ShapeBlue
London's largest Apache CloudStack integrator, employee-owned and focused on VMware exits.
Quick Overview
| Company | Shape Blue Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | Virtualization Software |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2011 |
| EU Presence | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Your own infrastructure or a ShapeBlue-managed deployment |
| Open Source | Apache 2.0 (Apache CloudStack) |
| Pricing | CloudStack support subscriptions, managed IaaS delivery and VMware-migration consulting, all quoted on request; no published price list |
| Replaces | VMware vCloud Director, OpenStack, Nutanix |
Detailed Review
ShapeBlue is not a software vendor in the way Proxmox or SUSE are — Apache CloudStack is a foundation project nobody owns — but it is the largest independent integrator of it, and the closest thing CloudStack has to Canonical's role for OpenStack.
CloudStack itself is a full IaaS platform, the same conceptual space as OpenStack and OpenNebula, and ShapeBlue's pitch is that it is simpler to run at scale, which is why it underpins large service-provider clouds this category otherwise doesn't reach.
The commercial model is engineering, support and migration rather than a licensed product: CloudStack software development, second-to-fourth-line infrastructure support with P1 to P3 severity tiers, consulting, training and certification, and dedicated VMware-to-CloudStack migration work. None of it is priced publicly — every engagement is quoted, which puts ShapeBlue closer to Virtuozzo's or Acronis's opacity than to Kubermatic's published ladder.
Shape Blue Ltd has been UK-registered since 2011 and is structured as a 100% employee-owned company, an unusual ownership model in this category. The trade-off is the one that comes with any integrator: there is no product to trial, evaluating ShapeBlue means evaluating Apache CloudStack itself plus the specific engagement ShapeBlue proposes, and a buyer who wants a fixed licence fee should look elsewhere in this grid.
What ShapeBlue does well
- Largest independent Apache CloudStack integrator
- 100% employee-owned
- Apache 2.0, no licensing cost for the software itself
- Dedicated VMware-to-CloudStack migration practice
- UK company since 2011
Where ShapeBlue falls short
- No published pricing for support or engineering
- Not a self-contained product like the rest of this grid
- CloudStack has a smaller ecosystem than OpenStack
- Evaluating it means evaluating an integrator, not software
Standout feature. The CloudStack specialist for a category otherwise built around OpenStack and OpenNebula — an entirely different open-source IaaS lineage.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Largest independent Apache CloudStack integrator
- 100% employee-owned
- Apache 2.0, no licensing cost for the software itself
- Dedicated VMware-to-CloudStack migration practice
- UK company since 2011
Cons
- No published pricing for support or engineering
- Not a self-contained product like the rest of this grid
- CloudStack has a smaller ecosystem than OpenStack
- Evaluating it means evaluating an integrator, not software
Alternatives to ShapeBlue
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ShapeBlue?
ShapeBlue is not a software vendor in the way Proxmox or SUSE are — Apache CloudStack is a foundation project nobody owns — but it is the largest independent integrator of it, and the closest thing CloudStack has to Canonical's role for OpenStack.
CloudStack itself is a full IaaS platform, the same conceptual space as OpenStack and OpenNebula, and ShapeBlue's pitch is that it is simpler to run at scale, which is why it underpins large service-provider clouds this category otherwise doesn't reach.
Where is ShapeBlue based?
ShapeBlue operates from London, United Kingdom, which places it under United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA).
What does ShapeBlue cost?
CloudStack support subscriptions, managed IaaS delivery and VMware-migration consulting, all quoted on request; no published price list.
Who is ShapeBlue best for?
Organisations building on Apache CloudStack rather than OpenStack. The CloudStack specialist for a category otherwise built around OpenStack and OpenNebula — an entirely different open-source IaaS lineage.
What are the drawbacks of ShapeBlue?
No published pricing for support or engineering. Not a self-contained product like the rest of this grid. CloudStack has a smaller ecosystem than OpenStack. Evaluating it means evaluating an integrator, not software.
Is ShapeBlue a good alternative to VMware vCloud Director?
ShapeBlue is built as a European alternative to VMware vCloud Director: London's largest Apache CloudStack integrator, employee-owned and focused on VMware exits. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does ShapeBlue compare to other Virtualization Software?
ShapeBlue is one of several European Virtualization Software we cover. It is most often compared with VMware vCloud Director, OpenStack, Nutanix.