Azure VMware Solution vs. VMware Workstation Pro

Cloud-Native Applications: If you are building cloud-native applications that are designed to run on Azure, AVS may not be the best solution. In this case, you should consider using Azure-native services, such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Azure Functions.Minimal Workloads: If you have a small number of workloads, it may not be cost-effective to use AVS. In this case, you can consider using Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) or other Azure services that are better suited for small workloads.Custom Hardware Configurations: If you require custom hardware configurations or specialized hardware, AVS may not be able to meet your requirements. In this case, you can consider using other Azure services, such as Azure Dedicated Hosts, that offer more flexibility in terms of hardware configurations.Cost-Sensitive Workloads: If you have cost-sensitive workloads, AVS may not be the best solution. While AVS offers many benefits, it can also be more expensive than other Azure services. In this case, you should consider using Azure services that are more cost-effective, such as Azure Virtual Machines.

Incentivized

I would not recommend using a VM as a complete replacement for your everyday driver, but I would recommend
it for testing. One way that I use Workstation Pro is with testing GPO's. I can
make a change to a user or computer GPO, take a snapshot, reboot the computer
to pull the GPO, see if it worked. If it didn't, I revert to the last snapshot before the GPO was pulled, make some changes to the GPO again, and test on the test VM. The same style
of testing can be used with creating and changing scripts for computer changes.
We have a whole computer setup script that installs software and changes a ton
of settings. On a VM you can test over and over to make sure the script runs
how you want it to and revert if you didn't like the script outcome. Especially
handy with software installs, so you don't have to wait for a program to
uninstall and then edit the script and run the script again. Using snapshots save me so much time in testing!

Incentivized

• Provide hardware and infrastructure for hosting VMs
• Ability to backup and restore between On Premise and cloud
• Make it easy to implement a DR solution

Incentivized

• It provides a great remote access tool for accessing and managing servers in virtual environment. With the security risks surround remote desktop this provides a good alternative to do the same functions.
• The app itself is very lightweight and easy to install/maintain.
• Sandbox testing can be a time consuming thing to setup and do. Workstation makes this easy to create, use, and put away. This make you more willing to put new things in the sandbox and test them before production usage.
• The cost of workstation is very affordable for the functionality that you get and you can try it for free before you buy it.
• We use it to run apps that can be difficult to setup or conflict with other apps. We just spin this app VM up run it, and then shut it back down. The startup and shutdown is very quick.

Incentivized

• More regions to deploy
• More clarity on billing
• Reduce latency

Incentivized

• At the moment, it's incompatible with Microsoft's HyperVM, which is used in Docker and the Linux Subsystem on Windows 2 (WSL 2).
• VMware shared files sometimes stop working and need to be reset.
• 3D support is limited to Windows and only certain scenarios.

Incentivized

It's a solid product, and if they make it compatible with HyperVM (WSL, Docker, etc.) it would be great

Incentivized

It feels good for our techs who already used VMware on prem. However, there was significant difficulty adjusting to a new networking model.

Incentivized

It is well documented since it is a long actor in the virtualization scene. Easy to use for most user cases. Pretty much not maintenance on the software besides the occasional software updates and/or compatibility issues from time to time.

Incentivized

I haven't had to call VMware Workstation support. The majority of the time, whenever I have a problem, I can perform an online search and find the answers I need. Online forums and users with similar situations are generally sufficient to answer any questions I have had, though, from previous experience at another company, their support is outstanding and responsive to circumstances. However, that is generally for a paid support contract and should be expected when you are paying for that support.

Incentivized

It's very good compared to its competitors as great uptime, easy support and interactive User Interface makes it a wonderful solution.

Incentivized

VMware ESXi is more enterprise based whereas VMware Workstation offers capabilities at a lower cost and smaller scale. VMware Workstation Pro is also user friendly and easy to install. It can be utilized on a regular desktop system as the name implies. It helps with also demonstrations when needed to clients without having bulky hardware every time.

Incentivized

• Cost Savings: One of the key benefits of AVS is that it can help businesses save money by reducing the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading on-premises infrastructure.
• AVS can help businesses improve their agility by enabling them to quickly provision and scale VMware workloads in Azure.

Incentivized

• When updating multiple VM's, this is a much quicker option vs trying to either RDP to them or console using Vcenter
• We are required to run a VM locally for certain tasks, and this has been the most effective way to use it
• The ability to manage a VM without having to worry about the console freezing up helps with management

Incentivized