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VMware vs. XenSource: Differentiate service offerings

Harley Stagner, Contributor
08.31.2007
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VMware is the current market champion in server virtualization; however, you may be looking to differentiate your service offerings with server virtualization alternatives like XenSource. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of the underdog in the server virtualization market before building a business out of servicing XenSource customers.

In order to understand the pros and cons of XenSource, you need to take a look at the current market leader, VMware. VMware is a mature virtualization product. Features like vmotion, high availability and consolidated backup have become staples in the virtualized data center. The other players in the server virtualization market are just starting to offer features that are comparable to VMware. However, as companies like XenSource gain presence and feature parity with the likes of VMware, the "nice to have" vs. "good enough" decisions of many information technology shops may be easier. The XenSource brand will also have more credibility with many information technology decision-makers now that it has been purchased by Citrix.

Some of the pros of XenSource are:

Some of the cons of XenSource are:

Now that you've weighed the pros and cons of becoming a XenSource service provider, how do you get started? The first step is to learn about

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the platform and find employees that are willing to learn about the platform. I think that you will probably have a better chance finding someone who is willing to learn and fits in with your company than finding someone who already knows the XenSource platform. You can get training if you are a XenSource solution provider partner. You can apply at the XenSource partner page. XenSource also offers XenSource certified professional training.

Where do you find customers? Potential XenSource customers will not be as easy to find as VMware customers. You might try trade shows or small business conferences. Even though the VMWorld conference is hosted by VMware it is still is a good place to find businesses that are already open to the idea of virtualization and might be willing to try other products such as XenSource. Perhaps you can help bring XenSource into their mind share by explaining your XenSource service offerings.

XenSource is the underdog in the server virtualization market. However, that can be an advantage for a VAR looking to win over customers with XenSource solutions. There will not be much competition yet in the XenSource specialists category. If you can manage to start with XenSource early and build a solid customer base, if XenSource takes off, you will be on the customer's mind.

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