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Senior Product Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Simple, easy to use and has a lot of features for the virtualized environment.
Pros and Cons
  • "VMware vSphere helps us in not wasting resources like we did when we were using physical servers. It changed our whole environment."
  • "In terms of what could be improved, we do face some bugs when cloning the virtual machine - it fails sometimes."

What is our primary use case?

VMware vSphere is the basic application for making the virtualization on our environment.

How has it helped my organization?

VMware vSphere helps us in not wasting resources like we did when we were using physical servers. It changed our whole environment.

What is most valuable?

The features that I have found most valuable are its vMotion and the other features that are basic in any product. Snapshot, Virtual switch, and VDS are very useful. Its features are so good and fit our needs.

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, we do face some bugs when cloning the virtual machine - it fails sometimes. Also, using the customization certification also fail sometimes. Sometimes powering-on the virtual machine fails. But we opened the ticket with VMware as we have the warranty.

Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2025
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware vSphere for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

VMware vSphere is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Of course VMware vSphere is scalable.

In our 15 member team, all of us work on vSphere. We are all system operation engineers.

Overall, we just require two people for deployment and maintenance.

Of course we'll increase our license in the future. Our business needs to improve every time. So we'll use it extensively.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is so good. My friend works at the support team for VMware.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It is so easy.

The ISO file is available for everyone to download and there is a trial period so if you don't purchase this product, you can try it for free.

We increase our servers every year. So for one server, deployment takes about one hour or less to deploy a product.

There are many strategies to install the product using vCenter. We can make clones from the profile of the server itself so it could take less time. 

What about the implementation team?

We deploy it ourselves.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I did an overview on the Hyper-V, which is another solution. VMware vSphere was simpler and easier to use and had a lot of features. The Hyper-V must be installed on a Windows server which has a lot of vulnerabilities and it's not stable as VMware vSphere.

So after I did an overview I thought this solution is the best in the meantime.

What other advice do I have?

I don't need to give any advice - this product sells itself.

My recommendation to anyone considering VMware vSphere is that if you need to virtualize your environment, you will buy this solution for sure. But you have to have the servers before buying the license. You can first install it for free on a demo, or you can get the virtual environment to try the solution. But it doesn't need any advice, it is quite simple.

After working on this solution, I have joined the official course for vSphere and I took the certificate, so it allowed me to know all the features in this product.

On a scale of one to ten, not to be extreme, but I would give VMware vSphere a nine.

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1261665 - PeerSpot reviewer
VMware Software Engineer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reliable with good performance and helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The pricing of the product is reasonable."
  • "The latest version of the solution has a few bugs."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for virtualization.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers a very stable performance. 

It's a scalable product. 

The solution is extremely reliable. It's an excellent product.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

Technical support has always been great.

The pricing of the product is reasonable.

What needs improvement?

The latest version of the solution has a few bugs. This may be due to the fact that they moved to web-based management. There are some problems in that web-based management, however, it's a minimal issue.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for seven or eight years at this point. I've used it for a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable and very reliable. The performance has been great. In the version we are using, there are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

I'm not sure of the exact number of users, however, we do have the solution installed on 4,000 machines. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been excellent. They are helpful and responsive. We have no complaints. Their level of service is always good. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward and not overly complex. Although it took us a couple of weeks before we installed it, the deployment only took about one day or one and a half days.

We had three engineers that handled the deployment. 

What about the implementation team?

We handled the initial setup ourselves. We did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There's a yearly licensing fee, however, it isn't overly expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

Up until now, we use the product on-premises, however, currently, we are developing a hybrid cloud. We are moving to the cloud solution and the base, the transition system is, VMware vSphere.

While we use the solution's 6.7 version, the latest version is version 7.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been very happy with the capabilities of the product.

I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
VMware vSphere
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about VMware vSphere. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
848,989 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Ajay Dand - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder Director at Ninesec Integration Pvt. Ltd
Real User
Top 5
A solid platform that's constantly innovating and has very helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The latest innovation always comes from VMware."
  • "The installation is complex and you need to have a good understanding in regards to what you are doing when you are setting it up."

What is our primary use case?

We provide basic VMware virtualization platforms basically for private clouds and hybrid clouds.

These are being used in the case of server consolidation for reducing the hardware sprawl and also, for a lot of the monitoring solutions now, so that companies can have their own virtual machines. For that, many of the clients need a virtualization platform. That's where we recommend vSphere.

What is most valuable?

It's the de facto leader in the virtualization market as of now and it's been the pioneer and it's got the maximum breadth of the features available across the virtualization sphere. 

It has got almost all the features that one can expect to find in a solid platform. It has good features performance-wise and offers a very small footprint. They're top-class security-wise. 

The latest innovation always comes from VMware.

The stability is very good.

