Vkernel is about to revamp their product line with new virtual appliances that start at $199 per socket and their roadmap for 2008 is quite interesting.
What makes Vkernel interesting ?
a) they have done it before – their CEO and founder, Alex Bakman, led Ecora to a prominent position in the area of change control & patch management , etc
b) their software will be delivered as a virtual appliance – so there is really no installation to speak of and a client can be using their software in minutes
They look as if they will model their pricing and product offerings similar to what Vizioncore has done – a) inexpensive pricing b) solves a common issue for most VM shops and 3) the products that they offer work together
While the term “charge back” doesnt appeal to all , since many firms dont employ chargeback now (an accounting function) – it is critical for IT to understand what are the real costs associated with these virtual resources, so having “costing visibility” can be huge. Doing this via a spreadsheet is time consuming , static , and inaccurate.
With “costing visibility” ( no accounting transaction) you will now have a way to help budget properly and even if IT doesnt charge thier users – it is paramount that
your clients understand the value and the costs of a virtual environment.
If users believe it is free, you will not be able to get the accolades deserved and a true understanding of the business value delivered with VMware
