{ "edition": "2026-09-30", "years": [ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 ], "ai_labels": [ [ "infra", "AI workload infrastructure" ], [ "stack", "AI platform stack" ], [ "ops", "AI-assisted operations" ], [ "agents", "Agent openness" ] ], "index_weights": { "cap": 35, "cred": 20, "safety": 20, "ai": 10, "integ": 10, "mom": 5 }, "domains": [ { "key": "compute", "label": "Compute core", "weight": 15 }, { "key": "storage", "label": "Storage", "weight": 12 }, { "key": "network", "label": "Networking / SDN", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "dr", "label": "Data protection / DR", "weight": 12 }, { "key": "migration", "label": "Migration-in", "weight": 8 }, { "key": "gpu", "label": "GPU / AI", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "k8s", "label": "Kubernetes", "weight": 8 }, { "key": "security", "label": "Security / confidential", "weight": 8 }, { "key": "fleet", "label": "Fleet / multi-site", "weight": 9 }, { "key": "automation", "label": "Automation / ecosystem", "weight": 8 } ], "platforms": [ { "key": "vmware", "name": "VMware Cloud Foundation / vSphere", "short": "VMware", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Rent extractor with a reference product", "grade": "B", "driver": "P", "mix": { "V": 30, "C": 30, "M": 0, "U": 0, "P": 39 }, "idx": 0.5, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 4.5, "2016": 4.5, "2017": 4.5, "2018": 5, "2019": 5, "2020": 5, "2021": 5, "2022": 5, "2023": 5, "2024": 5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "storage": { "2015": 4, "2016": 4.5, "2017": 4.5, "2018": 4.5, "2019": 4.5, "2020": 4.5, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 5, "2023": 5, "2024": 5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "network": { "2015": 4.5, "2016": 4.5, "2017": 4.5, "2018": 4.5, "2019": 5, "2020": 5, "2021": 5, "2022": 5, "2023": 5, "2024": 5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "dr": { "2015": 4.5, "2016": 4.5, "2017": 4.5, "2018": 4.5, "2019": 4.5, "2020": 4.5, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "migration": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "gpu": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 0.5, "2018": 0.5, "2019": 2, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "security": { "2015": 2, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4.5, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 4.5, "2016": 5, "2017": 5, "2018": 5, "2019": 5, "2020": 5, "2021": 5, "2022": 5, "2023": 5, "2024": 5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3, "Published model (minor every ~9 months); 9.1 arrived after ~11" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 2, "No roadmap; direction at Explore; lifecycle matrix behind login" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "14 of 20 checkable announcements shipped (70%); 3 dropped by the new owner; native S3 and the VCF AI assistant still preview after 12+ months" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Several substantive capabilities per release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "Long 6+1 support, but heavy removals in 9.0, hardware dropped then re-admitted, products ended" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 5, "Perpetual ended, free ESXi removed then restored, 72-core minimum announced then withdrawn, bundle pulled in parts of EMEA" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 5, "Subscription only, bundles only, 16-core minimum per CPU" ], [ "Channel and access", 5, "Invite-only partners, cloud-provider programme cut three times, public VDDK download removed" ], [ "Owner stability", 4, "Acquired Nov 2023; repeated reversals; EU antitrust complaint open" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 4, "Late-renewal penalty reported; cease-and-desist letters to perpetual holders; 27 months per minor release" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 3, "VMDK is widely readable; VMFS and vSAN are not" ], [ "Export path", 3.5, "OVF export exists; block-level kit (VDDK) now partner-gated" ], [ "Stack coupling", 3, "External storage still allowed; NSX only inside the bundle; vVols deprecated" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 3, "Compatibility list shrinking; licence file refresh every 180 days" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 3, "Proprietary APIs and tooling, but the largest skills pool" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 0.5, "Invitation-only; Registered tier retired; European cloud-provider programme closed" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 4, "VCF Automation tenancy; Cloud Director being retired" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4.5, "REST APIs, Terraform and Ansible across the stack; some SDKs removed" ], [ "Skills and certification", 4.5, "Largest installed skills base; certifications now expire" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "The product is still the capability reference in seven of ten domains, and engineering delivery since 2023 has been sound. What changed is who the roadmap serves: the largest share of 2023 to 2026 items moves customers into the full bundle or restricts ways out, while the visible investment goes to private AI. For a buyer the question is no longer whether it works but what the next renewal and the next policy change will cost.", "report": "reports/01-vmware.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 5 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 1, "2024": 3, "2025": 4, "2026": 4.5 }, "ops": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "agents": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "VCF 9.1: Blackwell, AMD MI350, GPU-to-GPU RDMA across hosts", "stack": "PAIS 2.1 MCP tool gallery; multi-tenant model sharing (9.1.1)", "ops": "Aria SaaS ended by Broadcom; AI Cloud gone", "agents": "MCP tool gallery GA for apps; AgentMinder agent governance (GA per press); no MCP server for operating vCenter" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 20, "ga": 11, "preview": 1, "pending": 6, "dropped": 1, "note": "One more item (Intel Gaudi 2) has no outcome found. The VCF AI assistant has been in preview for over 12 months." }, "ai_reading": "VMware is the strongest of the first eight at running AI workloads and now bundles a private AI platform into VCF at no extra charge. Its own use of AI for operators went backwards after Broadcom ended the SaaS that carried it, and the new assistant is still a read-only preview.", "mom": 2.6, "credT": 14.5, "commT": 23, "lockT": 15.5, "integT": 13.5 }, { "key": "nutanix", "name": "Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (AOS / AHV)", "short": "Nutanix", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Sharp opportunist", "grade": "B", "driver": "M", "mix": { "V": 30, "C": 30, "M": 35, "U": 0, "P": 4 }, "idx": 0.32, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 4, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "storage": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "network": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "dr": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "migration": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 5 }, "gpu": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 0.5, "2018": 0.5, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "security": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 4, "Two feature releases a year since 7.0, kept" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 2, "No roadmap; release notes behind portal login; public product-updates feed" ], [ "Say-do", 4, "No announcement dropped outright; most GA 3 to 12 months after early access; one 'GA now' claim preceded the release by ~4 months; Project Beacon dissolved" ], [ "Velocity", 4.5, "Several substantive capabilities per release, sustained" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 3, "24-month life per release since 7.0 forces a steady upgrade pace; upgrades are in place" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 1.5, "No dated price change found; last re-bundle was Feb 2022; release model changed Dec 2024" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 3, "Subscription only; all cores in a cluster must be licensed; tiers