VMware Go Pro beta program launched for small-business market

Back in January of this year, VMware released a new product called VMware Go, a hosted software-as-a-service (SaaS) management application that runs in the cloud rather than in the user’s local environment. The product was designed to simplify IT management for small to medium-sized businesses and was developed with Shavlik Technologies, a VMware Technology Alliance Partner that also helped with VMware’s Update Manager patching solution.

With VMware Go, VMware attempted to address the perceived complexities surrounding server virtualization; for new users, VMware provided an easy on-ramp to the installation and configuration of VMware vSphere Hypervisor (formerly ESXi). The product was free, but customers had to grant VMware permission to analyze the collective usage data from the system, with the goal of better understanding usage patterns and improving VMware Go functionality.

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During VMworld Europe 2010, VMware announced a new and more advanced version of VMware Go, appropriately dubbed VMware Go Pro.

Where VMware Go was designed to make virtualization configuration and deployment an easier pill to swallow, VMware Go Pro wants to bring that same ease-of-use to IT infrastructure management and help small businesses increase their IT productivity and responsiveness. VMware calls Go Pro a comprehensive cloud service that will make it easy for small and midsized businesses to consolidate servers, control assets, and secure their IT infrastructures.

Once again, VMware renewed its partnership with Shavlik Technologies to develop the more advanced version of VMware Go Pro and to better leverage Shavlik’s expertise in patch management. According to VMware, although patch management is new to VMware Go Pro, the underlying technology is robust and mature as it was developed by the same team of experts from Shavlik that built NetChk Protect, which has been used by thousands of customers.

“We are excited to extend our existing partnership with VMware, helping customers simplify their IT management,” said Mark Shavlik, president and CEO of Shavlik Technologies. “VMware Go Pro leverages our SaaS solutions enabling companies to break down barriers faced when adopting complex technologies, creating a level playing field.”

Interestingly, with the VMware Go Pro release, VMware is going to go where it typically hasn’t ventured in the past — the company is attempting to provide a single pane of glass for managing both virtual and physical assets. If VMware continues to add physical asset management into its products, it will increasingly encroach upon and go head-to-head with the Big 4 management vendors, much like the Big 4 are continuing to target VMware’s virtualization management domain.

VMware Go Pro is also expanding on VMware Go with the following capabilities:

• Secure physical and virtual infrastructure — VMware Go Pro will include a simple and affordable patch management solution specifically designed for small/medium-sized business customers. VMware Go Pro can scan both physical and virtual machines, checking for missing patches of all types. It can also apply patches to all or selected “at risk” machines and allow users to specify reboot options if appropriate.
• Control software inventory and licenses — VMware Go Pro removes the complexities of tracking and managing software licenses, and it helps customers maintain control of their software inventory. It can scan physical and virtual machines for software titles so that IT knows exactly what exists and what’s in use in their environment. VMware Go Pro also enables users to create software license descriptions (specify the number of licenses, license key, purchase date, and expiration date), then assign those items to the appropriate software titles in order to track usage and ensure compliance. A license management report can be created to easily show the noncompliant software titles.

The expanded features in VMware Go Pro won’t keep people away from VMware’s higher-end offerings like vCloud Director, but they might prove efficient enough to get a smaller organization involved in creating its own private cloud environment, with management delivered via an online Web service.

The virtualization giant wants to make sure small/medium-size business customers aren’t scared away from server virtualization or private clouds. And they don’t want small/medium-size businesses to skip past virtualization because of its complexities and instead jump into a public cloud service hosted by a competitor, such as Amazon Web Services.

VMware Go Pro isn’t available for purchase yet, nor has VMware revealed the monthly subscription price for this product. Currently, it’s free, but it’s still in beta. The official release date is scheduled for sometime Q4 2010, which could mean any day now, but even after it goes live, VMware is expected to provide a free trial version of the software as well.

If you are an small/medium-size business waiting to decide on server virtualization, you might want to give the free VMware vSphere Hypervisor and VMware Go Pro a go.

This article, “VMware Go Pro beta program launched for small-business market,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in virtualization and cloud computing at InfoWorld.com.