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How VMware and TechSoup Are Powering Digital Transformation for Nonprofits

Note: VMware no longer offers products through TechSoup.

Empowering nonprofits to use technology for good is at the heart of everything we do at TechSoup. Since the beginning, we've partnered with corporations that believe that access to mission-critical software and hardware should be made available to organizations focused on making a positive change in their communities.

Back in August 2019, we announced the VMware for Nonprofits program at TechSoup with offers of VMware Fusion 11 Pro and VMware Workstation 15 Pro. Today, we're excited to announce that we are now offering two editions of both VMware vSphere and VMware vCenter Server to eligible nonprofits in our community.

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As part of VMware's commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector through digital transformation, this is another step in TechSoup's ongoing partnership with VMware. Along with the discounted offer of powerful virtualization solutions, TechSoup and VMware are working together in other ways that benefit the nonprofit sector at large. In March 2019, VMware led a coalition of corporate partners that donated $500,000 to develop TechSoup's ICT4NGO digital assessment tool, which will help nonprofits make progress on their own digital transformation.

In August VMware also confirmed a $2.5 million recoverable grant to contribute to TechSoup's $11.5 million Growth Capital Campaign. We're grateful to VMware's ongoing commitment to serving its communities by recognizing the transformative power of technology in the nonprofit sector. Learn more about the grant.

Access to powerful software tools is a necessary part of every nonprofit's digital journey. Through these efforts, our partnership with VMware is helping both TechSoup and organizations everywhere in more ways than one.

The VMware for Nonprofits Program at TechSoup

The VMware for Nonprofits program offers a variety of discounted desktop and server virtualization software to eligible TechSoup members. VMware vSphere 6 Standard and VMware vSphere 6 Enterprise Plus are server virtualization solutions that should be used in tandem with the appropriate edition of VMware vCenter. VMware Workstation Pro and VMware Fusion Pro are desktop virtualization solutions.

VMware vSphere and vCenter

vSphere is the industry-leading server virtualization software. vSphere can help your organization simplify datacenter operations and management and decrease overhead and direct expenses. Additionally, every server virtualized is estimated to avoid the output of four tons of CO2 per year.

vSphere 6 Standard allows systems administrators to run, manage, and secure applications in a common operating environment. Server virtualization allows you to consolidate hardware in your datacenters, resulting in cost savings and increased security and efficiency.

vSphere 6 Enterprise Plus is an even more powerful server virtualization solution that delivers enhanced application performance on virtualized servers. It also provides enhanced resource management and the ability to more quickly provision and deploy workloads in your virtual environments. See more vSphere version comparisons (PDF).

Each edition of vSphere offered through TechSoup includes one perpetual license for one server CPU/Socket along with your choice of one, two, or three years of VMware Production-level support and subscription services (SnS). Up to 20 vSphere licenses may be requested by each organization.

Either edition of vSphere should be used in tandem with vCenter. vCenter provides the management tools needed for provisioning, monitoring, and controlling virtual machines in both small and large environments. TechSoup offers both vCenter Server 6 Foundation and vCenter Server 6 Standard.

In many ways, vCenter can be seen as the "operating system" for vSphere solutions. We recommend that nonprofits consider acquiring both at the same time. The same offer of one, two, or three years of Production SnS is available for vCenter as well.

VMware Workstation and Fusion

Workstation allows you to run multiple operating systems on a Windows or Linux PC, and Fusion allows you to run Windows and other operating systems on a Mac. Both allow organizations to simplify the delivery, protection, and management of virtual desktops for developers and end users.

Fusion and Workstation make it easy to maintain existing applications as hardware is refreshed because virtual machines are portable across VMware products. VMware can even convert an existing, older PC into a virtual machine and put it on newer hardware without impacting the contents of the original operating system.

Fusion and Workstation are great solutions for switching between multiple operating systems (such as Windows, Linux, and macOS) on a single computer for development, testing, security, and application portability. You can even copy and paste or drag and drop between operating systems and encrypt virtual machines for maximum security.

Both offers, Fusion and Workstation, provide a perpetual license for installing and operating the software on one machine and include one month of email support from VMware. If additional technical support is needed, that can be purchased directly through VMware.

No matter what your organization's mission is, TechSoup is here for you. And through partnerships like these, we'll continue to push the needle forward on digital transformation for nonprofits around the world. Civil society needs resources. It's our mission to provide them.