gate DR and security add-ons" ], [ "Channel and access", 2, "Open partner programme; much documentation behind login" ], [ "Owner stability", 1.5, "Public, profitable, growing; no ownership change" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "Shorter support windows since 7.0; expiry behaviour not documented publicly" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 2.5, "Raw disks on the vendor's storage fabric; VM definitions in a database" ], [ "Export path", 3, "Per-VM OVA export; the vendor migration tool is inbound only" ], [ "Stack coupling", 3.5, "Vendor storage software is always the control plane; external arrays only from a named list" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 2.5, "Compatibility-list hardware from several vendors; no mandatory cloud connection" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 3, "Proprietary management plane on a KVM base" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Open programme with channel-led deal control; service-provider track since 2021" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3.5, "True multi-tenancy only since Service Provider Central GA (Aug 2026)" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4.5, "v4 API and SDKs; official Terraform and certified Ansible" ], [ "Skills and certification", 3.5, "Full certification ladder; smaller pool than VMware or Microsoft" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Nutanix is spending its engineering on removing each reason a VMware customer gives for not switching: keep your arrays, keep your servers, convert without copying data. On top sits a vision layer (Kubernetes, enterprise AI) that so far has shipped close to when it was promised. The trade is that you swap one proprietary control plane for another: capability and credibility are high, and the exit is per-VM export.", "report": "reports/02-nutanix.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "ops": { "2015": 1, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "agents": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "AOS 6.5: scheduling aware of vGPU VMs; NVIDIA AI Enterprise certified 2023", "stack": "NAI 2.8: MCP and agent gateways, multi-tenant through Service Provider Central", "ops": "X-Play event-driven playbooks with anomaly detection", "agents": "Official MCP server (open-source tech preview); NAI agent gateway GA" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 14, "ga": 7, "preview": 1, "pending": 5, "dropped": 0, "note": "One more (the conversational NCM AI Assistant) is unclear. All shipped items arrived on or before the stated date." }, "ai_reading": "Nutanix sells a real AI platform (Enterprise AI) and has shipped its AI promises on time, but it is a separate paid product. GPU support is solid but not current: no documented MIG, Blackwell model names or AMD yet; the platform MCP server is a preview.", "mom": 10.0, "credT": 17.5, "commT": 10.5, "lockT": 14.5, "integT": 15.5 }, { "key": "microsoft", "name": "Microsoft Hyper-V / Azure Local", "short": "Microsoft", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Integrated stack, slow to finish", "grade": "B", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 9, "C": 43, "M": 13, "U": 0, "P": 35 }, "idx": 0.14, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 4, "2017": 4, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "storage": { "2015": 3, "2016": 4, "2017": 4, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "network": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "dr": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 4, "2017": 4, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "migration": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": 1, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 1, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "security": { "2015": 2, "2016": 4.5, "2017": 4.5, "2018": 4.5, "2019": 4.5, "2020": 4.5, "2021": 4.5, "2022": 4.5, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "fleet": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "automation": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "Monthly Azure Local releases on a published table; 2026 builds often re-issued" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 3, "No roadmap, but docs and their change history are public on GitHub" ], [ "Say-do", 2.5, "7 of 22 items shipped within 12 months; 6 still in preview after more than a year; 2 dropped" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Steady substantive additions to Azure Local each quarter" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "Azure Local must update within 6 months; stretch clusters removed with no upgrade path; two renames. Windows Server keeps 10-year support" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 3, "Three price tiers introduced 2026; hotpatch made paid then free; Hybrid Benefit narrowed to the base tier" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 3, "Subscription; adding a SAN moves the whole cluster to the higher tier; disconnected tier is approval-gated" ], [ "Channel and access", 1.5, "Open CSP and OEM channels; multi-rack only via Microsoft account team" ], [ "Owner stability", 0.5, "Stable" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 4, "6-month update window; billing continues until the Azure resource is deleted" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 2, "VHDX is an open specification; VM configuration is binary" ], [ "Export path", 3, "No first-party exit tool; restored or failed-over VMs become unmanaged" ], [ "Stack coupling", 3, "Own storage or a listed SAN; Azure is the control plane" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 5, "Catalogue hardware only; must sync with Azure every 30 days or no new VMs" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 3, "Azure and PowerShell tooling; widely held skills" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Open CSP model where the partner sets price and gives first-line support" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3, "Azure subscriptions and RBAC; the classic service-provider stack was discontinued" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4.5, "ARM, Bicep, Terraform, CLI, PowerShell" ], [ "Skills and certification", 4, "Large Windows and Azure skills base; product-specific certification unclear" ] ], "alt": { "label": "Windows Server Hyper-V (perpetual)", "comm": 6.0, "lock": 9.5 }, "reading": "Microsoft has two products pulling in different directions. Windows Server Hyper-V is a capable, low-risk hypervisor that gets little new management tooling; Azure Local gets the investment but ties the cluster to Azure for deployment, billing and even permission to create VMs. Since 2024 the Azure Local roadmap has mostly been catching up on basics customers asked for (SAN, no Active Directory, disconnected use), and a third of what it previews takes more than a year to finish.", "report": "reports/03-microsoft.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1.5 }, "ops": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "agents": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "Windows Server 2025: GPU partitions with live migration and HA", "stack": "Azure AI Video Indexer on Arc GA; Edge RAG, KAITO, Foundry Local all preview", "ops": "Windows Server 2019 System Insights: local ML forecasting", "agents": "Azure Local through ARM, CLI and Terraform; Azure MCP Server has no Azure Local tools" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 13, "ga": 6, "preview": 3, "pending": 4, "dropped": 0, "note": "Of the six shipped, three arrived late. Every on-premises AI service on Azure Local is still preview." }, "ai_reading": "Microsoft's AI is in Azure, and little of it has reached Azure Local as GA: RAG, KAITO and Foundry Local are previews, and the Copilot agents are gated. GPU support stops at L40S and RTX PRO 6000, with no MIG and no data-centre accelerators listed.", "mom": 10.4, "credT": 15.5, "commT": 12.0, "lockT": 16, "integT": 15.5 }, { "key": "proxmox", "name": "Proxmox VE (with Backup Server and Datacenter Manager)", "short": "Proxmox", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Dependable builder", "grade": "A", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 