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VMware vSphere Foundation Reviews

Vendor: VMware
4.0 out of 5
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What is VMware vSphere Foundation?

VMware vSphere Foundation is designed for businesses seeking virtualization management capabilities. It offers essential features to optimize IT operations and improve server utilization, providing a solid infrastructure for managing virtual environments.

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Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere Foundation
February 2025
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PeerAnalyst reports based on VMware vSphere Foundation reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryServer Virtualization SoftwareMar 4, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersMar 4, 2025Download
ComparisonVMware vSphere Foundation vs Proxmox VEMar 4, 2025Download
ComparisonVMware vSphere Foundation vs VMware vSphereMar 4, 2025Download
ComparisonVMware vSphere Foundation vs Hyper-VMar 4, 2025Download
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

VMware vSphere Foundation offers enhanced visibility into hardware usage, aiding IT efficiency with its licensing and scalability. It ensures data center resilience and consolidates physical servers for efficient infrastructure management. Users value its reliability, ease of management, and cost-effectiveness through virtual machine allocation on a single server. It facilitates virtualization and seamless cloud transitions, providing excellent stability and performance, despite initial complexity. Its comprehensive features surpass competitors in managing large virtual environments.
  • "I find the manageability and interface of vSphere Foundation to be very good, more understandable, and futuristic compared to open-source alternatives."
  • "I find the manageability and interface of vSphere Foundation to be very good, more understandable, and futuristic compared to open-source alternatives."
  • "Overall, it is an excellent solution, and I rate it a ten out of ten."

Room for Improvement

VMware vSphere Foundation needs improvement in accessibility and ease of purchase, especially after the Broadcom merger. Licensing processes are complex and could be streamlined. Cost efficiency is important in regions like Pakistan and Latin America. Language support for areas such as Brazil and Mexico is lacking. Oracle's licensing conflicts with VMware, affecting users needing legal compliance. Managing support cases has also become less efficient, impacting user satisfaction.
  • "One area of concern is Oracle's lack of support for VMware in terms of core licensing. It is not legally compliant to use an Oracle database on VMware, which does not support Oracle core-based licensing. Therefore, I decided to decommission VMware due to these licensing issues."
  • "One area of concern is Oracle's lack of support for VMware in terms of core licensing."
  • "I find that VMware vSphere is not very user-friendly at first, as there is a significant learning curve involved with installation."

Pricing

Enterprise buyers find VMware vSphere Foundation pricing and licensing quite expensive, often rating it a ten out of ten for cost. The purchasing process has become more complex post-Broadcom merger, impacting access to support. Licensing includes high additional fees, making the solution costly to maintain. Many organizations consider alternatives due to the high price, with comparisons made to cheaper cloud instances and competitive Chinese products. Maintenance and upgrade costs further contribute to its perception as expensive.
  • "It is expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use VMware vSphere Foundation for virtualization purposes. They deploy various technologies across data centers and enterprise-level environments, managing multiple VMs. It supports testing, workload hosting, and system analysis. Companies, including industries like banking, FMCG, and telecom, utilize it for private cloud setups and infrastructure virtualization. Service providers and system administrators offer support and administration for virtualized environments. Distribution channels reach government entities with applications such as backup systems based on VMware.

Service and Support

VMware vSphere Foundation customer service varies widely, with ratings from three to nine out of ten. Some users find it excellent and continuous, while others criticize its slow response times post-Broadcom management. Support is globally available, with competent teams in emergencies, though improvements in language support for Latin American regions are needed. Many users rarely need assistance due to stable operations, but some prefer resolving issues independently or with community help.

Deployment

VMware vSphere Foundation's initial setup is generally considered straightforward and easy. Many rate it highly, highlighting its quick deployment, taking around 45 minutes. Users indicate only a basic level of expertise is required, though some find it medium difficulty. Experience with virtualization enhances manageability. Tasks like configuring servers and storage may demand more resources. Many do not need extensive support, and a small team is sufficient for deployment.

Scalability

VMware vSphere Foundation is perceived as highly scalable, especially in environments where adding hosts and licenses is straightforward. Many find its integration capabilities beneficial for increasing workload capacity and efficiency. However, some users feel they need more experience with it to fully understand its scalability potential. Vertical and horizontal scaling options, as well as ease of use, are appreciated features, making it suitable for different business needs, including hyperconverged environments.

Stability

VMware vSphere Foundation receives mixed ratings regarding stability, with some rating it perfect, while others see room for improvement. Users find it largely stable with minimal management after deployment, indicating optimal performance. It is widely used, performing reliably across various environments, and is praised for its robustness. However, frequent updates may be necessary due to security threats. Thus, 90% of customers find it dependable and standard in their operations.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our VMware vSphere Foundation Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Learn more about VMware vSphere Foundation

VMware vSphere Foundation supports efficient resource management in virtual environments, delivering a robust platform for businesses to streamline their IT processes. It enhances system reliability and offers scalable options for growing business needs. By leveraging virtualization, it reduces hardware dependency while ensuring consistent system performance.

What are the key features of VMware vSphere Foundation?
  • VMware vCenter Server: Centralized platform for managing VMs and hosts.
  • High Availability: Ensures minimal downtime for critical applications.
  • Data Recovery: Provides backup and restore options for enhanced data protection.
  • Resource Manager: Allocates resources efficiently between VMs to maximize performance.
What benefits or ROI should users consider?
  • Cost Reduction: Decreases hardware expenses by maximizing server usage.
  • Improved Scalability: Facilitates easy expansion of IT infrastructure.
  • Enhanced Reliability: Offers consistent uptime and minimized outages.
  • Efficiency Gains: Streamlines operations, reducing manual IT management tasks.

VMware vSphere Foundation is implemented effectively across industries like healthcare, finance, and retail. It supports crucial workloads, allowing these sectors to maintain operational efficiency while handling sensitive data. Its flexibility and robust capabilities make it suitable for diverse operational demands.

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