HPE is expanding its private cloud portfolio to include virtualization features. According to the company, this is not an attempt to steal VMware’s dissatisfied customers.

AI is the main theme at HPE Discover, but the company also wants to expand its hybrid cloud offering in other ways. HPE announces a new virtualization offering that will be fully integrated into the private cloud. The offering relies on open source kernel-based virtual machines and links them with HPE’s orchestration software.

Virtualization clusters are managed through a cloud-accessible control panel, eliminating the need to dedicate resources to on-premises management, HPE says. Clusters remain available when disconnected from the cloud.

VMware

When announcements are made about virtualization, a connection to VMware is quickly made. It is no longer a secret that the takeover by Broadcom is causing great resentment between VMware and its (smaller) customers, whose license costs are rising dramatically. However, HPE has no intention of attracting customers from VMware, emphasize Hang Tan and Fidelma Russo, who lead the company’s hybrid cloud activities. During a press conference, questions about VMware are answered very carefully.

“The intention of this virtualization offering is to give customers an additional option,” says Hang Tan in an interview with ITdaily. “With GreenLake, we want to offer an open ecosystem where customers can discover the products that offer them the most value. It’s not a ‘take it or go’ principle.”

The virtualization offering will be more widely available starting this fall. Details of the license costs are not being disclosed. If they are significantly lower, customers who are no longer satisfied with VMware will still be looking at HPE. HPE is opening the doors of GreenLake to VMware and will continue to do so with this offering.