14, "C": 52, "M": 24, "U": 10, "P": 0 }, "idx": 0.16, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "storage": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "network": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "dr": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "migration": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1.5 }, "security": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 1, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "Two to three releases a year and a major every two years with Debian; dates not published in advance" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 4, "Public roadmap, git and bug tracker; but no dates, and the planned list went unedited for 18 months" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "9 of 21 listed items shipped, 5 partial, 7 pending, none dropped; the DRS-style balancer took 43 months. Most headline features shipped without being announced" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Several substantive capabilities per release since 8.1" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 3.5, "About 3 years per major, in-place upgrades with a checker; no long-term-support option" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 1.5, "Same four tiers since 2013; about +6% a year since 2023" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 0.5, "Runs without a key; any quantity; all features in every tier" ], [ "Channel and access", 0.5, "Open download; partner entry by application" ], [ "Owner stability", 2, "Small founder-owned company; no outside owner, but size is a dependency" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2, "Each major supported about 3 years; upgrades are free" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 0.5, "Standard QEMU disk formats; plain-text VM config" ], [ "Export path", 1, "No export wizard, but nothing to convert" ], [ "Stack coupling", 0, "Any storage, standard Linux networking" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 0, "Any x86 server; fully offline capable" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 1, "Standard Linux and KVM skills" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4.5, "Open programme; vendor also sells direct at list price; terms unpublished" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 2, "Pools, roles and realms exist; no quotas, self-service portal or metering" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3, "Everything is a REST call; Terraform and Ansible are community-maintained only" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "Training with certificate of completion; no exam-based certification" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Proxmox builds what its users have been asking for, in the order it can afford to, and the VMware exit pulled several of those items forward. It has closed most of the basic gaps since 2023 (SDN, import, load balancing, multi-cluster management, third-party backup) while staying the lowest-risk platform to buy and to leave. What it does not do is set direction: Kubernetes and AI-assisted operations are absent from both the product and the roadmap.", "report": "reports/04-proxmox.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "NVIDIA-supported vGPU hypervisor; vGPU live migration (8.4)", "stack": "None", "ops": "None", "agents": "Full REST API with tokens; MCP servers are community-only" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 4, "ga": 3, "preview": 0, "pending": 0, "dropped": 0, "note": "The fourth is an NVIDIA collaboration with nothing to check. Proxmox announces little AI and ships what it announces." }, "ai_reading": "Proxmox runs AI workloads well enough since NVIDIA started supporting it in 2025, including vGPU live migration and Grace hosts. It has no AI platform, no AI in its own operations and no official agent interface; the community fills that gap with unofficial MCP servers.", "mom": 19.3, "credT": 18.0, "commT": 6.5, "lockT": 2.5, "integT": 12.0 }, { "key": "openshift", "name": "Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization (with RHV before it)", "short": "OpenShift Virt", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Integrated stack, platform play", "grade": "A", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 21, "C": 42, "M": 21, "U": 4, "P": 12 }, "idx": 0.25, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "storage": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 4, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "network": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "dr": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 4, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "migration": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 1, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 5, "2024": 5, "2025": 5, "2026": 5 }, "security": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 3, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 4, "OpenShift minor every ~4 months on a published lifecycle; virtualization follows within 1 to 5 weeks" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 3.5, "No written roadmap, but quarterly 'What's Next' decks are public and docs source is on GitHub" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "13 of 23 forward items shipped (57%), 7 pending, 1 slipped, none dropped; x86 confidential VMs pending 29 months" ], [ "Velocity", 4.5, "Several substantive capabilities per release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 3, "36-month lifecycle with EUS now; but RHV customers were forced onto a different platform" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2.5, "About +10% list rise 2024; new VM-only SKU 2025; metric moved to per-node; RHV ended" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2.5, "Subscription only; VM-only SKU is bare-metal per node and excludes RHEL guest rights" ], [ "Channel and access", 1.5, "Open partner programme; docs public; some knowledge base behind login" ], [ "Owner stability", 2, "IBM-owned since 2019; back office moved into IBM in 2026" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "36 months per release with EUS; OpenShift upgrade pace applies" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "Raw disks on PVCs; KubeVirt YAML is an open schema" ], [ "Export path", 2.5, "VM export API exists but VM must be off and there is no qcow2 or outbound migration tool" ], [ "Stack coupling", 3, "Supported only on OpenShift; Red Hat's documented DR needs ODF, Ceph and ACM" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1.5, "Certified x86, Arm, IBM Z and cloud bare metal; no cloud attach required" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Needs Kubernetes skills on top of virtualization skills" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Open programme with a virtualization specialization; service providers per node, no minimums" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3.5, "Namespaces, RBAC, quotas and per-tenant networks; no tenant billing" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4, "Kubernetes API and certified Ansible; no maintained Terraform provider" ], [ "Skills and certification", 4, "EX316 certification and a full course track" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Red Hat retired its classic VM product and made virtualization a feature of its Kubernetes platform, which is why it leads on Kubernetes integration and forced RHV customers to change platforms. Since 2023 it has worked through the VMware parity list (hotplug, storage migration, cross-cluster live migration, metro DR, two-node sites) and delivered most of it within a year of announcing it. What still lags is the enterprise-VM detail: x86 confidential VMs, incremental backup and vGPU live migration are all pending, and the buyer needs Kubernetes skills.", "report": "reports/05-openshift.