96 cores × €192.75, including Production Support.
INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNISATIONExisting project
Keep the hardware.
Rethink what it can do.
VMware → Proxmox VE
Moving workloads from VMware to Proxmox VE on three Dell PowerEdge R720 servers, with Ceph storage connecting the nodes and extending hardware value.
VMwareProxmox VE
NODE 01Dell R720
NODE 02Dell R720
NODE 03Dell R720
CephDistributed storage across nodes
3Dell R720 nodes
36total compute cores
Cephdistributed storage
SUBSCRIPTION + VENDOR SOFTWARE SUPPORTThe same three servers.
The same three servers.
What changes in annual platform cost?
Public prices checked on 7 October 2026: VMware vSphere Foundation one-year subscription compared with Proxmox VE Standard.
3 servers6 CPUs36 physical coresVMware billing: 96 cores after per-CPU minimums
6 CPU sockets × €550, including Standard vendor support.
Subscription and respective vendor-support comparison, rather than a difference between client invoices.
Features and support coverage differ. Proxmox Standard does not yet provide 24×7 support on the price-check date; this compares annual platform costs, not identical SLAs.
| Item | VMware vSphere Foundation | Proxmox VE Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Billable quantity | 6 CPUs × 16-core minimum = 96 core licences | 6 occupied CPU sockets; no per-core charge |
| Public one-year unit price | €192.75 / core / year | €550 / CPU socket / year |
| Annual subscription | €18,504 · HK$163,646 | €3,300 · HK$29,185 |
| Vendor software maintenance, support and updates | Included in subscription; not added again | Included in Standard subscription; not added again |
| Vendor support level | Production Support, 24×7 | Standard: 10 tickets/year; 4-hour initial response for critical issues within applicable support hours |
| Hardware maintenance and local managed services | Quoted separately; excluded here | Quoted separately; excluded here |
| Annual platform total | HK$163,646 | HK$29,185 |
Other Proxmox support choices
For the same 6 CPU sockets: Basic costs €2,220/year; Premium costs €6,600/year. The open-source version without a subscription has no software licence fee, but excludes subscription support and the Enterprise Repository. This comparison uses Standard and includes its support cost.
Prices and calculation sources
VMware uses the Software-Express public reseller price, not a Hong Kong contract quote. Prices exclude tax. HKD uses the ECB rate of €1 = HK$8.8438 on 6 October 2026, rounded to whole dollars; the difference is calculated in EUR before conversion. Migration, replacement hardware, hardware maintenance and local managed services are excluded. VMware version and hardware compatibility for the R720 require separate verification.
CLIENT VALUEBefore and after.
Before and after.
What gets better?
From the original need to the implemented solution and its value in everyday work.
01Licensing flexibility
BEFORE · THE NEED
Existing workloads ran on VMware, tying platform choices to its licensing policy.
AFTER · THE CHANGE
Workloads move to Proxmox VE, an open-source virtualisation platform.
VALUE FOR THE CLIENT
Less dependence on one vendor, with more choice over platform and cost.
02Hardware investment
BEFORE · THE NEED
Three Dell R720 servers still had useful compute capacity and needed a platform path forward.
AFTER · THE CHANGE
All three servers and 36 cores are retained to keep running workloads.
VALUE FOR THE CLIENT
Extend the value of existing equipment and reduce the need to buy hardware for the migration.
03Management and growth
BEFORE · THE NEED
The platform transition needed to address virtual machines, storage and future expansion together.
AFTER · THE CHANGE
Proxmox centralises virtual-machine management; Ceph pools storage across nodes.
VALUE FOR THE CLIENT
A shared management point and a foundation for future capacity growth.
Based on the published project record. Benefits are qualitative; no before-and-after measurements of staff time, enquiry reduction or downtime are available.
Licensing changed.
The hardware still had value.
Three Dell R720 servers supported the existing virtual workloads. The project reconsidered licensing, hardware use and future expansion while retaining the existing equipment.
Compute and storage.
One connected architecture.
Proxmox VE manages virtual machines and LXC containers, while Ceph combines storage across the three nodes. Snapshots, backups and cluster status can be managed together, with support for high-availability design.
Proxmox VECephSnapshots & backupsCentral management
Retain the investment.
Open up the options.
The project retains all 36 cores and the existing servers, reducing the need for new hardware investment. The new platform provides central management and room to expand, with less dependence on one vendor’s licensing policy.
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