Service and Support
VMware vSphere customer service is usually responsive and efficient, with friendly staff. Some find response times needing improvement, especially for less critical issues. Technical support is generally knowledgeable and helpful, providing satisfactory resolutions. While priority issues are handled promptly, longer wait times are reported for lower priority cases. Support performance can vary depending on the representative. Experiences are mixed, with some praising swift service, while others criticize slower responses and miscommunication challenges.
Deployment
Users generally find VMware vSphere's initial setup straightforward, quick, and well-documented. With basic infrastructure knowledge, installation becomes intuitive. Some encountered complexities, especially with vCenter configurations or when involving larger infrastructures, which could require additional planning. Experienced teams often face fewer challenges, while those learning may need more time for complex environments. The setup can take from minutes to a few days, depending on requirements and familiarity with VMware. Overall, users appreciate the ease and efficiency once the setup is complete.
Scalability
VMware vSphere excels in scalability, enabling businesses to expand with ease. It supports adding hosts and servers rapidly, maintaining minimal downtime. Many businesses have successfully scaled from a few virtual machines to thousands without issues. Various environments, including enterprises with multiple nodes and clusters, have experienced seamless growth. Licensing costs can be a constraint, but vSphere's robust expansion capabilities and virtualization standards set it apart from competitors, showcasing unmatched scalability and resource optimization.
Stability
VMware vSphere demonstrates high stability with minimal issues, mainly related to third-party hardware or configuration errors. Users report infrequent stability problems, with most challenges resolved via patches or updates. The platform's reliability is praised, being rock solid over extended use periods. Occasional minor stability challenges arise, typically dependent on specific workloads or hardware vendors like HP or Dell. vSphere remains a trusted, robust choice favored for its consistent performance in virtualized environments.
As a leader of teams supporting the deployment and operation of VSphere, I'm always interested in how companies say this solution is too expensive. I would advise those companies to take a hard look at what is the process of managing your IT Infrastructure environment (servers on-premise, remote and in cloud); have you identified how much in labor costs are incurred if little or no automation levels are being used. Understand what the business plans are over the next 2 - 3 years and make SURE IT can support those business plans with the people, processes and tools currently in use. Then, compare that with the costs of designing, deploying and maintaining VSphere in your environment. The costs may be closer than you think and the benefits are going to provide a more stable environment.