you wouldn’t keep as they weren’t “paying” customers. Now with solutions rising across the virtualization spectrum providing all sorts of support made it hard for them to understand why and how ESXi suddenly became a lead for paying customers.

Sad part is that many customers will quietly move away to Hyper-V or other solutions like XenServer , few will stay back till the upgrade moment comes and will probably not even contact VMware (VMware may have to ask the partner to supply the names of the customers who they just snubbed/rubbed the wrond way).

So before folks get a bit too excited here, I am saying (which I have said publicly) is:
- VMware must keeping innovating, get friendly to customers and all the stuff the Mike said above
- VMware can get its in-house administrative tasks that involve stuff like talking to customers, VARs etc
- Really get some really good help at the backend and ensure that you know what goes in and what goes out [get soft folks on board while keeping engineers not at all involved with that kind of BS]

Times are hard and they are not about to get any better but with some simple and prudent practices VMware can extend its winning streak by a few years. VMware has always been very dear to me, simply because it gave me and to many of us in the IT industry the hope and joy of “coolness”, it would be a shame to see them go down.

Tarry

]]> By: Matt Simmons http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2009/07/08/will-vmware-become-the-next-novell/comment-page-1/#comment-36551 Matt Simmons Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:37:17 +0000 http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/?p=1314#comment-36551 I can't believe the steps they're taking with ESXi. That, to me, is indicative of a company backpeddeling because they didn't take the long view. I can picture the meeting now. "You decided to give WHAT away?" I'm at the cusp of designing the next iteration of our infrastructure, and I've got to make a choice about which hypervisor I'm going to go with. I wanted to use ESXi because I was already familiar with the their interface (at least a bit), but with the direction they're going, Xenworks puts out a mighty fine offer. Essentially, VMware has no carrot on the stick at this point. I can’t believe the steps they’re taking with ESXi. That, to me, is indicative of a company backpeddeling because they didn’t take the long view. I can picture the meeting now.

“You decided to give WHAT away?”

I’m at the cusp of designing the next iteration of our infrastructure, and I’ve got to make a choice about which hypervisor I’m going to go with. I wanted to use ESXi because I was already familiar with the their interface (at least a bit), but with the direction they’re going, Xenworks puts out a mighty fine offer. Essentially, VMware has no carrot on the stick at this point.

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