VKernel makes Capacity Modeler a free alternative to VMware CapacityIQ

VKernel is ready to announce that they are making their Capacity Modeler software for VMware completely free until Dec. 31, 2009.

So what does that mean for you? Anyone who downloads VKernel Capacity Modeler between now and the end of the year will receive a free perpetual license for an unlimited number of CPU sockets. The company said it would not charge any additional costs, making sure the tool was absolutely free to consumers. And in doing so, VKernal is taking on VMware in a David-and-Goliath-type throwdown right in the middle of the virtual squared circle.

[ VMware released CapacityIQ 1.0 for VMware ESX 3.x to rid waste and right-size environments | Lanamark looks beyond server virtualization analysis and capacity planning by extending its software to reach out to the desktop | Keep up with the latest virtualization news with InfoWorld’s virtualization newsletter. ]

“We’re going right at VMware on this one,” said Kevin Conklin, VP of product management and marketing at VKernel. “VMware chose to enter this space to compete with us and others like Veeam, Vizioncore, Hyper9, etc. They could have chosen to partner with us and build a nice management ecosystem, but instead they want to do it themselves and charge a premium.”

Conklin said that after taking a look at VMware’s new software, their position on VMware CapacityIQ is that it is a “rudimentary capacity planning and modeling tool” that starts at $1,200 per processor. He added, “while VMware claims it is an optimization, right-sizing, and waste finding tool, we can’t figure out how an IT admin would be able to easily use CapacityIQ to do those tasks.”

On the other hand, the company said its free VKernel Capacity Modeler software provides VMware customers with the ability to quickly plan, simulate, and validate hundreds of real-world “what if” VM deployment and resource allocation scenarios in an interactive sandbox before going live in the production environment. They want to get the product into people’s hands in order to show them what VKernel can do.

Alex Bakman, founder and CEO of VKernel explained, “We’ve been developing VMware management and optimization solutions for years and understand that users require more serious solutions like our Capacity Analyzer and Optimization Pack.”

Conklin said, “We know for a fact that VMware is dropping the price of CapacityIQ in all competitive bids with us right now to match our pricing. We anticipate a big negative reaction from VMware and that’s great.  If they decide to ban us at VMworld for upsetting the apple cart, we will see that as a win,” he added.

Remember, during VMworld 2009, Microsoft and Citrix were on the receiving end of the competitor clause found in VMworld’s sponsorship contract. While both companies were allowed to have a presence and a booth at the show, they were limited to a 10-by-10-foot space and couldn’t exhibit any competing software within their respective booths. Perhaps VKernel is anticipating a similar restriction for itself and its technology at VMworld 2010. Or perhaps it will be this very challenge that will elicit this type of response.

In addition to offering its modeler software to VMware customers for free, VKernel has another plan of attack ready. Since the company first started, it’s been a VMware-only virtualization management software company. Now, however, VKernel is ready to expand its support offerings to competitor hypervisor platforms such as Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix Xen.

“Hyper-V and Xen support have been on the road map for a while now, so that isn’t a reaction to CapacityIQ in any way,” said Conklin.

But from the outside looking in, it seems as though VMware’s entry into this market may have helped light a fire under VKernel. The company stated plans to put out a beta release of Capacity Analyzer with Hyper-V support sometime in early December.

Ill feelings like this could be exactly what Citrix and Microsoft need right about now. We’ll have to watch and see if those and other virtualization platform providers can take advantage and foster relationships with their own software partner ecosystem.

You can download VKernel’s free Capacity Modeler software.

This story, “VKernel makes Capacity Modeler a free alternative to VMware CapacityIQ,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in virtualization at InfoWorld.com.