NVIDIA and VMware to Deliver New Rich Graphics Capabilities for Desktop Virtualization

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - February 02, 2015) - Enterprises will be able to experience the full benefit of remote access to rich graphics applications using VMware Horizon 6 and vSphere® 6 with NVIDIA GRID™ vGPU™, NVIDIA and VMware announced today.

More than 300 customers have already experienced the increased productivity of virtualized remote graphics under an early access program conducted over the past five months by the companies. This gave access to GRID vGPU technology, which allows data center GPUs to be shared across multiple users -- enabling greater density and scalability.

Customer feedback showed that NVIDIA GRID vGPU with VMware Horizon 6, built on vSphere, enhances desktop virtualization with immersive graphics, greater security for mission-critical data, scalable performance and cost-effectiveness.

Among the benefits of enterprise graphics virtualization with VMware Horizon 6 and vSphere:

• Ability for designers, architects and engineers to run the most advanced, graphics-rich applications in a virtualized environment -- using NVIDIA professional graphics and certified application drivers.
• Flexibility for IT departments to support as many as 96 users on a single industry-standard server.
• Cost-effective virtualized graphics for workers who don't require maximum GPU performance but whose applications benefit from GPU acceleration.
• Support for end users to run immersive, graphics-rich Windows 2D, 3D and media-rich graphics applications on essentially any device through the use of VMware Horizon 6. This brings workstation-class performance to remote and mobile workers, even over the high-latency networks.

As a follow on to the early access initiative, NVIDIA and VMware will be launching their Direct Access Program. Enterprises will be able to quickly adopt VMware Horizon 6 and vSphere 6 with GRID vGPU technology, aided by advisory and technical support from the two companies.

"Bringing great computing experiences to users is at the heart of what we do," said Jeff Brown, vice president and general manager of Professional Visualization and Design at NVIDIA. "GRID vGPU unlocks the promise of virtualized desktops by bringing the best graphics performance to the industry's leading virtualization platform. This supports new and emerging use cases for desktop virtualization."

"The mobile cloud is transforming traditional enterprise desktops and applications, and our collaboration with NVIDIA extends the transformation to high-end workstations and applications so organizations can benefit from the mobile cloud era," said Erik Frieberg, vice president of marketing for End-User Computing at VMware. "Specialized industries such as design agencies, automotive companies and architecture firms will be able to embrace business mobility to help retain talent, control costs and compete in the 21^stcentury."

Wide Benefit for Enterprises
These new graphics virtualization capabilities are expected to have widespread impact.

VMware is the leader in virtualization, with more than 500,000 customers worldwide. NVIDIA is the world leader in visual computing, with more than 12 million professional users and 300 professional applications certified and accelerated by NVIDIA GPUs. NVIDIA GRID-based servers are sold and supported by more than 20 leading enterprise solution providers, including Cisco, Dell, HP and Lenovo.

"The use of rich 3D graphics on virtual desktops was a barrier to some organizations as the user experience was less than satisfactory. NVIDIA's GRID vGPU removes this barrier and effectively enables IT managers to virtualize a whole new class of users," said Roy Illsley, principal analyst at Ovum. "Ovum considers that NVIDIA GRID vGPU with VMware Horizon and vSphere will allow the market to expand for virtualization and accelerate enterprise adoption of desktop virtualization in 2015."

VMware and NVIDIA's early access program, launched at VMworld in August 2014, included a range of enterprise and public-sector customers, as well as educational institutions. Among them are University of Southern California and Villanova University; leading manufacturers, such as Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Nifco and Siemens Wind Power; global architecture firms, such as AECOM, CH2MHILL, Populous and STV, Inc.; and defense and aerospace systems provider Raytheon.

Positive Customer Reaction
"Our testing shows VMware Horizon with NVIDIA GRID provides high-end, desktop-grade graphics to support CAD applications on VDI. This has been one of the last hurdles to offering a complete VDI ecosystem. Beyond the traditional arguments for VDI solutions, such as total cost of ownership, security and management, we'll also gain benefits specific to our work."
- Wesley Struble, CAD system administrator, North American Information Technology Services, DENSO International America, Inc.

