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05 Jun 2009
Comments:4
Citrix Systems has thrown down the gauntlet to virtualisation giant VMware as it educates customers and partners on how to migrate from VMware ESX to its XenServer Enterprise.
In February the software vendor announced its XenServer Enterprise virtualisation platform would be available for free to any user for unlimited production deployment. Some 30 per cent of the customers to have downloaded XenServer Enterprise since then have been VMware customers, Citrix claims.
James Stevenson, area vice president at Citrix UK, Ireland and South Africa, said: “This shows some people who bought VMware are now considering whether XenServer can do the same. As the download is free the business case speaks for itself.”
Citrix has also launched an education programme aimed at helping partners and end users migrate.
Phil Cambers, commercial director at virtualisation consultancy SITS Group, said: “XenServer is a great way to get customers onto a platform.
“However, if a product is free where does the money for development come from? That is why VMware charges a subscription.”
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Do you agree?
XenServer
Maybe I should add some context to my quotation regarding where the money for development comes from....
Firstly SITS Group are a Citrix Partner and we are very pleased XenServer is now FOC as it is a great conversation starter with prospects. However most of the prospects we have engaged with aren't interested in Essentials (for the moment) and are quite happy with the functionality the free product gives them - I think it's the free Xenmotion functionality which is the reason for this by the way.
I agree that support raises revenue, but in my experience not all prospects want to buy support, despite our recommendations to the contrary!
All in all I think it is a good move and something which allows partners to engage with prospects in a positive fashion, in what are tough times...
Posted by Phil Cambers | 09 Jun 2009
Great
XenServer is really making a great job allowing the unlimited deployment of his software production for free, this gives to the users of the software to good opinion of the company and his relatives coordination?s.
And I'm sure that if you want to find out more about the topic of XenServer you can visit http://www.starwindsoftware.com/citrix-xenserver
Posted by Max MH | 07 Jun 2009
Proof?
XenServer freebie wins, why? Is there any tangible proof that because these 30% have downloaded XenServer they have actually use it in production?
I downloaded it, and I'm a VMware customer. Do I have it in production? Nope. Do I have it in test? Nope.
So do I still get counted in the 30%, or not? I meet the criteria of downloading XenServer, but additional information shows I am not using it.
The calculation sounds like some fuzzy math to me.
Posted by Jase | 05 Jun 2009
Where the money comes from
It's easy. The money for development comes from the percentage of users who want to add HA, workload balancing, dynamic provisioning, advanced storage integration, and lab and stage management via the Citrix Essentials product. (And from users of free XenServer who buy support contracts, too.)
Posted by Roger Klorese, Citrix | 05 Jun 2009
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