Microsoft is quietly marketing Hyper-V and more friendlier virtualization licensing options.
The Microsoft virtualization executives here at VMworldin San Francisco aren’t happy that the company’s presence has been shunted to a small corner at VMworld, when last year it had such a big, visible spot. The folks from Redmond aren’t used to being the little guy. Still, the ‘softies I’ve talked to at the show (and I’ve run into them everywhere) are taking it with the same sense of humor (more-or-less) as they did last year.
Microsoft’s hands have been tied around its back because it really ticked off VMware at the 2008 show. It hired people to stand in front of the show floor handing out poker chips attached to a card that said, “Looking for your best bet? You won’t find it with VMware. Visit www.VMwareCostsWayTooMuch.com.” Microsoft has therefore been low-key this year. But Citrix has also been delegated to a small-booth in a corner and is being more in-your-face about it. At a small, last minute gathering hosted by Microsoft on Monday, a Citrix Xen dude showed up in a yellow T-shirt with a slogan that proclaimed that Xen can’t be contained in a 10×10 box. Many a person at the Microsoft party grinned at seeing it.
VMware has managed to unite the Microsoft virtualization and Citrix virtualization teams by giving them a common enemy.
In any case, Microsoft hasn’t really given up, but has simply gone underground. Microsoft has invited Hyper-V customers to the show and is showcasing their love of Hyper-V to anyone that cares to hear about it.
No matter the marketing shenanigans, Microsoft’s virtualization play is sure-fire. A percentage of customers won’t want to continue to pay VMware for a hypervisor when they have Hyper-V sitting on their new Windows Server machines already.
The caveat is, Microsoft can’t blow it by infuriated users with draconian licensing schemes. And I’ve heard form several Microsoft execs that they are working to make their licensing not just easier to understand, but more supportive of virtualization. The Windows Server data center license, for instance, was the fix needed for Kroll Factual Data, a supplier of credit report information in Loveland, Co., says Christopher Steffen, principal technical architect at the company. “We used to have two-full time people dealing with Microsoft licensing. Now we have one guy working on it part time,” he says.
Still Microsoft executives readily admit that the company’s newer virtualization friendly licensing options are not well understood by users. Company officials want to do more to get the message out that it not only wants licensing to be easier, but understands that customers are fed up. Customers are taking a wait-and-see attitude on that.
If you have questions, problems or complaints about Microsoft licensing with virtualization, please contact me by leaving a comment here or via e-mail (jbort@nww.com) The Microsoft officials I’ve talked to at the show say they want to hear your questions and answer them. I’ll hold them to that promise.
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