Several blogs have already reported on this issue, the new version of VMware’s ESX product line will not be called VI4 or ESX(i)4 but VMware vSphere. When I read this I thought which idiot came up with that name? vSphere? What’s that? What is the link with ESX and virtualization? Are we going to run virtual machines in spheres in the future because the term ‘isolation’ was not clear enough? Does VMware need to join the buzzword-hype, like ‘bubble’ and ‘cloud’?

Apparently VMware employees where able to vote for a name for the new product and vSphere was the winner in this competition.

My personal opinion? I think it’s a bad move from VMware to relabel their products, VMware ESX, VI, VDM were all very well known and popular. Ok, naming VirtualCenter, vCenter is something I don’t have to explain to my clients but vSphere? Come on. I hope VMware does not make a habit out of this and go down the same road as Citrix and Microsoft with their jungle of relabeled products. I want to spend my energy in selling great VMware products based on their functionality and quality. I don’t want to spend my time explaining to customers that vSphere is the same as ESX/VI but with a different sticker on it.

As VMware did not release the name officially but let some VMware employee blog on this subject, I hope they will come to their senses and stick with a proven name which is well known and populair in the industry, VI4 and ESX(i)4!

Just my 2 cents.