As first reported by The Register, VMware has returned to the low-end server virtualization market with a product called "vSphere Express."
The product will run on up to 128 processor cores and includes vMotion to allow live migration of VMs, automated restart of failed VMs, a distributed switch, rapid non-disruptive patching, and support for physical and virtual trusted platform modules.
"We have been listening to the market at the low end, and they want a basic core server virtualization platform," said Prashanth Shenoy, vice president of product marketing in Broadcom's VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). He explained that each instance of vSphere Express will be discrete, meaning it won't be possible to manage them centrally.
"This is tested for small implementations," he told The Register. "We do not want a customer to run this on thousands of cores." Shenoy said the vSphere Foundation (VVF) enterprise virtualization product, and Cloud Foundation (VCF) private cloud suite, are appropriate for users with more complex needs. vSphere Express will, however, match the release cadence of VVF and VCF.
Under Broadcom’s ownership, VMware has enormously reduced the number of resellers in its channel program, meaning it no longer has partners who are a good fit for this product.
The virtualization giant will therefore sell vSphere Express through its distributors, most of which now operate cloud marketplaces at which affiliated resellers can acquire software – an arrangement channel folk call "two tier distribution."
We asked VMware to tell us the price it will charge for vSphere Express.
A spokesperson told us it will offer a per-core subscription license at a price "significantly lower" than VVF or VCF but declined to quote a dollar amount. "We encourage interested customers to reach out to their local reseller for information related to pricing and subscription terms," the spokesperson wrote.
VMware has also bulked out VVF and VCF a little, by adding disaster recovery and policy-based networking for virtual private clouds that it previously sold as add-ons. Shenoy pitched the additions as demonstrating VMware's intention to add value to VVF and VCF, in part by ensuring the bundles include tools that users are likely to consider represent essential functionality.
The Broadcom business unit will also add new features, such as native AWS S3-compatible object storage for its VSAN virtual storage. That update, due in calendar Q1 of 2027, means VSAN will become a more convenient platform on which to store the unstructured data that AI workloads rely on, therefore boosting the utility of VMware's AI Factory.
VMware also plans to make its AI Factory easier to implement.
"The idea is to focus more on AI, less on setup," Shenoy said.
Analysis: A welcome low-end return faces an uncertain reception
VMware's return to the low-end server virtualization market may not be well-received, because it has largely ignored users of its existing low-end vSphere Standard product for the last few years, and irritated many by insisting they upgrade to the more expensive and complex VCF.
The virtualization giant also cast aside thousands of resellers.
When The Register chats with members of the VMware community, we often hear that trust in the vendor has diminished.
Your correspondent therefore feels that vSphere Express will get a mixed reception.
Many vSphere Standard users will welcome a more appropriate and affordable upgrade option, especially as it means they won't need to learn new skills.
Other users and former partners will wonder if, having been bitten by Broadcom once, they should now be a little shy of vSphere Express.
Broadcom shareholders should be enthusiastic, as VMware's decision not to sell to the low end of the market blocked its onramp to new users. The chips 'n' code shop now has another way to get VMware growing, if it can restore trust. ®