Microsoft Dangles Cost Savings for VMware Converts

Microsoft is on a mission to play its cards right in game over a larger share of the virtualization market. Little shy of taking jabs at the main competitors, the Redmond company is dangling consistent cost savings in front of potential customers provided that they switch from VMware solutions to its own virtualization technologies and associated management products.

According to Microsoft, for some customers that have swapped VMware and embraced Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center management tools, savings ranged on average around $170,000. The promise from the software giant is that cost savings are achieved through a variety of factors, including diminished energy consumption, cut hardware investments and streamlined licensing with recurring costs.

“The light switch has gone on for customers, and they realize they no longer have to pay a virtualization tax with VMware that creates an isolated, virtual island within their IT departments,” explained David Greschler, director of virtualization and management marketing in the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft.

Citing statistics provided by consulting firm Information Technology Intelligence Corp., Microsoft noted that the current uptake level of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V is as high as 32% across not just enterprise customers but also small and midsize businesses. Information technology Intelligence additionally revealed in the “2009 Global Virtualization Deployment Trends Survey” that no less than 59% of the 700 IT professionals that participated in the survey have plans to adopt Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V in the next year to 18 months.

“The System Center management suite and Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V provide a cost-effective, interoperable and scalable enterprise-class virtualization solution. As a result, more and more customers are switching to the Microsoft solution, and some are saving on average $170,000 when they switch,” Greschler added.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Release Candidate (RC) is available for download here.