Last April, more than a year after Broadcom's acquisition of virtualization solutions leader VMware, a new product portfolio and licensing policy was introduced that significantly impacted the cost of running enterprise infrastructure. Now, after another year and an evaluation of the true impact of the pricing adjustments, it is an opportune time to evaluate alternative virtualization solutions and consider migrating to a more cost-effective platform.
When considering a possible change, the key requirements remain unchanged - in addition to cost savings, it is necessary to ensure reliable and failure-free operation, available technical support and long-term stability under predictable conditions. Compliance with internal security policies, the risks associated with migrating critical applications, and the overall time and technical complexity of moving to a new solution are also important factors in the decision. Focus on these key points when discussing potential change:
HW compatibility
Choose a new solution taking into account the specification of the currently owned or leased HW. In the case of a planned HW upgrade, check the compatibility and support of the manufacturer of the chosen HW.
OS compatibility
The ability of the hypervisor to work with the operating system is crucial. Just as Hyper-V will not be the best choice for Linux environments, for Windows, carefully consider the functionality and performance of an open source solution.
Scalability
Think about future needs, have an idea of the power ramp-up requirements and the need for load distribution (vertical and horizontal scaling).
Resource consumption
Consider the nature of the anticipated workload, and focus on optimized hypervisors for complex solutions.
Total operating costs
Don't forget to include the cost of system maintenance, team training or the purchase of specialised software for some solutions.
The final choice of a suitable alternative to VMware depends primarily on the specifics of your organization's IT infrastructure and internal security and operational policies. Each available solution offers a different level of functionality, so it is important to consider your specific performance, management and compatibility requirements. If your environment does not require advanced virtualization features, you can achieve more significant savings. Conversely, organizations with complex needs must consider more careful selection and the potential need to invest in compatibility and support. The key is to strike a balance between cost-effectiveness, technology level and long-term sustainability of the solution.
We will be discussing the topic of alternative virtualization solutions at the upcoming Spring Technology Breakfast. We will present a specific customer example of private cloud virtualization and the changes considered in the context of optimizing operational costs, while our partners, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Alef Zero, will focus on alternative virtualization solutions and related operational savings.
If you are considering changing or combining virtualization platforms, the Technology Breakfast is a great opportunity to get up-to-date information and compare available solutions. The program includes live demonstrations of the environment HPE VM Essentials and AHV Nutanix, accompanied by a final debate with experts.
The Technology Breakfast takes place on Wednesday 9 April 2025 at KPMG. Register for free here.
Overview of selected alternative solutions
You can choose from proprietary and open-source solutions with free and paid licenses. We've selected these five possible candidates to reduce the overall cost of running your virtual infrastructure.
HPE VM Essentials
HPE VM Essentials is an advanced KVM-based virtualization solution that enables you to manage virtual machines across KVM and VMware platforms. The tool facilitates migration between these platforms, giving organizations the flexibility to choose a target infrastructure based on functionality and cost preferences. HPE VM Essentials combines the power of KVM with advanced management and integration features, reducing management costs and increasing efficiency. The solution is ideal for businesses looking for flexibility and cost-effectiveness in virtualization.
Nutanix AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor)
Nutanix AHV is another commercial alternative with modern features, advanced management and security capabilities. This virtualization platform allows you to run virtual machines and containers for applications in on-premises and public cloud environments.
Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE)
Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) is an open-source alternative based on KVM and LXC technologies for Windows and Linux-based servers. Proxmox VE includes built-in security features such as backup, storage replication, live migration and internal firewalls.
Microsoft Hyper-V
Microsoft Hyper-V is still an interesting alternative to VMware in terms of functionality and support. It allows running multiple operating systems on a single hardware node. Microsoft offers Hyper-V both as part of the Microsoft Windows Server package and as a standalone Hyper-V Server product.
XenServer (Citrix Hypervisor) / XCP-ng
The XenServer hypervisor is known for its efficiency and scalability, making it a popular choice for deployment in large data centers. It offers paravirtualization (PV) for higher performance as well as full virtualization (HVM) with hardware acceleration. Its microkernel architecture provides enhanced security, and live migration support enables outage-free virtual machine moves. Xen is ideal for large-scale deployments with an emphasis on performance and high availability.