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VMware Announces First Open Source Virtual Desktop Client, Enabling Partners to Optimize Devices for VMware View and Provide Low-Cost Desktop Solutions

VMware Announces First Open Source Virtual Desktop Client, Enabling Partners to Optimize Devices for VMware View and Provide Low-Cost Desktop Solutions

Corrected version posted February 4,2009"

PALO ALTO, Calif. – February 3, 2009– VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, today announced the first open source client for virtual desktop infrastructure, VMware View Open Client. VMware View enables IT organizations to safely host user desktops in the datacenter, while letting users access their personalized desktop environments from almost any device, at any time – all at a lower cost of ownership than traditional desktop environments. Now, VMware is providing VMware View Open Client for partners, enabling them to use VMware View source code to optimize their products to deliver rich, personalized virtual desktops to users. In addition, partners will be able to use the source code to help accelerate the development and delivery of solutions for enterprises to provision and manage thousands of virtual desktops simply, securely and at substantially lower operating costs.

This announcement is another important step in VMware’s vClient Initiative to deliver universal clients – desktops that follow users to any end point while providing a rich personalized experienced that is secure, cost-effective and easy for IT to manage.

“VMware feels strongly about industry collaboration to move the market forward to develop the best solutions,” said Jocelyn Goldfein, vice president and general manager of VMware’s Desktop Business Unit. “Now we are sharing our source code in VMware View Open Client so vendors can easily optimize devices to create the best virtual desktop solutions. As a result, IT is able to reduce the total cost of providing desktop environments by allowing low-end or less-expensive devices that provide the same feature set as higher-end devices. This also brings us closer to our Universal Client vision, where users can securely and efficiently access rich personalized desktop environments, from any device at any time.”

According to Gartner:

  • Gartner projects that approximately 50 million user licenses for hosted virtual desktops will be purchased by 2013. 1
  • The thin-client terminal will account for about 40% of user devices for hosted virtual desktop deployment. 2

VMware View Open Client is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1 (LGPL v 2.1) and is accessible from  http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/. Some of the features included in this release support secure tunneling using SSL, two factor authentication with RSA SecurID, Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Thin Client Add-On RPM package and a full command line interface. Support for the source code distribution is available through the VMware View Open Client community at: http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/.

“Chip PC and VMware have collaborated through the VMware Thin Client Certification Program to provide certified thin clients that integrate seamlessly into customer environments and deliver predictable results,” said Frank Bernard, director of U.S. operations, Chip PC. ”With VMware View Open Client, we can broaden the range of thin clients certified for VMware View, increase the security of existing thin clients through secure tunneling and reduce the cost of deploying virtual desktops.”

"Customers of all sizes and in all verticals have realized the benefits of deploying thin clients and virtualization," said Joe Makoid, president, Devon IT. "The new VMware View Open Client takes desktop virtualization to a new level, enabling more of Devon's customers to benefit from lower total cost of ownership, increased security and a wider range of our thin client devices to choose from."

“HP and VMware have a history of working together to help meet the needs of customers looking to deploy cost-effective desktop solutions,” said Jeff Groudan, vice president of marketing, desktop solutions organization, HP. “VMware View Open Client enables us to deliver thin client devices certified for VMware View faster and at an even lower cost while driving down the total cost of ownership of a virtual desktop deployment.”

"As thin client vendors increasingly adopt the SUSE Linux Enterprise platform for their devices, enabling VMware virtualization within the operating system is a natural step forward," said Carlos Montero-Luque, vice president of open platform solutions, Novell. "Our collaboration with VMware is geared toward allowing customers to seamlessly adopt desktop virtualization in their environments with the flexibility and cost savings that Linux provides."

“We are excited about VMware's decision to open source VMware View Open Client given Sun’s proven leadership in delivering open source software,” said Jim McHugh, vice president, Datacenter Marketing, Sun Microsystems. "We're looking forward to working with VMware and extending our existing support for VMware View."

"Today's announcement regarding the integration of VMware View Open Client with Wyse's thin computing solutions continues to move the virtual desktop market forward," said Ricardo Antuna, vice president of products and business development, Wyse Technology.  "Our customers will continue to benefit from increased security, lower total cost of ownership and a lower environmental footprint, and now with a tighter integration of Wyse virtual desktops with VMware View."

For more information on VMware View Open Client, visit http://code.google.com/p/vmware-view-open-client/.

About VMware

VMware (NYSE: VMW) is the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter.  Customers of all sizes rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2008 revenues of $1.9 billion  , more than 130,000 customers and more than 22,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest growing public software companies. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is majority-owned by EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC).  For more information, visit www.vmware.com.

VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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1Gartner, Dataquest Insight: Growth in Thin-Client Terminal Markets Points to a Fundamental Shift in Computing Architecture, By Mikako Kitagawa & Ranjit Atwal, October 18, 2008.
2Gartner, Dataquest Insight: Growth in Thin-Client Terminal Markets Points to a Fundamental Shift in Computing Architecture, By Mikako Kitagawa & Ranjit Atwal, October 18, 2008.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release which are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate, but are not limited, to  projections of customer adoption and deployment of virtualization technologies, including levels of demand for virtual desktop products. 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) current uncertainty in global economic conditions that pose a risk to the overall economy as consumers and businesses may defer purchases in response to tighter credit and negative financial news, which could negatively affect product demand; (ii) further adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (iii) delays or reductions in consumer or information technology spending; (iv) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures, industry consolidation, entry of new competitors into the virtualization market, and new product and marketing initiatives by our competitors; (v) our customers’ ability to develop, and to transition to, new products, (vi) the uncertainty of customer acceptance of emerging technology; (vii) rapid technological and market changes in virtualization software; ( viii) changes to product development timelines;( ix) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (x) our ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; and (xi) fluctuating currency exchange rates.