As promised in the last VMworld, now VMware has introduced two new less-expensive versions of its NSX product targeted for the mid-enterprise. Also on NSX there are now different editions with different prices and, of course, features.
The full version will be the Enterprise one (sigh… on vSphere Enterprise has gone, wasn’t better call it Enterprise Plus), the intermediate Advanced and the starter just Standard. No Essential or Essential Plus, but will be difficult and non sense (yet) apply this kind of technology to the small business.
This table summarize the different features in the different editions:
| Features | Standard | Advanced | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distributed switching and routing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NSX edge firewall | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NAT | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SW L2 bridging to physical environment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic routing with ECMP (active-active) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API-driven automation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integration with vRealize and OpenStack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automation of security policy with vRealize | Yes | Yes | |
| NSX edge load balancing | Yes | Yes | |
| Distributed firewalling | Yes | Yes | |
| Integration with Active Directory | Yes | Yes | |
| Server activity monitoring | Yes | Yes | |
| Service insertion (third-party integration) | Yes | Yes | |
| Cross vCenter NSX | Yes | ||
| Multi-site NSX optimizations | Yes | ||
| VPN (IPSec and SSL) | Yes | ||
| Remote Gateway | Yes | ||
| Integration with hardware VTEPs | Yes |
This move is a way to increase the adoption of NSX: previously, with a list price of $5,996 per CPU socket, NSX was primarily been a technology for deep-pocketed enterprise customers. Mostly where security is a must.
Now the Standard version will have a list price at $1,995 per CPU socket, and the Advanced version priced at $4,495 per CPU socket. Maybe still too much for several customers, but more affortable for mid-enterprises. VMware is also raising the list price of its fully functional version of NSX, now called Enterprise, to $6,995 per CPU socket.
Will be interesting see if those prices may changed in the next years, like happed with the vSphere editions: really costly at the beginning, and more interesting with more customers interesting and also with more competitions (for example the new Windows Server 2016 will include it’s Network Controller).
See also:
- NSX editions FAQ
- VMware Debuts Cheaper NSX Software-Defined Networking Options, Hikes Pricing For Premium Version
- VMware hikes NSX price, adds cheaper versions
- VMware touts new feature-lite versions of NSX
