GreenLake allows users to pay only for the IT resources they use. Discover how it works for HCI, composable infrastructure and other uses, including its benefits and challenges.
IT teams have had two primary options for implementing workloads over the past few years: maintain infrastructure on-premises -- incurring the costs and overhead that come with it -- or move workloads to the cloud and lose control over operations and data protection.
More recently, a third option has emerged: The consumption-based model, which enables users to deploy infrastructure on-premises while still getting cloud-like benefits through a pay-for-what-you-use subscription model. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has been at the forefront of this consumption-IT effort with its GreenLake program.
What is HPE GreenLake?
GreenLake is an as-a-service offering that brings cloud-like flexibility to data centers and other locations, such as satellite and remote offices. When you sign up for a GreenLake product, HPE delivers a complete, preconfigured system that includes all the hardware and software needed to be up and running almost immediately.
HPE manages the system throughout its entire lifecycle. In exchange, customers pay a monthly subscription fee based on a consumption-based pricing model similar to many cloud services. The composable infrastructure approach uses a "resources as a service" model that abstracts physical resources and enables management using a web or software interface.
With GreenLake, HPE offers a range of infrastructure packages to support different types of workloads. For example, the virtualization package provides options for implementing a GreenLake solution that runs virtualized applications, and the composable package offers options for implementing a software-driven composable infrastructure. HPE also offers packages for several other workloads, including storage, backup, database management, big data, private cloud and high-performance computing.
How HPE GreenLake works
At the heart of these packages is the HPE hardware that supports each GreenLake implementation. For example, a virtualization offering might use HPE SimpliVity, and a GreenLake composable infrastructure might use HPE Synergy for improved storage performance. GreenLake products also use HPE hardware such as Nimble storage SAN solutions and ProLiant DL servers, as well as third-party software and services such as Docker, Hadoop, SAP HANA, Nutanix AHV, VMware Cloud Foundation, Microsoft Azure and AWS.
Technical services support
In addition to the hardware and software, GreenLake solutions include professional and operational services from HPE Services (formerly HPE PointNext), a team of experts who help implement, manage and support each GreenLake offering. HPE Services provides an end-to-end portfolio of services that includes monitoring, administering and optimizing each system. These services are a critical differentiator between GreenLake and a basic leasing program, which rents out hardware equipment without offering support and optimization capabilities.
In 2020, HPE launched GreenLake Central, an integrated management control plane that offers customers a unified view across IT ops, including private and public clouds, as well as edge environments. GreenLake Central provides a self-service portal for monitoring usage, cost, security, compliance, performance and other metrics. The portal also enables developers and business units to find and use the services they need when they need them.
Organizations benefit by receiving state-of-the-art data center products and exceptional technical support. They also avoid the deployment and maintenance headaches of traditional on-premises deployments. But what about capacity and planning? And where does the pay-for-what-you-use subscription come into play?
GreenLake's consumption-based model enables enterprises to access state-of-the-art data center products without the costs and complexities associated with a traditional approach to deploying infrastructure.
GreenLake and the consumption-based model
Another GreenLake feature that sets it apart from a leasing program is its consumption-based pricing model, which aligns it more closely with a cloud services model. HPE installs the hardware in a customer's environment but offers it as a service rather than an outright sales purchase. Not only does this eliminate the initial Capex outlay typical of a traditional sales transaction, but it also reduces IT overhead. Customers pay the monthly subscription fee and provide a place to house the components, shifting on-premises IT to an operational expenses (OpEx) model.
GreenLake bases the fees on actual metered usage rather than fixed amounts. In this way, users pay only for what they use, not for what they might use. HPE continuously monitors the installation using a wide choice of metrics.
For example, HP meters the following resources:
Per container.
Per virtual machine.
Per Gigabyte (GB) for storage.
Per Gibibyte (GiB) for memory.
Customers must still make a minimal commitment, but beyond that, they pay only for what they use.
HPE negotiates with each organization, examining potential workloads and customizing a payment plan tailored to particular use cases. As such, public pricing information is not available. This "one size does not fit all" approach is beneficial, as companies receive direct attention from HPE.
Metered usage also provides an effective form of capacity management for organizations, as IT always knows how much capacity is being used and who is using it. If more capacity is needed, users can implement it immediately because the GreenLake product comes with additional capacity to accommodate potential growth. However, HPE doesn't charge customers for the extra capacity until they actually use it. The combination of metered usage and flexible capacity helps maximize agility while avoiding the costs associated with overprovisioning.
HPE SimpliVity
GreenLake's consumption-based model enables enterprises to access state-of-the-art data center products without the costs and complexities associated with a traditional approach to deploying infrastructure. At the same time, IT maintains control over the systems and environment, while benefiting from HPE's ongoing monitoring, maintenance and support. Scaling systems is also easier and faster, leading to greater agility. These features simplify IT ops and free up IT personnel to focus on other endeavors.
