Perhaps this isn't the relevant thread, but I haven't seen it anywhere else.
With the announced discontinuation of Enterprise edition, I find myself in a position where I must compare other products. VMware, and more specifically vSphere, is in my mind easily the best product for virtualization. For us, an SMB, it has just been priced well out of our price range.
Basic will not meet our needs, and Ent Plus exceeds them (and is substantially more expensive). I don't want to use a competitor's product, because like I said, VMware is the best-of-breed out there by a long shot. But it may not be my choice when we see an almost 50% increase in our maintenance payments and management asks "wtf".
I honestly can't see any reason for this other than a cash grab. Some of your customers will pay it, others will leave. We're probably going to have to leave.
