VMware Signs OEM Agreement with Microsoft
VMware to offer Microsoft Windows® operating systems Preinstalled in a Virtual Machine
Palo Alto, Calif., March 28, 2000 — VMware, Inc., the company that is changing the one OS, one machine PC computing model, today announced an OEM agreement with Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT) to distribute Microsoft Windows® 98, Windows NT®, and Windows® 2000 with VMware software. Later this year, VMware will add VMware Ready to Run to its list of product offerings.
VMware's virtual machine technology and platform offer powerful solutions to a host of computing challenges including security, compatibility, reliability, and resource management. VMware's desktop software is the first implementation of this technology, allowing a single computer to run multiple applications and the respective operating systems concurrently without the need to reboot or partition the hard drive.
VMware 2.0 features a graphical user interface that allows users to flip between applications or operating systems running in virtual machines with a single keystroke. The software runs as an application on top of an existing OS, and supports full virtual machine networking, sound, multimedia, and suspend/resume functionality.
Under the OEM agreement with Microsoft, VMware customers will have the option to buy VMware Ready to Run with their choice of Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 preinstalled in a VMware virtual machine.
"VMware Ready to Run will allow customers to run Microsoft Windows as an additional operating system without any of the pain of an install," notes Dave Michaud, VMware Vice President of Marketing. "For Linux users who want access to Windows, this will mean a simpler out-of-box experience—they can simply copy the VMware Ready to Run file to their hard drive, and be up and running in Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 in a matter of minutes."
VMware Ready to Run is also an excellent way to try Windows 2000. A user can keep their current world completely intact and also, with simply a file copy, have Windows 2000.
About VMware
VMware is the originator of virtual machine applications for PCs running different flavors of Linux, Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems. The company's roster of customers includes developers, corporate IT professionals, power users, government agencies, colleges and universities and computer enthusiasts worldwide. The software was awarded the "Innovation Award 1999" by Australian Personal Computer Magazine. VMware is a privately held company based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, please visit the web site at http://www.vmware.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software—any time, any place and on any device.
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VMware is the trademark of VMware, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and names mentioned herein are the property of their respective holders.