UPDATED 22:57 EDT / FEBRUARY 02 2017

INFRA

VMware extends software-defined networking push with new NSX tools

VMware Inc. is continuing to hedge its bets on the rise of software-defined networking with the release of two new versions of its NSX virtual networking software.

The company on Thursday announced the release of NSX for vSphere 6.3, together with a brand new product, NSX-T 1.1, aimed at cloud native environments. The latter release is clearly aimed at expanding VMware’s customer base for NSX, as it’s designed for environments that typically aren’t controlled by VMware’s own management tools.

VMware has big reason for wanting to push NSX too: Last week the company boasted that NSX was on the verge of becoming its next $1 billion business, with 2,400 customers signed up already.

The main product, NSX for vSphere 6.3, comes packaged with the company’s VMware Cloud Foundation suite that enables organizations to run applications across data centers and clouds, and the new version offers new features that should make it easier to install and manage. There are security enhancements as well, including a new Application Rule Manager that monitors VMware environments for 24 to 48 hours before creating security recommendations based on network traffic. VMware also added the ability to control NSX load balancers using the vRealize Automation Suite, as well as new remote NSX network management capabilities.

More interesting, though, is the new offering, NSX-T 1.1. Released as a preview last year, NSX-T provides a way to enable virtual networking in cloud-native environments, including many that are not controlled by VMware’s own software. NSX-T supports for OpenStack’s Newton and Mitaka networking tools, as well as KVM hypervisors from Canonical Ltd. and Red Hat Inc. There’s also a new beta program that supports NSX with application containers.

“With this update, we continue to focus on delivering value in support of key NSX use cases while further simplifying ongoing operations at scale,” said VMware NSX Vice President of Product Milin Desai. “We are also continuing to invest in NSX as a network virtualization platform that addresses heterogeneous environments, enabling our customers the flexibility to choose new application frameworks or move to public cloud with confidence.”

Despite the company’s optimistic view, VMware’s efforts with NSX are really just one of several hedges the company is betting on in a bid to stem the revenue losses from its traditional virtualization revenue stream, Holger Mueller, principal analyst and vice president of Constellation Research Inc., told SiliconANGLE. He pointed out that although NSX has gained a bit of traction and interest over the last quarter, its general performance has been lackluster for some time, and it’s not clear if today’s updates will do much to improve things.

“The coming quarters will have to show if this is a lasting interest for VMware customers, or if it’s the last of their investments in on-premises infrastructure,” Mueller said.

For its part VMware countered by highlighting the interest in NSX training among IT professionals – more than 11,000 have participated in its training programs, with over 7,000 achieving an NSX certification.

VMware NSX for vSphere 6.3 and VMware NSX-T 1.1 are generally available now, with pricing starting at $1,995 per processor for the VMware NSX Standard Edition.


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