VMware’s free ride

By Jennifer Mears, NetworkWorld.com, 07/12/06

VMware announced today that its free server virtualization product, VMware Server, is now generally available. The product, which is basically its low-end GSX Server, was first made free in a beta program that began this past February. Since then the free product has been downloaded about 700,000 times, VMware says. Not bad.

The idea behind VMware Server is to give enterprise users a no-cost, risk-free taste of x86 server virtualization. Remember, though, that this product is different than the higher-end ESX Server, since it runs on a host operating system -- either Windows or Linux -- rather than below the OS. Microsoft Virtual Server also runs atop a host OS.

With general availability, VMware Server also gets some enhanced features such as support for VirtualCenter, the management package that lets users monitor and manage VMware virtual machines.

In addition, customers can buy enterprise-class support starting at $350 per year for two processors. Of course, the real hope is that customers will eventually move up into VMware’s Infrastructure 3 virtualization packages that includes the more robust ESX Server.

Download VMware Server here.

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