The Platform You Already Know
Microsoft believes virtualization should be an integral part of your IT infrastructure, so we built Hyper-V into Windows Server 2008. This means you can easily integrate it with your existing infrastructure and management tools. Since Hyper-V is the “Windows you know,” you can use the in-house expertise you already have. In fact, if you know Windows, you know virtualization. Unlike VMware vSphere, which adds another layer to your infrastructure and requires a separate skill set and training, with Hyper-V you don’t have to spend valuable resources and time on learning a new skill set. There’s no need to dedicate specialized IT staff to manage your hypervisors.
Only Microsoft delivers both physical, virtual and cross-platform management
The more you virtualize, the more complex your environment can become—and the more critical management is to enabling a cost-effective, dynamic infrastructure. Microsoft System Center gives you a wide variety of integrated management functionality for your physical and virtual environments, and is the only solution that lets you manage Hyper-V and VMware, all through one pane of glass. Microsoft lets you manage virtual and physical environments and use common deployment, provisioning, monitoring, and backup methodologies across both. VMware’s answer to management is to use VMware vSphere and VMware vCenter, but even this combination falls short: you still can’t manage multiple hypervisors, physical resources or applications.
Microsoft offers more choice in the cloud
Microsoft provides comprehensive cloud computing solutions that traverse the entire stack — from public to private to hosted cloud infrastructures — providing more choice to help you reduce cost and increase flexibility. Microsoft’s cloud computing solution provides private, hosted, and public solutions that address a wide range of business needs. The greater flexibility of Microsoft’s cloud solution allows you to adapt cloud computing to your business needs, not the other way around.
Microsoft offers more value for less money than VMware
For datacenter virtualization infrastructure and management tools, Microsoft’s solutions simply make more sense. Here’s why: VMware is three times or more expensive than Microsoft - the numbers speak for themselves. Microsoft offers its virtualization and management solutions at a lower cost and higher value for customers. Microsoft's server solution costs approximately one-third or less the cost of a comparable solution from VMware*.
Microsoft virtualization for the Datacenter
In the datacenter, Microsoft provides many capabilities that VMware does not offer.
This chart compares VMware vSphere 4 core features with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and System Center Management core features. As you can see, Microsoft is ahead in many of the areas required for a robust desktop to datacenter virtualization and management solution.
More value for less money in the Datacenter
In the datacenter Microsoft’s virtualization platform and management tools simply make more sense. Microsoft offers its virtualization and management solutions at lower cost and higher value for customers. Microsoft's server solution costs approximately one-third the cost of a comparable solution from VMware*
Microsoft Virtualization & Management Solutions vs. VMware vSphere
Microsoft offers solutions for small and midsize business
Microsoft is a great value when it comes to small and midsize businesses. The scenario below illustrates the offerings, and as you can see, the Microsoft virtualization and management solution is significantly less expensive than VMware. With Microsoft virtualization and management solutions features like live migration and clustering are included at no cost. With VMware, you have to move to the higher level vSphere Advanced version to get live migration and clustering and you pay a significant price premium for these features.
Microsoft Virtualization & Management vs. VMware vSphere
for small and midsize businesses
This chart compares VMware vSphere vs. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager Workgroup edition and System Center Essentials. Price comparison based on five servers, two processor system, with management server cost, two year Maintenance, and no operating system cost.
† Based on 3-year cost calculation per concurrent user (ccu). VMware® View Enterprise add-on license price $150 and 20% yearly maintenance ($30) averaged over 3 years (($150 + 3*$30 = $240)/3 = $80). VMware® View Premier add-on license price $250 per year and 20% yearly maintenance ($50) averaged over 3 years (($250 + 3*$50 = $400)/3 = $133). As per published VMware prices available at http://www.vmware.com/products/view/howtobuy.html as of 04/01/2010 for purchases in the United States. Actual reseller prices may vary.
* Based on Microsoft and Citrix estimated retail prices for purchases in the United States. Actual reseller prices may vary.
* Based on a server virtualization comparison of Microsoft® System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter with VMware’s vSphere Enterprise Plus with VMware vCenter Server. Cost comparisons assumes a five host configuration, 2 processors on each host, 2 years support costs for both products, and no operating system costs included. The Microsoft solution can use either the free Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 hypervisor or an existing Windows Server 2008 R2 hypervisor. Based on Microsoft estimated retail prices and published VMware prices available at https://www.vmware.com/vmwarestore as of 04/01/2010 for purchases in the United States. Actual reseller prices may vary.