AWS recently announced the general availability of Amazon Elastic VMware Service (Amazon EVS), a new AWS service allowing users to run VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environments directly within their Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC).
The company states that with Amazon EVS, users can deploy fully functional VCF environments in just hours using an intuitive workflow on the AWS Management Console, while running their VMware workloads on qualified Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) bare metal instances. In addition, the environments integrate easily with AWS services such as Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, or third-party solutions Pure Cloud Block Store, or backup solutions such as Veeam Backup and Replication.
Micah Walter, a senior solution architect at AWS, explains:
Amazon EVS lets customers continue using their existing VMware expertise and tools without having to re-architect applications or change established practices, thereby simplifying the migration process while providing access to AWS’s scale, reliability, and broad set of services.
Furthermore, with Amazon EVS, users can optimize their virtualization stack on AWS. Given the VCF environment runs inside their VPC, users have full administrative access to the environment and the associated management appliances.
In a press release, the company mentions several benefits of Amazon EVS. The service allows customers to use their VMware Cloud Foundation licenses to run VMware workloads alongside other AWS applications, which enables them to maximize their investment without changing IP addresses or retraining staff. In addition, customers can either self-manage Amazon EVS or work with AWS Partner Network members who specialize in VMware Cloud Foundation and its integration with Amazon EVS. Notable users include Aeromexico, Alcaldía de Cali, Effectual, and Huron Consulting Group, all leveraging Amazon EVS for VMware workload migration and modernization.
Max Zhang, CEO of Digital Solutions, highlighted the strategic importance of this launch in a LinkedIn post, stating:
Amazon’s debut of the Elastic VMware Service (EVS) comes at a critical moment for enterprises grappling with VMware licensing upheaval post-Broadcom acquisition. With estimated cost increases of 300-500% for existing VMware users, many are in a state of panic, searching for viable alternatives.
In addition, he points out that EVS’s competitive pricing, which is “46% lower than VMware’s prior offering,” and its provision of full root access within a native AWS environment, position Amazon as a key player in this turbulent market.
Lastly, Amazon EVS is currently available in the US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), US West (Oregon), Europe (Frankfurt), Europe (Ireland), and Asia Pacific (Tokyo) AWS Regions, with additional Regions coming soon. Furthermore, the company states that pricing is based on the Amazon EC2 instances and AWS resources used, with no minimum fees or upfront commitments.