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 0, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "ops": { "2015": 0, "2016": 2, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "agents": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "4.21: MIG-backed vGPU GA; vGPU live migration and Grace passthrough not shipped", "stack": "Red Hat AI 3 on the same platform", "ops": "MTV 2.12: Lightspeed in migration; autopilot (rules-based) in developer preview", "agents": "MTV MCP server; OpenShift MCP server preview with read-only default, RBAC and audit" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 14, "ga": 5, "preview": 3, "pending": 3, "dropped": 0, "note": "One more shipped in part, one slipped (vGPU live migration) and one is unclear." }, "ai_reading": "Red Hat has the most AI in day-to-day VM operations of the first eight: a GA assistant tailored to virtualization and AI help inside the migration tool. Its AI platform is strong but sold separately, and the GPU items it promised for 2026 (vGPU live migration, Grace passthrough) have not shipped.", "mom": 9.3, "credT": 18.0, "commT": 11.0, "lockT": 11.0, "integT": 15.5 }, { "key": "kubevirt", "name": "KubeVirt (CNCF engine)", "short": "KubeVirt", "kind": "engine", "since": 2019, "archetype": "Open engine, Red Hat-led", "grade": "A", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 31, "C": 44, "M": 19, "U": 6, "P": 0 }, "idx": 0.33, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0.5, "2020": 0.5, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2.5 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 4, "2020": 4, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 4.5, "Three releases a year after Kubernetes; all 10 since v1.0 within 15 days of the first published date" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 5, "Public enhancement proposals, per-release tracking boards and dated schedules" ], [ "Say-do", 4, "76 to 83% of committed proposals landed in the target release; instancetype v1 promised for v1.1 still not done; a TDX claim in the v1.8 blog was wrong" ], [ "Velocity", 4.5, "About 1,000 to 1,650 changes per release; board size grows each cycle" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "End of life not enforced, sparse patch releases, roll-forward only, tied to the Kubernetes pace" ] ], "comm": null, "lock": [ [ "Formats", 0.5, "Raw images in standard Kubernetes volumes; open API" ], [ "Export path", 1, "VM export API GA in v1.9" ], [ "Stack coupling", 2, "Needs a conformant Kubernetes; snapshots and migration need CSI features" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 0, "Any server with KVM" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Kubernetes skills required" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Open governance; 19 vendors and 11 integrations listed as adopters" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3, "Kubernetes namespaces, RBAC and quotas" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3.5, "Kubernetes API and Ansible; Terraform provider dormant" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "No project certification; downstream courses exist" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "KubeVirt has the most disciplined public process in the field: dated schedules, tracked proposals and a say-do rate near 80%, delivered three times a year. As an engine it covers compute, Kubernetes integration and security well, and leaves migration, SDN, DR and fleet management to the products built on it. Its main risks are concentration (Red Hat writes 80 to 94% of commits) and a lifecycle that forces the Kubernetes upgrade pace on every downstream product.", "report": "reports/06-kubevirt.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "v1.4: GPU assignment GA; DRA beta, vGPU live migration and Grace alpha in v1.9", "stack": "Out of scope for the engine", "ops": "None", "agents": "Kubernetes API; MCP tooling only from Red Hat-led or personal projects" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 7, "ga": 1, "preview": 5, "pending": 1, "dropped": 0, "note": "'Preview' here means alpha or beta feature gates; one alpha landed a release late." }, "ai_reading": "As an engine KubeVirt only covers the GPU strand, and NVIDIA engineers now write much of it (DRA, vGPU live migration, Grace). Assistants and agent interfaces come from the products built on it.", "mom": 10.9, "credT": 20.5, "commT": null, "lockT": 6.0, "integT": 13.0 }, { "key": "harvester", "name": "SUSE Virtualization (Harvester)", "short": "SUSE Virt", "kind": "product", "since": 2021, "archetype": "Upstream rider, open but still maturing", "grade": "A", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 14, "C": 45, "M": 27, "U": 5, "P": 9 }, "idx": 0.16, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 3 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 4, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "April/August/December since v1.5, hit 4 of 5; several patch milestones closed without a release" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 4.5, "Public roadmap with target versions and ETAs, open milestones, experimental-feature status page" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "60% of 110 listed items shipped in the version listed, 70% within 12 months; 15% dropped, mostly 2023-24; many shipped experimental" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Several capabilities per release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2, "About 18 months per minor from the first supported patch; x.y.0 unsupported; 'upgrade not recommended' at 1.9.0" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2, "Renamed 2024; community vs supported build split 2025; no price history found" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 1.5, "Free to run; subscription per server up to 32 cores; entitlement scope documented inconsistently" ], [ "Channel and access", 1.5, "Open download; SUSE One partner programme; no public price" ], [ "Owner stability", 3, "Private-equity owned since the 2023 delisting" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 3, "Three minors a year, about 18 months support each, previous-minor-only upgrades" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "Raw Longhorn volumes; KubeVirt YAML" ], [ "Export path", 3, "No export or migrate-out tool; volumes exported one by one" ], [ "Stack coupling", 3.5, "Fixed appliance stack; Longhorn always installed; backup only for Longhorn volumes" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1, "Any x86 or Arm server; air-gap supported" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Kubernetes and Rancher skills" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "SUSE One specializations; terms unpublished" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3, "Rancher projects, quotas, VPCs; Harvester RBAC roles still experimental" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3, "Kubernetes API and Terraform; no Ansible collection" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "SCA exam exists; small skills pool" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "SUSE assembles upstream parts (KubeVirt, Longhorn, RKE2, Rancher) into an appliance and publishes the most detailed roadmap in the field, with a record that improves every year. It has closed many basic gaps since 2023, but a lot of it shipped as experimental and data protection is still the weakest domain: backup covers only the bundled storage, and replication has been planned since 2022. It is cheap and easy to try, with free software and a per-server subscription, but it is not yet a like-for-like VMware replacement for DR-heavy estates.", "report": "reports/07-harvester.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 1 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "v1.7: MIG-backed vGPU; not in NVIDIA's support matrices", "stack": "SUSE AI (separate Rancher bundle, runs on Kubernetes)", "ops": "Liz assistant GA for Rancher, but not yet able to manage Harvester VMs", "agents": "Kubernetes API; Harvester MCP server only a dev build, due 1.9.1" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 8, "ga": 5, "preview": 1, "pending": 1, "dropped": 0, "note": "One more is available with unclear maturity. The MCP server slipped once, from 1.9.0 to 1.9.1." }, "ai_reading": "SUSE has the parts (GPU sharing, an AI bundle, an assistant) but has not yet joined them to VMs: the assistant cannot manage Harvester until its MCP server ships. GPU support arrived late against the roadmap and NVIDIA does not list the platform.", "mom": 16.3, "credT": 17.0, "commT": 11.0, "lockT": 11.5, "integT": 11.5 }, { "key": "spectro", "name": "Spectro Cloud Palette VMO", "short": "Spectro VMO", "kind": "product", "since": 2023, "archetype": "Opportunist on thin evidence", "grade": "B", "driver": "M", "mix": { "V": 18, "C": 18, "M": 35, "U": 24, "P": 6 }, "idx": 0.25, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1, "2026": 2 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 4.