Nutanix mistake
Nutanix missteps:
1. Didn't develop an entry-level product suitable for SMB - size/performance
2. Didn't develop a public product, suitable for public purse consumption model
3. Didn't bond more closely with Dell early on - way too much friction.
4. Chose Supermicro as their hardware platform. Should have done a hardware OEM with Dell or HPE.
5. No move to a software-only model, with option for hardware.
6. Customer frustrations from the licensing model. upgrades and additions complexity.
7. Nutanix liked because they are comparing it to prior non HCI platform. How to retain customers for wave 2?
Looking forward...
They have not addressed 1 and 2. They are trying to cover (3) with better channel sales, Lenovo partnerships, etc.
4 will continue to bite them until they stop selling as an appliance.
5 they have announced s/w only, which is a good step forward. May address 1 & 2.
6. remains unaddressed unless you wish to pick a fight with your Nutanix rep.
7. Acropolis is part of this argument, but 6 will impact the ever more knowledgeable customer if they start looking to Dell-EMC, HPE and others for alternatives.
Excellent product and a leader in HCI, but will struggle to grow out of the large enterprise model. They don't scale down to a mini VSAN-like product for retail stores, remote distribution locations, office needs, edge applications.
Sales team is still opportunity and deal-based and hasn't been strategic in partnering to do proper business development.
I sincerely hope for Nutanix that they figure this all out before vmware and microsoft catch up.
This just like the browser wars of old, or more recently the virtualization/hypervisor platform wars.
AC because I work with all of the above.