What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for this solution is virtualization. Instead of getting additional hardware devices, we can add different compartments of storage in one hardware device.
You don't have to get extra hardware devices, you just need one hardware device with different compartments, so you can save different tasks on different compartments in a secure server. That is the purpose of VMware on our server, and what works for multiple storage systems in a hardware device. That is what this solution is meant to do.
What is most valuable?
What I like is that you can have different storage locations for different applications. This means that we can host different applications in different server locations.
It reduces the cost of having to purchase hardware, rather than multiple hardware devices you only need one single hardware device, then you just have to increase the hard drive and RAM capacity.
That is one of the features that I appreciate the most.
Also, it works alongside Veeam, so when a server goes down, you can replicate what is on that server to another physical server immediately. It's a backup and replication service all on its own.
What needs improvement?
In regards to stability, it doesn't do the patches on the operating systems. The manufacturers need to develop patches for security reasons, on all of the applications.
There could be an improvement in the scalability.
I think that it should be able to integrate with other third-party backup and recovery solutions, more that it does now. I feel that this is an area that needs to be worked on.
The dashboard and user interface is friendly but could be friendlier, so that even a person who is just learning about virtualization would be able to understand the features on the interface.
They should look at things like plugins. Other providers incorporate them into their own products. I feel that the same should be done with VMware to stay competitive in the market.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is quite stable. If there are issues with the physical server then VMware will also have issues. There is no problem with the virtualization itself, rather it can be with the operating system or the hardware. VMware is stable.
Most of the organizations use Microsoft, so it integrates well and easily with Microsoft.
I can't say that there are any vulnerabilities.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable, but based on my own experience, I would say it is only 70% scalable compared to other competitors.
How are customer service and technical support?
One of our customers had an issue with VMware and with their licensing. In trying to apply it, we had some issues.
There was a person who had access to the platform to apply the licensing before, was no longer there, so we couldn't access it. We contacted technical support and they were great.
Every time we opened a case, we had support.
The support system is great and instantaneous. They have a strong followup.
We enjoyed our experience with the technical support system.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, but you will need a technical person to understand how it works.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have not evaluated other solutions. This is the only virtualization solution that I am using.
What other advice do I have?
We are system integrators so we don't use this solution completely, we use the applications or services fully, we just make sure to go through the features and do our best to use them, and then we sell them.
There may be some aspects that VMware needs to improve on, but we haven't used all of the features so it is difficult to know all that needs to be improved.
We try to understand how it works, and the dynamics of the solution to sell it.
It provides multiple platforms, you can use a Windows Operating System, you can Mac, and you can use Linux on a particular server.
It allows us to do virtualization with different operating system platforms. I like that about this solution.
I have not worked with all of the features, but I can say that this product provides most of the capabilities that customers need.
It's easy to set up.
I would recommend this solution.
If you give a solution a ten out of ten there is nothing to be improved upon. There is always room for improvement as there are always upgrades.
I cannot give a ten when I know there are things to improve.
Technology is evolving and the world is going virtual, so they need to step up their game.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.