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "Minor every 3 to 6 months, patches every 1 to 3 weeks; no published lifecycle" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 3, "No roadmap; full release-note archive public on GitHub; VMO code not public" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "5 of 9 announcements shipped (4 within 4 months), 1 partial, 3 pending; few announcements" ], [ "Velocity", 3, "Mostly incremental VM changes; Migration Assistant and Launchpad are the large items" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "About 12 months of patches per minor, unpublished; engine two versions behind upstream" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2, "New delivery track and rebrand to PaletteAI in 2026; free tier retired; no price change found" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2.5, "VMO free but Palette required and priced per node or core-hour; no list price" ], [ "Channel and access", 2, "Partner programme by contact form; docs open" ], [ "Owner stability", 3.5, "Venture-funded; latest $100M round is for AI and does not mention VMs" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "About 12 months per minor, no written policy" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1, "Standard KubeVirt objects and PVCs" ], [ "Export path", 2, "Disk export exposed since Sep 2026; no exit guide" ], [ "Stack coupling", 2.5, "Palette cluster profiles or the Launchpad appliance; any CSI storage" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1, "Any x86 server; SaaS optional, air-gap supported" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Kubernetes skills plus Palette tooling" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "Channel, SI, MSP and alliance tracks; terms unpublished" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3.5, "Palette tenants and projects; Launchpad roles and quotas; no billing" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3.5, "REST API, Terraform, Crossplane, Go SDK" ], [ "Skills and certification", 1.5, "No certification programme" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Spectro Cloud added VMs to its Kubernetes management platform in 2023 and has since focused on one job: moving vSphere VMs onto KubeVirt, first through Palette and since June 2026 through a standalone appliance. Kubernetes and fleet management are strong because they are the core product; the VM features themselves lag the other KubeVirt platforms, with an engine two versions behind and little documented DR. The company's new money is for AI, so buyers should ask how long VMs stay a priority.", "report": "reports/08-spectro.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "Whole-GPU passthrough only (documented for Launchpad from 2026)", "stack": "PaletteAI GA for containers, priced per GPU; not connected to VMs", "ops": "No AI for VM operators", "agents": "Palette API; Palette MCP server preview without VM tools" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 7, "ga": 4, "preview": 1, "pending": 2, "dropped": 0, "note": "Both pending items are the ones that would link AI to VMs." }, "ai_reading": "Spectro Cloud's AI investment goes to products for containers, not to its VM offering, which has GPU passthrough only. Both promises that would connect AI to VMs are still pending.", "mom": 6.8, "credT": 15.0, "commT": 12.5, "lockT": 9.0, "integT": 11.5 }, { "key": "xcpng", "name": "XCP-ng with Xen Orchestra (Vates VMS)", "short": "XCP-ng", "kind": "product", "since": 2019, "archetype": "Dependable builder, slow at the hypervisor", "grade": "A", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 12, "C": 50, "M": 25, "U": 6, "P": 6 }, "idx": 0.14, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4.5, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0.5, "2020": 0.5, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 0.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0.5, "2020": 0.5, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 0.5, "2023": 0.5, "2024": 0.5, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 2 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 4 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 4, "Monthly Xen Orchestra releases; LTS update batches for XCP-ng" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 3, "Public roadmaps, but the XCP-ng page was frozen from 2024 and retired in Sep 2026, and the live one is stale" ], [ "Say-do", 2.5, "Of 30 items listed 2023-24: 11 shipped, 7 partial, 10 pending, 2 dropped silently; hypervisor items stuck since 2022" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Xen Orchestra ships substantial features monthly; hypervisor work slower" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 4, "5-year LTS; 8.2 end of life extended" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2.5, "2023 bundles raised per-host support from 600 to 1,000+; Enterprise minimum hosts rose from 3 to 4" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 1.5, "Free to run; support per host" ], [ "Channel and access", 1, "Open source and open download" ], [ "Owner stability", 2.5, "Small private company; funding round not confirmed closed" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 1.5, "5-year LTS; support optional" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "VHD and QCOW2; XVA export" ], [ "Export path", 1.5, "VM export to XVA and OVA" ], [ "Stack coupling", 1, "Any storage" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 0.5, "Any x86 server; no cloud tie" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Xen skills are a niche" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "Vates reseller and partner network" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 3, "XO resource sets and ACLs for self-service" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4, "REST API, Terraform, Pulumi, Go SDK" ], [ "Skills and certification", 1.5, "No certification programme" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Vates turned the open-source fork of XenServer into a credible VMware alternative mainly through Xen Orchestra: backup and DR are among the best in the field, and VMware migration no longer needs Broadcom's VDDK. The hypervisor itself moves slowly (no vGPU, hot-add or host Secure Boot yet, items stuck since 2022), and the public roadmap has been left to go stale. Low lock-in and open source make it a safe bet for classic virtualization; it is not a GPU or Kubernetes platform yet.", "report": "reports/09-xcpng.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 4 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "MxGPU deprecated; NVIDIA vGPU unsupported", "stack": "None", "ops": "Rule-based load balancer only", "agents": "First-party XO MCP server: read-only default, confirm tokens for writes, kill switch" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 5, "ga": 2, "preview": 1, "pending": 2, "dropped": 0, "note": "NVIDIA vGPU has never been promised on any roadmap revision." }, "ai_reading": "Vates shipped one of the first official MCP servers for a hypervisor, with sensible guardrails, but has nothing for AI workloads: no NVIDIA vGPU and a deprecated AMD path. The MCP server is admin-only and its kill switch can be bypassed by third-party clients.", "mom": 13.1, "credT": 17.5, "commT": 9.0, "lockT": 7.0, "integT": 11.5 }, { "key": "xenserver", "name": "XenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor)", "short": "XenServer", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Integrated stack inside Citrix", "grade": "B", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 0, "C": 31, "M": 31, "U": 8, "P": 31 }, "idx": 0.0, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 3.5, "2016": 