VMWare is repositioning its technology to distance it from
Microsoft's Hyper-V product and plans to extend virtualisation
technology from the server to datacentre.
Although Hyper-V is not as sophisticated as VMWare's flagship
ESX Server, some believe Microsoft will convince users to try the
low-cost alternative.
In another shot across the bows of Microsoft, VMWare's
Virtual Datacenter Operating System product and strategy aims
to free IT departments from datacentre operating systems such as
Windows Server 2008, Linux and Unix.
VMWare's newly appointed chief executive officer Paul Maritz
said he took the competition seriously and was realistic about what
it would take to maintain the loyalty of IT directors.
"We know we can't afford to stand still," he said. "In any
software business you have to be constantly refining your value
proposition."
Maritz, who took over the role in July 2008 from company
co-founder Diane Greene, was a major force at Microsoft. In his 14
years there, Maritz was promoted to the number three position,
behind Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. He was largely responsible for
the success of the company's Windows Server strategy, which, during
the 1990s, saw Windows establish itself as a viable alternative to
Novell NetWare and Unix.
With his old employer now selling Hyper-V virtualisation, Maritz
has his work cut out.
As he did with Microsoft in the early 1990s, Maritz is hoping to
build strong links with third-party companies to develop a VMWare
partner network.
Maritz said VMWare planned to increase and strengthen
partnerships, and was forging partnerships with suppliers such as
Cisco in networking and Symantec in security.
The
Cisco Nexus 1000V distributed virtual software switch is
expected to be an integrated option in VMWare and Symantec's
Backup Exec tool will now support virtualisation.
"We are looking for as many friends as we can," said Maritz.
William Fellows, principal analyst at The 451 Group, believes
that under Maritz's leadership VMWare has every chance to grow in
strength.
"[EMC chief] Joe Tucci would not have appointed Martiz if he
didn't think he could do the job," Fellows said. "Maritz is very
much an engineer and he has experience of building partner
relationships and killing off the competition."
A year ago, in her keynote speech at VMWorld, Greene told
delegates that VMWare was not an operating system.
What a difference a year can make.
Here at VMWorld in Las Vegas, Maritz is betting the company's
future on the virtual datacenter operating system.
Can he do it? "I wouldn't bet against Maritz," said Fellows.
Hyper-V versus VMWare >>