In case you may have missed it, VMware made a couple big announcements today around vCloud Director and vCloud Networking and Security (vCNS).

VMware is committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience and—in response to feedback from you, our customers—we are moving toward more simplified packaging and unified licensing of our cloud stack. Driven by this commitment, we’re implementing an integrated approach to the packaging of all of the essential capabilities for building a software-defined data center.

As part of this key initiative, this month we’re announcing the End of Availability of the stand-alone editions of VMware vCloud^® Director^® and VMware vCloud^® Networking and Security^™. This communication provides important information for you as a license holder of vCloud Director, vCloud Networking and Security, and/or VMware vShield^™.

End of Availability: VMware vCloud Director Stand-alone

VMware vCloud Director orchestrates the provisioning of software-defined data center services as complete virtual data centers that are ready for consumption in a matter of minutes. Virtual data centers provide virtualized compute, networking, storage, and security. Effective as of the general availability of vCloud Director 5.5 and the vCloud Suite^® 5.5, VMware is making the following packaging changes to make this technology more easily accessible:

• vCloud Director 5.5 will be available only as part of vCloud Suite 5.5.
• VMware will retire the stand-alone SKUs for vCloud Director.
• Existing customers can maintain their vCloud Director through either the entitlement program or while converting to vCloud Suite with the Fair Value Conversion Program.

Please take note that the last day to order vCloud Director Stand-alone is September 19, 2013.

Extended Support for vCloud Director 5.5

Generally, as per VMware Enterprise Application Support Policy, VMware will support the current release of software for 2 years from the general availability of the Major Release, or the latest released version for 12 months. However, VMware will provide extended support for vCloud Director 5.5 with support available for 4 years from general availability. Customers will be able to get telephone and Internet support for vCloud Director 5.5 until their current contract expires or until Q3, 2017, whichever is earlier.

The End of Support date for vCloud Director 5.1 remains as September 10, 2014.

For more information:

–    Read our Customer Announcement

–    Visit the VMware vCloud Suite page

End of Availability: VMware vCloud Networking and Security Stand-alone

VMware vCloud Networking and Security provides essential networking and security capabilities for the software-defined data center. Accordingly, VMware is making the following packaging changes to also make this technology more easily accessible:

• vCloud Networking and Security 5.5 will be combined into a single edition. All features of vCloud Networking and Security 5.1 Standard and Advanced Editions have been integrated into one feature set.
• vCloud Networking and Security 5.5 will be available only as part of vCloud Suite 5.5.
• VMware will retire the stand-alone SKUs for vCloud Networking and Security.
• Existing customers can maintain their vCloud Networking and Security investment through either the entitlement program or while converting to vCloud Suite with the Fair Value Conversion Program.

Please take note that the last day to order vCloud Networking and Security Stand-alone is

September 30, 2013.

Extended Support for vCloud Networking and Security 5.5

Generally, as per VMware Enterprise Application Support Policy, VMware will support the current release of software for 2 years from the general availability of the Major Release, or the latest released version for 12 months. However, VMware will provide extended support for vCloud Networking and Security 5.5 with support available for 3 years from general availability. Customers will be able to get telephone and Internet support for vCloud Networking and Security 5.5 until their current contract expires or until Q3, 2016, whichever is earlier.

The End of Support date for vCloud Networking and Security 5.1 remains as September 10, 2014.

For more information:

–    Review the FAQs

–    Read our Customer Announcement

–    Visit the VMware vCloud Suite page

If you have any questions about these announcements, please contact your sales representative or www.vmware.com/support.