When taken together, these benefits can potentially reduce the costs associated with deploying and maintaining IT infrastructure. There are no capital expenditures; IT has fewer operations to manage, customers only pay for the services they use and systems are easier to scale without overprovisioning. As good as all this sounds, however, users should not assume that a consumption-based program will result in a lower TCO. Even under the best circumstances, those subscription fees add up and paying them over the long term can become quite pricey.
With GreenLake, unlike traditional infrastructure, users don't own the equipment; HPE owns the hardware. Organizations can't sell the servers or use them for trade-in. In addition, they're still reliant on HPE to deliver the services it promises. Not only does this mean adhering to its schedule, but it also means they can access your systems, which may not be optimal in a highly secure environment. This is especially true in light of today's data sovereignty and compliance concerns. Carefully investigate any compliance requirements that might conflict with the HPE GreenLake deployment.
That's not to say organizations should avoid the consumption-based model. It does mean they need to carefully analyze a program like GreenLake to get a true TCO and ensure it will accommodate their performance, compliance and business requirements over the long term. Be aware of the challenges associated with pay-as-you-go models.
HPE GreenLake use cases
The HPE GreenLake offerings are broad, designed to provide comprehensive services for standard enterprise requirements. Some organizations may opt to convert business workloads to the subscription model, while others may select only specific aspects, such as virtualization or data storage.
Common uses for HPE GreenLake include the following:
Edge, remote and branch consolidation. Centralized management of edge locations with an efficient subscription model. Consider HPE GreenLake for Compute Ops Management.
Hybrid clouds with regulated workloads. Workloads that must remain on-premises for compliance reasons but need cloud-like elasticity. Consider HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Enterprise or Business Editions.
Modernized private cloud platform. VM platforms for on-premises IaaS with state-of-the-art deployment and management. Consider HPE GreenLake for Private Cloud Enterprise or Business Editions.
Modernized storage management. Replacing network-attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN) systems with GreenLake storage services to enhance scalability without overspending. Consider HPE GreenLake for Block Storage or File Storage.
HPE's consulting services can help your team determine the right deployment approach and related services. You'll also learn more about pricing, potential benefits and challenges, as well as additional services.
HPE GreenLake cloud service offerings
HPE offers a complete set of cloud-based solutions tightly integrated with GreenLake services. These offerings emphasize hybrid cloud deployment and management solutions with service observability using a centralized, AI-enhanced management console.
Offerings are categorized into various technologies, including:
AI/ML: HPE Private Cloud AI.
CloudOps: HPE Morpheus VM Essentials and Enterprise editions, OnRamp.
Core compute: HPE Compute Ops Management or OneView Edition.
Data storage: HPE Alletra, GreenLake for File Storage.
Modernization of the data center
The cloud has clearly demonstrated that organizations of all sizes favor a service-based delivery model, even if only for workloads such as backup and archiving. The model has proven so popular that more data centers than ever host their own private and hybrid clouds, as well as IT offerings such as composable infrastructure, which delivers resources as services. It was only a matter of time before the as-a-service trend took hold of hardware vendors.
Gartner named HPE as a Leader in the 2025 Infrastructure Platform Consumption Services field. The platform serves over 44,000 customers and represents approximately $2 billion in revenue. However, other organizations have launched consumption-based programs that offer a range of payment options and services to accommodate diverse requirements. Examples include:
Cisco Plus/Cisco Open Pay: Network, compute and hybrid cloud infrastructure offering.
Dell APEX: Compute, storage, data protection and high-performance computing portfolio.
As demand for service-based IT products continues to increase, so will consumption-based options, which could revolutionize the data center. Although as-a-service infrastructure still represents only a small portion of the overall market, the benefits of a consumption-based model are too great to ignore. This is especially so when applied to consolidated platforms such as HPE's SimpliVity hyper-converged infrastructure or Synergy composable infrastructure, both of which are offered through the GreenLake program as fully managed solutions.
HPE Synergy 1200 composable infrastructure
IT teams are turning to hyper-converged and composable infrastructures to meet the demands of their modern and complex workloads for the same reason they often turn to the cloud. For many, the ability to acquire these types of IT infrastructure products through consumption-based programs might be just the incentive they need to modernize their data centers -- without the capital outlays they've had to face in the past.
Smaller businesses can also benefit from the consumption-based model, as they often lack the resources to handle everything in-house. The addition of HPE Services enhances the program's appeal by enabling organizations to maximize their investment and use the HPE team's expertise. Regardless of an organization's size, IaaS can help move just about any organization forward.
