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VMware Updates its Desktop Virtualization Strategy Amid the Carnage on Wall Street

In the midst of its Wall Street meltdown VMware went gold with its new Virtual Desktop Manager 2
By Maureen O'Gara
Article Rating:
February 1, 2008 02:45 PM EST
Reads:
 6,922

In the midst of its Wall Street meltdown VMware went gold with its new Virtual Desktop Manager 2, the connection broker widgetry based on its acquisition of UK-based Propero. The thing’s been in beta for the last few months.

Desktops didn’t feature in the confusing and unsettling conservative guidance that VMware gave Monday that contributed to its stock’s death spiral although it claims “customers are deploying VMware desktop virtualization solutions in greater and greater numbers” – and it’s got Dell, HP, IBM, NEC and Wyse behind it.

Go figure.

Anyway, VMware’s new management server is available in time to ward off the Xen Desktop that Citrix is showing off at Demo08.

VMware’s gear connects users to virtual desktops in the data center via their PCs or thin clients. And, given its interface, administrators are supposed to be able to manage thousands of desktops at once.

Needless to say it’s supposed to cut the time it takes to provision a new desktop from hours to minutes.

VMware’s VDI integrates the company’s all-important Infrastructure 3 with Virtual Desktop Manager 2 to create an end-to-end desktop virtualization solution.

Because it leverages off VMware Infrastructure 3, the company claims no other desktop virtualization solution offers a comparable enterprise-class solution.

VMware VDI lists fort $150 per concurrent user and is packaged into two bundles: the $1,500 VMware VDI Starter Edition good for 10 virtual desktops and the $15,000 VMware VDI Bundle 100 Pack good for a hundred.

Both bundles include VMware Infrastructure Enterprise Edition for VDI (which consists of VMware ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5) and the VMware Virtual Desktop Manager 2.

Additional licenses are available in increments of 10 for $150 per concurrent user.

VMware said a la carte pricing for Virtual Desktop Manager 2 is available to current VDI users for $50 per concurrent user, and it can be bundled with VMware Infrastructure.

Microsoft dropped its pricing last week and now a virtual desktop license for XP or Vista is supposed to cost $23 a seat.

VMware’s got a 60-day of VDI evaluation at www.vmware.com/download/vdi/eval.html.

Published February 1, 2008 – Reads 6,922
Copyright © 2008 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
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More Stories By Maureen O'Gara

Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara

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VMware News Desk 01/30/08 02:23:53 PM EST

In the midst of its Wall Street meltdown VMware went gold with its new Virtual Desktop Manager 2, the connection broker widgetry based on its acquisition of UK-based Propero