VMware launches vSphere Express for SMB market

After years of steering customers toward its pricier VMware Cloud Foundation bundle, VMware is reversing course with vSphere Express — a stripped-down virtualization product aimed at smaller organizations that never needed a full private cloud stack. IT distributor TD Synnex lists it at $9,600 per year for up to 128 cores, though the flat pricing structure still disadvantages the very smallest shops. The product includes core features like vMotion for live VM migration and automated high availability restarts, but no centralized management — instances must be handled discretely. Prashanth Shenoy, VP of product marketing for VCF, confirmed this limitation while calling the product a direct response to customers who "didn't really want the VVF but wanted the core virtualization capability." Unlike vSphere Standard, which went years without updates, vSphere Express will follow the same release cadence as VCF and VVF. The move is an admission that Broadcom's post-acquisition strategy — cutting channel partners, collapsing SKUs into expensive bundles, and prioritizing enterprise accounts — drove SMBs to explore alternatives. VCF's chief product officer Paul Turner said in September that internal sales incentives had created "too big a focus on VCF." A VMware spokesperson confirmed pricing will be "significantly lower" than VVF but declined to specify an official quote beyond what distributors have published.