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VMware Unveils New vStorage Technologies to Deliver Leading Efficiency and Manageability for the Virtual Datacenter Operating System

VMware Unveils New vStorage Technologies to Deliver Leading Efficiency and Manageability for the Virtual Datacenter Operating System

VMware Innovation and Expanded Collaboration with Storage Partners Deliver Essential Storage Solutions to the Virtual Datacenter Operating System

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, September 15, 2008— Today at VMworld 2008, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, announced vStorage, a set of new technologies and interfaces to provide VMware customers the best total cost of ownership and manageability for the storage infrastructure in their virtual environment.  vStorage combines new VMware technologies that maximize efficient use of storage by virtual machines with new vStorage APIs and the VMware Ready program to enable storage partners to integrate and optimize their products with the Virtual Datacenter OS (VDC-OS) from VMware that delivers the elastic, self-healing and self-managing datacenter. (See press release, “VMware Announces Next Generation of Virtualization—the Virtual Datacenter Operating System.”)  These interfaces and programs will be available to all storage partners, enabling customers to further simplify, optimize, and automate their computing infrastructure with a broad set of storage platforms. 

“Storage is a critical building block in delivering the flexibility, speed, resiliency, and efficiency of the Virtual Datacenter OS,” said Raghu Raghuram, vice president of products and solutions, VMware.  “vStorage in combination with products from our storage partners automates handoffs between the VMware platform and the storage infrastructure, simplifies storage operations, and maximizes efficient use of customers’ storage infrastructure.” 

“Datacenter virtualization has been broadly adopted by Gartner clients to improve TCO and manageability of their IT infrastructure,” said Dave Russell, vice president, storage technologies and strategies at Gartner.   “To take full advantage of virtualization, customers require virtualization solutions that maximize the efficient use of their storage infrastructure while enabling seamless, intelligent integration between their storage and server virtualization infrastructure.” 

New Capabilities Deliver Deeper Integration with Storage Partner Functionality
vStorage enables intelligent integration of storage products within the Virtual Datacenter OS through the new vStorage APIs. 

  • vStorage APIs deliver tight integration of advanced capabilities from storage partners with the Virtual Datacenter OS from VMware.  vStorage APIs for array integration will enable customers to leverage array-based capabilities, such as snapshots, provisioning, replication and restore, directly with individual virtual machines in conjunction with the clustering and pooling capabilities of VMware Infrastructure.  vStorage APIs for multi-pathing will provide customers the ability to integrate advanced load balancing capabilities provided by leading partners’ multi-pathing software with their virtual environment.
  • Storage virtual appliances deliver key storage functions from storage partners in the form of VMware Ready virtual appliances.  Small environments that could not previously utilize such storage functions, including small office and SMB, can use storage virtual appliances to obtain the benefits of technologies such as shared storage, data protection, data deduplication and others.

New Capabilities to Optimize Storage Efficiency
vStorage maximizes the efficient use of customers’ storage infrastructure with the following new capabilities:

  • vStorage Thin Provisioning improves the efficiency of storage allocation for virtual machines by consuming physical storage only as needed, significantly reducing the cost of customer deployments. 
  • vStorage Linked Clone technology optimizes storage utilization by eliminating the duplicate storage of virtual machine data transparently to the virtual machine.

Capabilities to Automate and Streamline Key Storage Management Processes
vStorage will also enable VMware and its storage partners to automate manual handoffs and processes between the virtual environment and the storage infrastructure, delivering a seamless solution for the IT administrator. 

  • vStorage APIs for Site Recovery Manager provide customers with tight integration between VMware Site Recovery Manager and array-based replication, enabling customers to define a custom recovery process and automate the restart of their virtual machines after disasters without having to worry about correctly coordinating the virtual environment failover with storage replication failover. 
  • vStorage APIs for Consolidated Backup enable customers to automate and streamline non-disruptive virtual machine backups using standard backup software products. 
  • vStorage APIs for storage management expand upon these efforts with interfaces that enable integrated management of storage hardware platforms and the virtual environment through management tools from VMware and storage partners, eliminating the complex coordination and manual processes previously required to manage storage within a virtualized environment.

vStorage technologies enable VMware and its partners to bring the benefits of the VDC-OS to deployments of all sizes.  They make it practical for even the smallest deployments to take advantage of virtualization and of storage partner technologies by reducing cost and complexity.  They also provide larger deployments the ability to fully leverage their storage investments and storage expertise to build a simpler, optimized, and automated infrastructure through the seamless integration of their storage infrastructure with the VMware platform.  The VMware Ready program, which currently provides certification of storage vendor hardware for VMware Infrastructure, will ensure that customers can confidently deploy storage hardware and storage virtual appliances that have been tested and validated for the VMware platform.

To read about vendor support of the new VMware vStorage Technologies, please visit: http://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vstorage_vmworld_partner.html

VMware and partners will be demonstrating and discussing new vStorage capabilities at VMworld 2008.  For additional information, please visit our website at www.vmware.com.

About VMworld 2008
VMworld 2008, now in its fifth year, with more than 14,000 attendees and 206 sponsors and exhibitors, is the must-attend event for IT professionals looking for actionable ideas, innovative products and best practices for virtualizing the enterprise – from the desktop to the datacenter.  Under the theme, "Virtually Anything is Possible," VMworld celebrates what is happening today and what the future of virtualization holds.  Keynotes are being given by Platinum Sponsors Cisco, Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Intel, NEC, NetApp, Symantec and VMware.  VMworld features more than 285 breakout sessions and hands-on labs, led by VMware and industry professionals, and is being held September 15-18 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. 

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 2007 revenues of $1.3 billion, more than 120,000 customers and nearly 18,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest growing public software companies. Based in Palo Alto, California, VMware is majority-owned by EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) and on the web at www.vmware.com. 

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VMware and VMware Ready are trademarks and/or registered trademarks 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.

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 new product and technology initiatives, introduction of new virtualization products, market adoption and deployment of VMware products and architecture, levels of demand for VMware products including market size and leadership, ongoing development and delivery of innovative new products and applications and capabilities of VMware products and technologies. 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 or information technology spending; (iii) 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; (iv) our customers’ ability to develop, and to transition to, new products, (v) the uncertainty of customer acceptance of emerging technology; (vi) rapid technological and market changes in virtualization software; (vii) uncertainties in product development timelines; (viii) our ability to resolve technical challenges; (ix) VMware’s relationship with EMC Corporation, and EMC’s ability to control matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of VMware’s board members; (x) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (xi) our ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; and (xii) the impact of fluctuating currency exchange rates. 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 the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. VMware disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

The information on this press release is intended to outline our general product direction and should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision.  The information on this press release is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion.