Dell Technologies and Nutanix are deepening a long-running partnership with the launch of a new hyperconverged infrastructure-based appliance on Tuesday and plans to enable Dell's software-defined storage as part of Nutanix's HCI next year. The new Dell XC Plus appliance combines Dell's PowerEdge server hardware and support services with the Nutanix Cloud Platform hybrid cloud software stack. Dell handles support for the hardware and software as well as licensing for both vendors.
The expanded partnership shows Nutanix is attempting to challenge virtualization giant VMware in the enterprise market, said Jerome Wendt, CEO and analyst at Data Center Intelligence Group. VMware's customers have groused over pricing changes since the Broadcom acquisition last year and are turning to vendors such as Dell to support or bolster alternative virtualization platforms for enterprise demands met by VMware, he said. Dell's storage technology enables some enterprise capabilities Nutanix's offerings might currently lack.
But many VMware customers might suffer the increase in cost to avoid a migration or loss of familiar features. "The more features [customers] use, the harder and harder it gets to leave VMware," Wendt said. "That doesn't mean Nutanix [or other HCI vendors] can't catch up.
But it's certainly not going to happen by this fall." Plus service The Dell XC Plus is an extension of the Dell XC HCI appliance portfolio. These appliances combine Dell hardware with the Nutanix Cloud Plat.