Microsoft aims at VMware's virtualization lead
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Microsoft Corp. , seeking to preserve the dominance of its Windows franchise, launched a new software application that takes aim at VMware Inc. , the leader in "virtualization" technology that allows a single computer server to operate like many machines.
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Go virtual, go nuts Microsoft, of all companies, continues to lead the way with free and loose licensing terms around server virtualization software and multi-core processors.â¦
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(InfoWorld) - The president of virtualization software leader VMwareÂ on Wednesday questioned the strategy of rivals that are integrating virtualization functionality into their operating systems. Diane Greene made the comments at the third and final day of the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in San Francisco. VMware, a subsidiary of storage vendor EMC, doubled revenue in EMC's latest quarterly report, compared to the year ago quarter, as enterprises embrace VMware's virtualization software to make more efficient use of the servers in their data centers. Rivals such as Red Hat and MicrosoftÂ have responded to VMware's dominance by integrating virtualization into coming new operating systems. Red Hat isÂ introducing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5Â next week and Microsoft's new Windows server OS is due later this year. But Greene, in discussing virtualization with analysts for the investment firm, said she wonders how effective the competition's virtualization features can be. "Traditionally, the operating system manages the hardware and manages the application. Once you virtualize with a hypervisor, that is now what is managing the hardware, not the OS," Greene said, in a presentation that was distributed via webcast. "Now the operating system is just managing the application. So certainly Windows and Red Hat are moving to integrate virtualization into their OS, but part of the value proposition seems to be lost when you do that." Spokespeople for Red Hat did not respond to a request for comment, but a spokesman for Microsoft said its OS easily supports virtualization. "Resource management has always been part of operating systems. Today, vendors such as Sun, Novell, and Red Hat incorporate virtualization into their operating systems," wrote Patrick O'Rourke, a senior product manager for Windows Server, in a prepared statement. "We are making investments across Microsoft to offer our customers a complete set of virtualization products from the desktop to the datacenter. All assets, both virtual and physical, [are] managed from a single platform." VMware is a strong contributor to the earnings of parent company EMC, which also sells storage hardware and security software. Greene also is executive vice president of EMC. Revenue for VMware increased to $232 million in the fourth quarter of 2006, 101 percent more than a year prior. The growth comes from increased demand for VMware Infrastructure 3, a virtualization software suite for servers and storage networks. VMware's growth prompted EMC to recently announce plans toÂ spin off 10 percent of VMwareÂ in an initial public offering of stock. EMC executives said they anticipate releasing the prospectus later this month for the IPO, expected about midyear. Greene noted the stock sale will benefit VMware employees as well as potential shareholders. "Our stock-based compensation will track our performance and that is the ideal model," she said. Also at the Morgan Stanley conference, Greene acknowledged that virtualizing servers, which helps them use more of their designed capacity, may suppress server sales growth. But she said many customers are upgrading servers as they introduce virtualization into their operations. Those new servers are more high-end products, with greater processing power, and should yield higher margins for server vendors. EMC reported fourth quarter 2006 financial results Jan. 23, posting net income of $389 million, or $0.17 a share, on revenue of $3.21 billion. It edged out analysts estimates of $0.16 a share.
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Dunes Technologies' virtual-machine automation tools will become part of VMware's management portfolio.
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After two years of fits and starts, Microsoft will finally deliver its Virtual Server 2005 product, which company officials contend will be an important contributor to its Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), the company's plan for managing distributed systems.
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Using its strengths in virtual machine technology, VMWare Inc. on Monday unwrapped new beta software for the desktop that allows administrators to more securely deploy and mange work environments outside the corporate network.
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VMware, the EMC subsidiary whose software lets a computer run multiple operating systems simultaneously in separate &quot;virtual machines,&quot; has grown a step more ambitious.
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Microsoft Corp. , seeking to  preserve the dominance of its Windows franchise, launched a new  software application that takes aim at VMware Inc. , the  leader in &quot;virtualization&quot; technology that allows a single  computer server to operate like many machines.
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SEPTEMBER 09, 2004 (NETWORK WORLD) - Microsoft Corp. next month will release Virtual Server 2005, its first foray into server virtualization and a key element of the broad management platform the company is creating for Windows.
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In an online white paper published last Friday, VMware takes Microsoft to task for allegedly rigging the market for virtualization software to protect Windows. The paper's language and allegations recall to mind the dark days of 1996, when Microsoft was first challenged in court over its use of artificial roadblocks prohibiting Windows 3.0 and 3.1 from running in its competitor's DR DOS operating system.
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Dunes Technologies' virtual machine automation tools will become part of VMware's management portfolio.
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Blog: A developer writes that virtualization represents a threat to Microsoft's control of the desktop and licensing restrictions are one way to try to maintain its grip.
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InfoWorld - Virtualization software leader VMware Inc. is testing a desktop virtualization program that can be stored on a USB drive and moved from one computer to another.
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Hoping to keep the heat on archrival Microsoft, VMware on Wednesday will give developers a glimpse of an early version of its Virtual SMP product that allows a single virtual machine to work with as many as four processors, which in turn can more effectively drive mission-critical applications.
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You want to put my hypervisor where? Cisco put some flesh onto its scrawny "Data Center 3.0" virtualization initiative at VMworld today, by announcing the union of its VFrame Data Center provisioning appliance with VMware's Virtual Infrastructure 3.â¦
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Blog: Virtualization services are expected to turn into a $11.7 billion market by 2011, more than double its current level, according to an IDC report. VMware and its competitors are helping to drive this demand.
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SEPTEMBER 20, 2004  - VMware Inc. released today a virtualization tool for PCs it says will cut hardware and maintenance costs for users such as independent contractors that support third parties on their networks.