The scalability is excellent.

What needs improvement?

While they have got enough integration as of now, they definitely need to get more cybersecurity integration as that is always beneficial.

The installation is complex and you need to have a good understanding in regards to what you are doing when you are setting it up.

The solution is relatively expensive. It's a big downside. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for six to seven years. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is excellent in terms of stability. There aren't issues around bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. the performance is reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is top-notch. There is nothing to complain about. It scales quite well.

We have about 50 to 60 customers that use the solution. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The tech support is world-class and we are very happy with their level of service.

How was the initial setup?

Virtualization is always a challenge. It's never a straightforward task as there are so many variables and parameters to consider. There's nothing straightforward about virtualization. Having said that, vSphere is so widespread and available, that you get access to the knowledge and the resources you need to implement it very easily. In that sense, you don't really have to struggle too much regarding the installation. You get a lot of help, however, you need to know what you're getting into and what you're doing.

We have about three to four engineers who support VMware and then a couple of guys managing customers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The biggest pain when it comes to VMware is that licensing costs are pretty high.

The product itself has been around for so many years, I'm sure they can offer much better terms.

The licensing is paid on a yearly basis. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten.

I'd recommend the solution. Most people cannnot ignore VMware unless they are looking for something very, very, very, very minimal. It's best in class. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
System Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Useful Auto Deploy, scalable, and always updating for improvements
Pros and Cons
  • "The most useful features are ESXi, DRS, Auto Deploy, and the Lifecycle Manager."
  • "We would like to see the container-based operating system launched soon for this solution."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for network virtualization.

What is most valuable?

The most useful features are ESXi, DRS, Auto Deploy, and the Lifecycle Manager.

What needs improvement?

We would like to see the container-based operating system launched soon for this solution.

In a future release, multi-cloud capability should be simplified and easy to handle for administrators. For example, if I have a private cloud and public cloud and we have a feature to run VMware between these two, currently there is some complexity. We are hoping this can improve to allow us to run the workload anywhere.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have had some minor issues with stability in the past that has now have been resolved. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The architecture has been redefined and the scalability is good. In the previous editions, we had boot failing issues but they have resolved them and introduced a new model of high availability in vSphere for vCenter. Scalable is just a single click and is very easy.

How are customer service and technical support?

We were having some network glitches and some other issues known by VMware, they were all resolved through provided patches. Now everything is working fine.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have also been working with AWS and Azure. We normally recommend VMware solutions for private cloud, and for public cloud, AWS or Azure. However, VMware is also having capabilities on AWS and Azure which we recommend.

How was the initial setup?

The setup of this solution is very easy now, it was a bit difficult before and now has been simplified.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

When comparing the price of VMware solutions to other vendors, such as Nutanix, they are costly.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have compared this solution to Nutanix.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to small to large-scale enterprises companies wanting to move to virtualization, vSphere is highly recommended for effective cost savings. The future is in virtualization, the industries are moving in that direction. Everything is in virtualization, such as networks, storage, and desktop applications. We can reduce the data center space, power cooling, and hardware lifecycle. However, the licensing costs are expensive.

I rate VMware vSphere a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Irad Dukad - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Ducart
Real User
Top 10
Easy to navigate, with good technical support and satisfactory stability
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support was helpful and knowledgeable."
  • "The initial setup is a bit complex."

What is our primary use case?

The product is primarily used for my main server for the main business. All the servers are on it.

What is most valuable?

The interface that the product offers is very easy to navigate. I learned it quite easily. I check the hypervisor interface on it. It's much easier for one who is familiar with the technology. 

The details that I get from the solution are great. It gives a lot of detail.

The product has been pretty easy to use overall.

The stability is okay.

Technical support was helpful and knowledgeable. 

What needs improvement?

I would prefer it if there was a better connection between the storage and the server. For that reason, I'm going to HCI or dHCI. I want to integrate it all into one interface and I can't do that here. That's why I'm going to HCI or dHCI.

The initial setup is a bit complex. You likely will need some help with the implementation. It's not something just anyone can do.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for 15 years at this point. it's been a long time. I have a lot of experience with the product as I've worked with it for over a decade now. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution's stability is okay. For us, it's enough. There aren't issues with bugs or glitches and it doesn't seem to crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability depends on the hardware. If your hardware allows you to expand, it shouldn't be an issue.

Every year we increase storage, and therefore we regularly increase usage. However, I am planning to replace our current storage.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have dealt with technical support in the past. It was less with VMware, and more with the vSphere storage. Once or twice I needed help. It was pretty good. I found them to be knowledgeable and responsive. I would say we are satisfied with the level of support on offer.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not really straightforward or simple to execute. 

I didn't do it myself. That would have been a bit much for me. I needed an integrator to do it. It's a bit complex to do.