3.5, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "network": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "dr": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3 }, "migration": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "gpu": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 0.5, "2018": 0.5, "2019": 0.5, "2020": 0.5, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 0.5, "2023": 0.5, "2024": 0.5, "2025": 0.5, "2026": 0.5 }, "security": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3, "Continuous update stream; majors irregular" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 1.5, "No public roadmap; webinars only" ], [ "Say-do", 3.5, "10 of 14 checkable statements kept, 2 partial, 2 commercial reversals" ], [ "Velocity", 3, "XenServer 9 is a large release; otherwise incremental" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2, "Updates must be applied within 6 months; 8.2 customers pushed to 8.4; GA vs preview labelling unclear" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 4, "Sold standalone in 2023, then only inside Citrix subscriptions, trial limited, cloud licence activation mandatory" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 4, "Available only as part of a Citrix subscription" ], [ "Channel and access", 3.5, "Citrix channel only; 90-day trial" ], [ "Owner stability", 3.5, "Private-equity owned; business unit folded back into Citrix in 2026" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 3, "Six-month update rule to stay supported" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "VHD and XVA" ], [ "Export path", 2, "XVA and OVF export" ], [ "Stack coupling", 1.5, "Any SAN or NFS" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 2.5, "Hardware list; mandatory Citrix Cloud licence activation" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Xen and Citrix skills" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "Citrix partner network, VDI-centred" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 1.5, "RBAC only" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3, "XAPI and a vendor Terraform provider" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "Citrix skills pool; no current XenServer certification found" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "XenServer is again a Citrix add-on: since mid-2024 it is only available inside Citrix subscriptions, and licence activation through Citrix Cloud became mandatory in 2026. Its strength is GPU-accelerated VDI, where it led early (vGPU live migration in 2017); for general server virtualization it lags on SDN, Kubernetes and storage. XenServer 9 is a real modernisation, but it makes most sense for buyers who already run Citrix.", "report": "reports/10-xenserver.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 1, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "agents": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "vGPU live migration (7.4)", "stack": "None", "ops": "Workload balancing recommendations (rule-based)", "agents": "XAPI; MCP server only as a personal repository" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 1, "ga": 0, "preview": 1, "pending": 0, "dropped": 0, "note": "No AI platform, AI operations or MCP announcement from the vendor 2023 to 2026." }, "ai_reading": "XenServer's AI story is GPU acceleration for virtual desktops, where it has been strong for a decade; NVIDIA validates it for Blackwell VDI cards only. There is no AI in operations and no official agent interface.", "mom": 5.6, "credT": 13.0, "commT": 18.0, "lockT": 10.0, "integT": 10.0 }, { "key": "oracle", "name": "Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager (with Oracle VM and PCA)", "short": "Oracle OLVM", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Slow follower on an orphaned upstream", "grade": "B", "driver": "U", "mix": { "V": 19, "C": 25, "M": 6, "U": 31, "P": 19 }, "idx": 0.38, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3 }, "network": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "dr": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "migration": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 1, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 0.5, "2018": 0.5, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "security": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "automation": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 2, "Irregular; OLVM tracks oVirt rebases, and no 4.6 has followed 4.5 (2023)" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 2, "No roadmap; docs public; blogs block scripts" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "17 of 21 items shipped, mostly announced on the day they shipped; of 9 preview features Oracle said would become supported in 2019, 3 did" ], [ "Velocity", 1.5, "Mostly OS rebases and validations; few new capabilities" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "Fixes for current and previous release only; OL8 engines must be rebuilt on OL9 by backup and restore; Oracle VM retired" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 3, "2025 price list: Basic +40%, Premier capped at 2 VMs per CPU pair, new Premier Plus tier for virtualization" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2.5, "Free download; support per CPU pair; unlimited VMs now need Premier Plus" ], [ "Channel and access", 1.5, "Open download; Oracle PartnerNetwork" ], [ "Owner stability", 2, "Oracle is stable, but the upstream (oVirt) lost Red Hat and is community-led" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "Engine rebuilds across OS majors; previous-release-only fixes" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "qcow2 and raw; OVF/OVA export" ], [ "Export path", 2, "OVA export and standard KVM formats" ], [ "Stack coupling", 2, "Any NFS, iSCSI or FC storage" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 2.5, "Oracle Database licensing favours pinned VMs or Oracle engineered systems (PCA)" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "oVirt skills, a shrinking pool" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "Oracle PartnerNetwork" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 2.5, "VM portal and RBAC; quotas only in preview" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3, "REST API, Ansible through Oracle Linux Automation Manager, community Terraform" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2, "Oracle Linux certifications; few OLVM specialists" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "OLVM is oVirt with Oracle support: capable enough for classic virtualization, but much of what oVirt offers is still labelled technology preview, and the upstream it depends on lost Red Hat in 2022. Since 2023 Oracle's work has mostly been OS rebases, validations and a VMware migration service; the one real draw is Oracle Database licensing, which also pulls buyers towards Oracle hardware. Treat it as a stable home for Oracle-centric estates, not as a platform that sets direction.", "report": "reports/11-oracle.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 0.5, "2016": 0.5, "2017": 0.5, "2018": 0.5, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "L40S GPU VMs on PCA and Compute Cloud@Customer (no live migration)", "stack": "None on the virtualization platform", "ops": "None; 'AI-driven operations' claim matches no feature", "agents": "oVirt REST API; MCP servers only from the community" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 6, "ga": 4, "preview": 1, "pending": 0, "dropped": 0, "note": "One more has no outcome found. The AI items that shipped sit beside OLVM (OCNE assistant, a database agent product), not in it." }, "ai_reading": "Oracle's AI investment is in OCI and its database, not in OLVM: GPU passthrough is still a preview and there is no AI in operations or an official agent interface. GPU VMs exist only on the Private Cloud Appliance.", "mom": 6.8, "credT": 11.0, "commT": 11.5, "lockT": 10.5, "integT": 10.5 }, { "key": "hpe", "name": "HPE Morpheus VM Essentials", "short": "HPE VME", "kind": "product", "since": 2025, "archetype": "Opportunist with a portfolio pull", "grade": "B", "driver": "M", "mix": { "V": 7, "C": 20, "M": 40, "U": 0, "P": 33 }, "idx": 0.1, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 