VMware lashes out at AWS' 'biased' cost claims

Amazon's new TCO comparison calculator 'doesn't come close' to comparing like for like, VMware claims

VMware has blasted cloud rival Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its new price-comparison tool which it claims uses "biased and inaccurate" calculations to make VMware's kit look more expensive than its own.

AWS recently launched a new version of its Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator which compares the price of on-premise or hosted kit to its own offerings, based on a range of information users are asked to input.

AWS admits it has to make "several assumptions" based on third-party research and its own customer data in order to power the calculator, but VMware strongly criticised its methodology.

VMware's product marketing manager Craig Hosang took to a VMware blog to lash out at AWS' claims.

"Our many customers choose us as their infrastructure platform and stay with us because we provide the best value," he said. "The Amazon calculator tries to create a different perception by using biased and inaccurate assumptions.

"Amazon claims their calculator provides an ‘apples-to-apples' comparison, but in reality, it doesn't come close to doing so. Their calculator contains biased assumptions regarding VMware's TCO, which inflate the costs of an on-premises cloud and underestimate the true costs of using a public cloud solution."

He went on to explain that the AWS calculator assumes a customer has no existing on-premise investment, compares VMware's most-advanced suite against AWS' offering, which skews the results, and does not include AWS' support costs in its calculations.

On the blog, Hosang gave details of a different calculation – based on what he claims are more accurate figures – which show VMware to have the better-value offering.

"Clearly the AWS TCO Calculator does not represent a fair, ‘apples-to-apples' portrayal of the costs of an on-premises solution," he added. "Amazon's calculator is underestimating AWS costs and overstating VMware costs."