VMware hikes NSX price, adds cheaper versions

Software-defined networking suite gets entry level version

VMware has taken the scissors to its NSX product's feature list to offer versions that won't set back customers quite as much as the full product, at the same time hiking the price of the top version of the product.

Pitched at companies that want to create software defined data centres, NSX slips networking and security into the hypervisor. It first hit the reseller price list in 2014.

A full NSX license will set you back nearly US$6,000 per CPU socket, but the company has quietly added Standard and Advanced editions to its product page.

According to CRN, NSX Enterprise will now go out the door at $6,995 per CPU socket; Standard will cost $1,995 per CPU socket; and Advanced will cost $4,495 per CPU socket.

Advanced and Enterprise also get more license options, according to this FAQ. All three versions are available on a perpetual license; Advanced can also be licensed on a per-user basis, “to align with virtual desktop deployments”; and Enterprise adds a per-VM licensing option.

VMware's new NSX product page. Old version at Wayback, here

Features	Standard	Advanced	Enterprise
Distributed switching and routing	Yes	Yes	Yes
NSX edge firewall	Yes	Yes	Yes
NAT	Yes	Yes	Yes
SW L2 bridging to physical environment	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dynamic routing with ECMP (active-active)	Yes	Yes	Yes
API-driven automation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Integration with vRealize and OpenStack	Yes	Yes	Yes
Automation of security policy with vRealize		Yes	Yes
NSX edge load balancing		Yes	Yes
Distributed firewalling		Yes	Yes
Integration with Active Directory		Yes	Yes
Server activity monitoring		Yes	Yes
Service insertion (third-party integration)		Yes	Yes
Cross vCenter NSX			Yes
Multi-site NSX optimizations			Yes
VPN (IPSec and SSL)			Yes
Remote Gateway			Yes
Integration with hardware VTEPs			Yes

The three-tier license offering goes into effect immediately. ®