3, "2026": 4 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1.5 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 3 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "Frequent 8.0.x releases, then 8.1 (Feb 2026) and 9.0 (Jun 2026)" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 1.5, "No roadmap; release notes only through the HPE support site" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "12 of 19 items shipped, 1 partial, 5 pending; the Dec 2025 promises arrived on time in 9.0" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Substantial additions each release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2.5, "Young product; HA layer replaced (Pacemaker to agent-based) in 9.0" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 3, "Renamed in 2025, new Advanced tier in 2026, features unlocked by licence tier" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2, "Per-socket subscription; key features reserved for higher tiers" ], [ "Channel and access", 1.5, "Open HPE channel; multi-vendor hardware" ], [ "Owner stability", 1.5, "HPE stable; Morpheus acquired 2024" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "AI and automation gated to higher tiers; young lifecycle" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1.5, "KVM qcow2" ], [ "Export path", 2, "No documented export path; standard formats" ], [ "Stack coupling", 2, "Any SAN, NFS or Ceph; SDN plugin is proprietary" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1.5, "Qualified x86 servers from several vendors" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2, "Morpheus tooling on standard KVM" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Large HPE channel; partner self-validation programme" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 2, "Multi-tenancy disabled in the Essentials tier" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3, "REST API, CLI and MCP server; Terraform in Enterprise only" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "Morpheus skills; growing HPE training" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "HPE built VM Essentials to catch VMware leavers on HPE (and other) hardware, and it has moved fast: SDN, stretched clusters, two-node sites and better backup all arrived on time in 9.0. The product is young, cold-only for migration until Zerto, and without vGPU; many features, including the AI ones, sit in higher-priced tiers. It suits HPE-centric buyers who want one vendor for hardware, storage and virtualization.", "report": "reports/12-hpe.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 0, "2026": 2 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": null, "2022": null, "2023": null, "2024": null, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "Whole-GPU passthrough only", "stack": "None in VME; HPE Private Cloud AI is a separate product", "ops": "9.0: built-in AI agents, gated by licence tier", "agents": "9.0: built-in MCP server over the Morpheus API" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 10, "ga": 3, "preview": 1, "pending": 4, "dropped": 0, "note": "Two more have no outcome found; the 'preview' is one partly shipped item." }, "ai_reading": "HPE added an MCP server and AI agents directly into the management layer in 9.0, earlier than most rivals, but sells them by tier. For AI workloads VME has passthrough only; HPE's AI platform is a separate product.", "mom": 10.4, "credT": 14.5, "commT": 10.5, "lockT": 9.0, "integT": 11.5 }, { "key": "platform9", "name": "Platform9 Private Cloud Director", "short": "Platform9", "kind": "product", "since": 2019, "archetype": "Fast opportunist on an OpenStack core", "grade": "B", "driver": "C", "mix": { "V": 0, "C": 56, "M": 38, "U": 6, "P": 0 }, "idx": 0.0, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 2.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 2.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0.5, "2020": 0.5, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 0.5, "2023": 0.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 4, "Monthly-named releases every one to two months" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 3, "Public release notes; roadmap published for Kubernetes only" ], [ "Say-do", 3, "10 of 19 items shipped, 5 of them 5 to 10 months late; 6 pending" ], [ "Velocity", 4.5, "Many substantive capabilities per release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 2, "End of support two releases behind, end of life four behind; forces control-plane moves" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2, "Product rebuilt as PCD in 2024; free Community Edition 2025; no price change found" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2, "Per-core subscription without a list price; Community Edition free" ], [ "Channel and access", 2, "Service-provider price published; vJailbreak under a source-available licence, source repo emptied Sep 2026" ], [ "Owner stability", 3, "Venture-funded; no public raise since 2021" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 3, "Short support window per release" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 1, "KVM disks; OpenStack-compatible APIs" ], [ "Export path", 1.5, "Works with any OpenStack-compatible cloud" ], [ "Stack coupling", 1.5, "Any Cinder array" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1.5, "Any x86 host; SaaS management by default, self-hosted possible" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2, "OpenStack-compatible, packaged to hide OpenStack" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3.5, "Service-provider programme with a published per-core price and free 90 days" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 4.5, "Domains, tenants, quotas and per-tenant SSO from the OpenStack heritage" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 4, "OpenStack APIs, CLI, Terraform (beta)" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2.5, "OpenStack skills; no certification found" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Platform9 repackaged OpenStack as a simple private cloud for VMware leavers in 2024 and has shipped at a high pace since, with the best migration tool in this batch and strong multi-tenancy. Weak spots are built-in data protection (the docs' backup page still reads 'TBD'), a short support window that forces regular control-plane moves, and a small company with no public funding since 2021. vJailbreak's licence and the removal of its source in September 2026 are worth watching.", "report": "reports/13-platform9.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 2, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "vGPU live migration; H100/H200 passthrough", "stack": "None", "ops": "Rule-based resource rebalancing; predictive mode still beta", "agents": "OpenStack APIs; no MCP server" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 6, "ga": 4, "preview": 0, "pending": 1, "dropped": 0, "note": "One more was framed as AI without an AI feature behind it." }, "ai_reading": "Platform9's AI is GPU infrastructure only, and that part moved quickly in 2026 with vGPU live migration. There is no AI stack, operator assistant or agent interface.", "mom": 24.1, "credT": 16.5, "commT": 12, "lockT": 7.5, "integT": 14.5 }, { "key": "scale", "name": "Scale Computing SC//HyperCore (with Fleet Manager)", "short": "Scale HyperCore", "kind": "product", "since": 2015, "archetype": "Dependable builder for the edge", "grade": "B", "driver": "M", "mix": { "V": 13, "C": 33, "M": 40, "U": 0, "P": 13 }, "idx": 0.15, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": 2.5, "2016": 2.5, "2017": 2.5, "2018": 2.5, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "storage": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3.5, "2018": 3.5, "2019": 3.5, "2020": 3.5, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "network": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 1.5, "2025": 1.5, "2026": 1.5 }, "dr": { "2015": 3, "2016": 3, "2017": 3, "2018": 3, "2019": 3, "2020": 3, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "migration": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "gpu": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "k8s": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "security": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2.5, "2020": 