VMware Virtual Infrastructure Products Recognized for Excellence from Windows IT Pro Readers

VMware VirtualCenter Named Best New Product; VMware Workstation Named Best Windows Development Tool and Best Testing/Debugging Software for Second Consecutive Year

PALO ALTO, Calif., September 15, 2004 — VMware, Inc., the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for industry-standard systems, today announced that VMware VirtualCenter was selected a winner in the Best New Product category of the Windows IT Pro Readers' Choice Awards. In addition, VMware Workstation was selected a winner in the Best Windows Development Tool and Best Testing/Debugging Software categories, marking the second consecutive year VMware Workstation won both awards.

"Recognition from peers in the industry is an honor and is the ultimate 'seal of approval' for the products that won," said Kim Paulsen, group publisher at Windows IT Pro. "The third-annual Windows IT Pro Readers' Choice Awards were started as a way for readers to choose and recommend the best technology products in the industry. The awards program gives readers the opportunity to voice their opinions and for leading technology companies to receive the recognition they deserve."

Readers were asked to vote on their product preferences in 16 broad technology categories. More than 2000 readers chose the best among more than 700 products and services.

"Few people know more about the best values in Windows technology products and services than Windows IT Pro readers —the people who actually do the buying on behalf of their organizations. By voting for the most outstanding products, IT professionals have rewarded excellence in the Windows technology market," said Karen Forster, editorial director at Windows IT Pro.

"We're honored that VMware VirtualCenter and VMware Workstation have been recognized as best-in-class by the readers of Windows IT Pro Magazine," said Michael Mullany, vice president of marketing at VMware. "These awards underscore the value of our virtual infrastructure products and validate the choice made by thousands of customers who have already adopted VMware virtual infrastructure as a core IT strategy. As we look ahead, we remain committed to continuing to bring useful and innovative technology to market."

Since its introduction in 1999, VMware Workstation has revolutionized software development by dramatically simplifying and accelerating the way software is developed and deployed. Users run multiple operating systems, including Windows and Linux, simultaneously and independently on a single PC in fully networked, portable virtual machines. Today VMware Workstation is used by more than 2.2 million people worldwide for software development, testing, deployment, application compatibility, operating system migration, training, sales demos, help desk support and technical support.

VMware VirtualCenter, introduced last year, is virtual infrastructure management software that provides a central point of control for virtual computing resources. Using breakthrough VMotion technology in VirtualCenter, enterprises are able to respond to changing business demands in real-time and move virtual machines from one physical server to another with continuous service availability. The VMware Virtual Infrastructure SDK provides standards-based interfaces that enable ISVs, partners and customers to control VMware virtual infrastructure and to integrate into existing management frameworks.

Virtual Infrastructure

Virtual infrastructure provides a layer of abstraction between the computing, storage and networking hardware and the software that runs on it. By implementing a virtual infrastructure, IT organizations can provision new services and change the amount of resources dedicated to a software service simply by interacting with a management console as opposed to physically reconfiguring or repurposing hardware. The hardware management is now completely separated from the software management, and hardware equipment can be treated as a single pool of processing, storage and networking power to be allocated and reallocated on the fly across the enterprise.

By creating a uniform virtual hardware platform across the entire data center, virtual infrastructure allows software to be installed on or moved from any physical system to another without requiring reconfiguration of the software — operating system or applications. Virtual infrastructure makes existing resources more efficient and flexible, driving cost out of IT.

About Windows IT Pro

First published in 1995, Windows IT Pro is an editorial leader in its field. Since its inception it has grown into an information network that includes the magazine, three print newsletters, 14 direct-request email newsletters, Web sites and in-person events such as Web seminars, road shows, trade shows and conferences. The magazine has a paid subscription base of 100,000; more than two million IT professionals are reached through the Windows IT Pro Web site every month. The magazine is published in 13 languages and has an international reach into 160 countries.

About VMware, Inc.

VMware, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC), is the global leader in virtual infrastructure software for industry-standard systems. The world's largest companies use VMware solutions to simplify their IT, fully leverage their existing computing investments and respond faster to changing business demands. VMware is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.vmware.com or call 650-475-5000.

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