HPE launches VM Essentials solution for channel partners

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has unveiled a new virtualisation solution that promises to simplify hybrid cloud environments and provide businesses with greater flexibility in their digital infrastructure.

The globally launched HPE VM Essentials is exclusively available through the enterprise IT giant's worldwide partner network.

HPE's new offering allows organisations to manage virtual machines deployed across both existing VMware hypervisors, and also HPE's own VM Essentials hypervisor, which is based on KVM technology.

"A 'channel-only' sales motion for the standalone HPE VM Essentials Software capitalises on the excitement of partners and the opportunity in the virtualisation market, by providing customer choice and reduced total cost of ownership," Simon Ewington, senior vice president of worldwide channel and partner ecosystem, HPE, said.

HPE VM Essentials supports the company's ProLiant Compute Gen11 and the newly announced Gen12 servers, with plans to extend compatibility to third-party systems in the future.

The standalone solution addresses several challenges currently facing businesses.

These include unexpected cost increases in virtualisation services, concerns over vendor lock-in, and growing demand for more affordable enterprise-supported virtualisation options.

A key feature of the new product is its predictable processor socket-based pricing model, designed to help businesses better manage their IT budgets while maintaining enterprise-level performance.

The platform also provides a pathway to hybrid cloud adoption through upgradeability to the Morpheus cloud management solution, further enhancing its value proposition for businesses looking to modernise their infrastructure.

By making VM Essentials available exclusively through channel partners, HPE reinforces the importance of its global partner ecosystem in delivering the company's edge-to-cloud strategy to customers.

This partner-centric approach enables HPE's channel network to offer value-added services around the new solution, for deeper customer relationships, while providing a more cost-effective alternative in the virtualisation market.

HPE’s South Pacific director of channel and alliances, Julie Barbieri, said the Australian market is rapidly evolving as businesses seek sustainable virtualisation solutions.

"We've noticed a shift in demand from our channel partners toward cost-effective, feature-rich, and easy-to-use virtualisation stacks," she said.

"That's why we're excited to introduce VM Essentials - a powerful solution that includes a robust hypervisor, a cross-platform management layer, seamless integration with popular third-party tools, and simple socket-based licensing.

"The launch highlights our commitment to providing strong virtualisation solutions, and we look forward to seeing how our partners use these new capabilities to meet the needs of their customers in more places”.