"We expect in the near future that the healthcare industry will see 40-60 percent of clinical users running applications that require GRID vGPU. The ability of the NVIDIA and VMware solution will allow sharing one NVIDIA GRID card dynamically across any application mix requesting vGPUs on all VMware Horizon 6 sessions running on the server will mean reduced total cost of ownership and new cost savings."
- Aivars Apsite, technology strategist, Metro Health

"NVIDIA GRID vGPU technology within VMware Horizon 6 on vSphere will be a real game changer for us. It offers the flexibility and productivity we need for our workforce. And it enables our designers to work on projects and collaborate with remote teams from any location. The new flexibility will be a huge gain. Without it, VDI would not have been an option for our company."
- Shaula Zanchi, operations partner, Robin Partington Partners

"Our experience with NVIDIA GRID vGPU and VMware Horizon on vSphere has been incredibly positive. We look forward to sharing a single GPU across multiple users without any sacrifice in compatibility or user experience. Plus, we'll be able to better allocate computer resources to drive higher user density on each vSphere host."
- Michael S. Goay, executive director of Information Technology, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California

Enterprise Customer Direct Access Program
The new NVIDIA GRID vGPU on VMware Horizon 6 and vSphere 6 Direct Access program will provide select VMware Horizon and VMware vSphere customers who meet certain qualifications with priority access to NVIDIA's enterprise graphics virtualization experts and VMware's solution architects. Participants in the program will benefit from an experience designed to accelerate their desktop transformation initiative, and then move from VDI pilots into scalable production deployments.

In addition, participants in the direct access program will receive other benefits, such as invitations to exclusive community forums and training, and the ability to evaluate new technologies while providing direct input to influence future enterprise virtualization products.

NVIDIA, VMware and their customers will provide in-depth case studies, technical training and product demonstrations of NVIDIA GRID vGPU on VMware Horizon 6 and VMware vSphere 6 and other NVIDIA enterprise graphics virtualization solutions at the Graphics Virtualization Track during the annual GPU Technology Conference on March 17-20 in San Jose, Calif.

General availability of the solutions is expected later this quarter.

To Keep Current on NVIDIA GRID and VMware Horizon:

• Follow NVIDIA GRID on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, the NVIDIA Blog and NVIDIA GRID Forums.
• Follow VMware End-User Computing on Twitter and Facebook.

About VMware
VMware (NYSE: VMW) is a leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility. Built on VMware's industry-leading virtualization technology, our solutions deliver a brave new model of IT that is fluid, instant and more secure. Customers can innovate faster by rapidly developing, automatically delivering and more safely consuming any application. With 2014 revenues of $6 billion, VMware has more than 500,000 customers and 75,000 partners. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com.

About NVIDIA
Since 1993, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has pioneered the art and science of visual computing. The company's technologies are transforming a world of displays into a world of interactive discovery - for everyone from gamers to scientists, and consumers to enterprise customers. More information at http://nvidianews.nvidia.com and http://blogs.nvidia.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, expected availability of NVIDIA GRID vGPU solutions on VMware Horizon 6 and VMware vSphere 6 and the expected benefits to customers. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in consumer, government and information technology spending; (iii) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures, industry consolidation, entry of new competitors into the virtualization software and cloud, end user and mobile computing industries, and new product and marketing initiatives by VMware's competitors; (iv) VMware's customers' ability to transition to new products and computing strategies such as cloud computing, desktop virtualization and the software defined data center; (v) the uncertainty of customer acceptance of emerging technology; (vi) rapid technological changes in the virtualization software and cloud, end user and mobile computing industries; (vii) changes to product and service development timelines; (viii) VMware's relationship with EMC Corporation and EMC's ability to control matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of VMware's board members; (ix) VMware's ability to protect its proprietary technology; (x) VMware's ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; and (xi) the successful integration of acquired companies and assets into VMware. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in condition, significance, value and effect as well as other risks detailed in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including VMware's most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that we may file from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. VMware assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the impact, benefits and availability of NVIDIA GRID vGPU and the vSphere 6 Direct Access program; and NVIDIA as the world leader in visual computing are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners' products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended October 26, 2014. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company's website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

© 2015 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, NVIDIA GRID and vGPU are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.