VMware licensing change

Today I received a reminder of the September VMware licensing change.  In short a processor may now contain a maximum of 6 cores instead of 4. Prices have not changed.

This is very good news for VMware end users who can benefit from increased processor performance at no extra cost.

Original message:

‘Like many software companies that do business globally, VMware consistently reviews its pricing strategy to ensure we are providing customers with pricing flexibility and scalability to meet their diverse needs.  VMware’s key goal is to ensure customers receive a robust ROI, and competitively priced solution.

Currently, VMware licenses the majority of its products on a per processor basis.  Prior to September, 2008 Vmware defined a processor as a physical chip which may contain up to four processing cores.  In September, Vmware extended this entitlement to 6 cores.  There was no pricing change associated with this entitlement change.  The policy change applies equally to customers who have previously purchased Vmware software as well as future purchases.  As such, customers are able to take full advantage of increased processor performance for virtual environments without a corresponding increase in licensing cost.’