2.5, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "fleet": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 4, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4.5, "2026": 4.5 }, "automation": { "2015": 2, "2016": 2, "2017": 2, "2018": 2, "2019": 2, "2020": 2, "2021": 2, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 2.5, "Releases unpublished; dated only through partner pages" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 1, "Release notes behind a login; no roadmap" ], [ "Say-do", 4, "15 of 16 dated items shipped, Veeam ahead of schedule" ], [ "Velocity", 2.5, "Incremental platform changes; investment goes to fleet and edge services" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 3, "Stable appliance model; ownership changed 2025" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 3, "Moved to per-core subscription tiers; acquired by Acumera in 2025" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 3, "Replication and GPU only in the Professional tier" ], [ "Channel and access", 2, "Partner and MSP channel; docs behind login" ], [ "Owner stability", 3.5, "Private-equity-backed owner since 2025" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "Subscription terms of 1, 3 or 5 years" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 2.5, "Own HyperCore export format" ], [ "Export path", 2.5, "Export over SMB" ], [ "Stack coupling", 4, "Own storage only; no external SAN" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 3.5, "Compatibility list or Scale appliances; imaging programme loosens it" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 2.5, "Simple, proprietary management" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 4, "Strong MSP and edge partner focus" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 1.5, "RBAC; no multi-tenancy" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3.5, "REST API, certified Ansible, Terraform" ], [ "Skills and certification", 2, "Vendor training only" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "Scale has held one thesis for a decade: simple hyperconverged clusters at thousands of small sites, managed from a cloud fleet console. That makes it the strongest platform here for edge fleets and MSPs, and it ships what it announces; it is weak on networking, Kubernetes and transparency, and its storage is closed. The 2025 sale to Acumera adds managed networking but also a new private-equity owner.", "report": "reports/14-scale.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 1.5, "2023": 1.5, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 }, "stack": { "2015": 0, "2016": 0, "2017": 0, "2018": 0, "2019": 0, "2020": 0, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "ops": { "2015": 1, "2016": 1, "2017": 1, "2018": 1, "2019": 1, "2020": 1, "2021": 1, "2022": 1, "2023": 1, "2024": 1, "2025": 1, "2026": 1 }, "agents": { "2015": 1.5, "2016": 1.5, "2017": 1.5, "2018": 1.5, "2019": 1.5, "2020": 1.5, "2021": 1.5, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "L4 GPU appliance", "stack": "None; edge inference only described as 'potential' in 9.7", "ops": "AIME self-healing: deterministic rules, not machine learning", "agents": "Ansible and later Terraform; no MCP server" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 3, "ga": 2, "preview": 0, "pending": 1, "dropped": 0, "note": "Counts are approximate (grade C): Scale announces little AI." }, "ai_reading": "Despite the 'machine intelligence' name, Scale's AIME is rule-based, and the AI-at-the-edge story is still a stated potential. GPU appliances exist, but there is no AI platform or agent interface.", "mom": 8.6, "credT": 13.0, "commT": 14.0, "lockT": 15.0, "integT": 11.0 }, { "key": "vergeos", "name": "VergeOS (VergeIO)", "short": "VergeOS", "kind": "product", "since": 2021, "archetype": "Integrated stack, opportunist", "grade": "B", "driver": "M", "mix": { "V": 19, "C": 38, "M": 44, "U": 0, "P": 0 }, "idx": 0.19, "domains": { "compute": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 3, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "storage": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "network": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "dr": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 4 }, "migration": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 3.5, "2024": 3.5, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "gpu": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 1, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "k8s": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0.5, "2022": 0.5, "2023": 0.5, "2024": 0.5, "2025": 0.5, "2026": 2.5 }, "security": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "fleet": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 3.5, "2022": 3.5, "2023": 4, "2024": 4, "2025": 4, "2026": 4 }, "automation": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2.5, "2022": 2.5, "2023": 2.5, "2024": 3, "2025": 3, "2026": 3.5 } }, "cred": [ [ "Cadence", 3.5, "Year.Quarter versions with frequent patches" ], [ "Roadmap transparency", 2.5, "Release notes public on GitHub; no roadmap" ], [ "Say-do", 4, "16 of 21 items shipped; Ansible late; vGPU live migration preview over 12 months" ], [ "Velocity", 4, "Substantial capabilities per release" ], [ "Lifecycle stability", 3, "Published support table; old versions retire on schedule" ] ], "comm": [ [ "Price and licence volatility", 2, "No licence change found; leadership change Sep 2026" ], [ "Purchase constraints", 2.5, "Per-server subscription without a public list price" ], [ "Channel and access", 2, "Partner channel; EMEA expansion" ], [ "Owner stability", 3, "Small private company; new CEO" ], [ "Cost of staying supported", 2.5, "Regular upgrades through supported versions" ] ], "lock": [ [ "Formats", 2.5, "Disks inside the proprietary VergeFS" ], [ "Export path", 2.5, "Export volume and Veeam; no generic export tool" ], [ "Stack coupling", 4, "Own storage and networking; whole stack from one vendor" ], [ "Hardware / cloud coupling", 1.5, "Commodity x86; no hardware RAID" ], [ "Skills and tooling coupling", 3, "Proprietary operating model" ] ], "integ": [ [ "Partner programme openness", 3, "Partner and MSP channel" ], [ "Multi-tenancy and self-service", 5, "Nested virtual data centres with their own UI, networks and DR" ], [ "API and infrastructure-as-code", 3.5, "REST API, Terraform, Packer, Ansible" ], [ "Skills and certification", 1.5, "No certification programme" ] ], "alt": null, "reading": "VergeOS puts compute, storage, networking and multi-tenancy into one operating system, and it is the strongest platform here for service providers who want nested tenants. It has used the VMware exit well (migration, NSX-style networking, Veeam) and was early with a built-in LLM service. The trade-off is a fully proprietary stack from a small vendor, with no external storage option.", "report": "reports/15-vergeos.md", "ai": { "infra": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 1, "2022": 3, "2023": 3, "2024": 3, "2025": 3.5, "2026": 3.5 }, "stack": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 3, "2026": 3 }, "ops": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 0, "2022": 0, "2023": 0, "2024": 0, "2025": 0, "2026": 0 }, "agents": { "2015": null, "2016": null, "2017": null, "2018": null, "2019": null, "2020": null, "2021": 2, "2022": 2, "2023": 2, "2024": 2, "2025": 2, "2026": 2 } }, "ai_basis": { "infra": "MIG vGPU, Blackwell, RTX vWS certification; live migration experimental", "stack": "VergeIQ: built-in LLM service with an OpenAI-compatible API", "ops": "None", "agents": "REST API; the announced MCP server is a docs-only server, actions go through the CLI" }, "ai_ledger": { "announced": 4, "ga": 2, "preview": 2, "pending": 0, "dropped": 0, "note": "Counts approximate (grade C). The 'MCP server' claim covers documentation only." }, "ai_reading": "VergeIO was the first in this batch to build an LLM service into the platform itself, included in the product. Its agent story is thinner than announced: the MCP server serves documentation, not the customer's environment.", "mom": 18.0, "credT": 17.0, "commT": 12.0, "lockT": 13.5, "integT": 13.0 } ] }