In terms of the deployment time, when we last did it four years ago, it took about one week to get everything up and running.

We have one technical person on our team that assists with deployment and maintenance. They are an admin.

What about the implementation team?

I enlisted the help of an integrator that mostly did the installation for us.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We do pay for the solution. It's on a yearly basis.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options before choosing this product. When I started to use it about 15 years ago, it was the only tool option to work with.

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies. 

Overall, I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. I would say that we are quite happy with its capabilities overall. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Head of enterprise systems at Fidelity Bank Plc
Real User
Good dynamic resource scheduling and fault tolerance capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "Its dynamic resource scheduling and its fault tolerance capabilities are two features that I've found to be valuable. I also like that VMware vSphere is stable, scalable, and easy to install."
  • "I would like to see improvements in simplifying automation, cloud native deployment, administration, and fault resolution."

What is our primary use case?

It's used as a private cloud, and currently, we operate the original enterprise infrastructure. For VMware, a majority of the workload is posted on VMware, and it's posted on the HCI solution.

What is most valuable?

Its dynamic resource scheduling and its fault tolerance capabilities are two features that I've found to be valuable. I also like that VMware vSphere is stable, scalable, and easy to install.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see improvements in simplifying automation, cloud native deployment, administration, and fault resolution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using VMware vSphere since 2008.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

My impression is that it's a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I believe that VMware vSphere is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The customer service and technical support were fine.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used Hyper-V, which is a Microsoft product.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to install. We performed a complete deployment because it was a full MCI, so it required some architecture. I believe it took about a month.

What about the implementation team?

I used consultants for the implementation process because it was a refresh project.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I currently use the yearly licensing option, and I think that the pricing is fine for this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution at 9, on a scale from one to 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1266792 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Infrastructure Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable, easy to scale and deploy, vCenter and SRM features are good
Pros and Cons
  • "I think that the solution is perfect. It's the best on the market."
  • "Response time could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware vSphere for virtualization and to deliver VDI.

How has it helped my organization?

The  vSphere plataform allow us to consolidate our datacenter and give us more availability.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are the vCenter, and SRM. 

Technically speaking, there is nothing that I don't like. I think that the solution is perfect. It's the best on the market.

I have not used all of the features but the features that are provided are perfect. There is nothing that this solution doesn't have.

What needs improvement?

I don't think that the solution must be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware vSphere since 2007.

We have the latest version and 6.7. 6.5, and 6.0.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable, we have not had any issues with stability.

We have 100,000 employees in our organization.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

it's very scalable. It's easy to scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

I would rate the technical support an eight out of ten. They need to improve the time it takes to resolve a case.

Response time could be improved.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Yes, a used Microsoft Hyper-V, I switched because vSphere is more mature and stable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It's easy.

It takes can take 10 to 15 minutes to deploy a new server into the vSphere platform. It's so easy.

It may take more time for testing and implementation.

Deployment varies, if you are referring to the deployment of the full solution, it includes deploying the vCenter, deploying the servers, the host, and creating our clusters can take up to three hours.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation were with VMware consultant team.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't like the price because it's too expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No, I evaluated just vSphere and Hyper-V.

What other advice do I have?

It's important to contract a good level of support from VMware.

I would rate VMware vSphere 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1451847 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Systems Engineer at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Highly reliable with great support
Pros and Cons
  • "Very reliable with a great community."
  • "Pricing is starting to get a little high-end."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of this solution is for server consolidation and high availability. We are customers of VMware and I'm a senior systems engineer. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is highly reliable and suits our needs - it's highly popular. Support and the overall community are great. You can find a solution to any issues you have. 

What needs improvement?

I think what they need to improve on is their pricing. They're starting to get a little high-end in terms of price compared to other solutions and the other solutions are catching up. Everything with VMware is very modularized and you can't just buy one piece and be done with it.

In my opinion, they would be wise to include a high availability out of the box type set up and not just for cloud, but site to site.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for close to 15 years. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is excellent. They stay on the line and track down the problem. Usually it's on the first call. I have had some complex issues that took a day or two to resolve but for the most part, they're resolved in the first call.

How was the initial setup?

For the most part, the initial setup is pretty straightforward. If you start getting into the more complex setups, it can get more complex. For most use cases, it's just stick the disk in, let it run, and it sets most of itself up. It's almost out of the box ready.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As far as I know, there is a standard licensing fee. It all depends on the options that you choose and what you need for each business. Every company that I've worked for has had a different pricing model and a different set of use cases. So pricing can range anywhere from $700-$800 per server core, all the way up $2,000-$3,000 per core.

What other advice do I have?

It's important to do your homework and make sure that it's the right solution for you. It's the same with anything, there are other options out there and you need to figure out what fits your business use case at the time.

I would rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free VMware vSphere Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.