Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has launched a new programme designed to attract businesses currently using VMware's virtualisation software, offering a year of free licences for key products. This strategic move comes as many UK organisations reassess their virtualisation strategies following recent changes to VMware's licensing and pricing structures, which have reportedly led to increased costs for some users.
Under the new initiative, eligible customers will receive a complimentary one-year licence for VMware vSphere Essentials, or a comparable virtualisation product, if they choose to migrate to HPE's infrastructure. This could represent a substantial saving for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger organisations alike, potentially eliminating a significant annual expenditure on virtualisation software during the transition period. While specific monetary values will vary based on the size and scope of a business's IT environment, a VMware vSphere Essentials Kit typically costs several hundred pounds annually, making the free year a valuable incentive.
In addition to the free virtualisation licences, HPE is also offering a 50% discount on Zerto, a popular data protection and disaster recovery solution. Zerto, acquired by HPE in 2021, enables businesses to recover from outages and migrate workloads with minimal disruption. The half-price offer on Zerto further sweetens the deal for companies looking to enhance their resilience and data mobility capabilities while potentially reducing overall IT spending.
The backdrop to this offer is the ongoing disruption in the virtualisation market. Broadcom's acquisition of VMware and subsequent changes, including a shift from perpetual licences to subscription-only models and the discontinuation of some free products, have prompted many businesses to explore alternatives. These changes have created uncertainty and, in some cases, led to higher operational costs for IT departments across the UK.
HPE's programme is specifically aimed at easing the financial burden and technical complexities associated with migrating virtualised environments. By providing free licences and discounted services, HPE hopes to position its own infrastructure and software solutions as a more cost-effective and predictable alternative for businesses feeling the pinch from VMware's new direction. This competitive manoeuvre highlights the intense battle for market share in the enterprise IT sector.