New pricing for XenSource v4 – 333% increase

XenSource have just issued apress release on the new version 4.0.

Apart from the long delayed new features, tucked at the bottom is new pricing:

XenEnterprise v4 will be available on August 20, and includes as standard features: XenMotion, XenCenter, a 64-bit hypervisor and XenAPI. Pricing for XenEnterprise starts at $1,599 for an annual subscription license per dual socket server, and $2,499 perpetual license per dual socket server. XenSource’s midrange product, XenServer v4, includes as standard features: XenCenter, a 64-bit hypervisor and XenAPI. XenServer v4 does not include XenMotion, but the previous limits on guest VMs and memory will be removed. Additionally, XenServer will now have the ability to manage both Linux and Windows guest VMs. Pricing for XenServer starts at $495 for an annual subscription license per dual socket server, and $750 perpetual license per dual socket server.

The pricing for XE3.2 was $495 or $750 – a 333% increase, and XS3.2 was $99 – which is now a 750% increase. I will have to do some investigation on the license upgrade path, and the annual maintenance fee.

In terms of features, XenServer will now allow both Windows and Linux domains with support for two sockets and 32Mbs. It however does not get share storage support. Personally I’m not greatly interested in XenMotion, but lack of share storage makes the XenServer option less than useful. Basically without shared storage, you only get consolidation and not basic DR. ie offline without n(Live/Xen/V)|Motion DR. This I think, missed entirely one of the strongest strengthens of virtualisation: flexible computing spaces.

While I’m not adverse to price increases, regardless of the (delayed) new feature set this is rather dramatic.

XenEnterprise is still a great product, but this change will effect people’s decisions. VI3 is now only twice as expensive, ignoring the cost of the management server. And there are increasing additional options: PV driver pack from Novell, KVM, and of course Virtual Iron.

I might be off-base in saying this, but with the rumors about Citrix looking to buy XenSource and the comment from Citrix in this Press Release, it makes you wonder if this is partial move by XenSource to boost their earnings model and justify the sale price that is floating around at the moment.

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