VMware Explore Is on the Horizon
VMware Explore Is on the Horizon

Set your sights higher. 4 days. Hundreds of sessions. Endless ideas.

Save the Date
News Releases•3 min read

VMware Workstation 7.1, Packed with Richer Graphics, Increased Power and Tighter Windows 7 Integration, Now Available Worldwide

VMware Workstation 7.1, Packed with Richer Graphics, Increased Power and Tighter Windows 7 Integration, Now Available Worldwide

New Version Includes Over 10 New Features and Dozens of Additional Improvements to Help Technical Professionals Adopt Windows 7 with Ease

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 26, 2010 —VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop through the datacenter and to the cloud, today announced the availability of VMware Workstation 7.1, the industry’s first and leading personal desktop virtualization tool and winner of more than 50 awards.   With over 10 new features including twice the 3D graphics performance, support for more scalable virtual machines, and tighter Windows 7 integration, VMware Workstation 7.1 makes it faster and more convenient than ever for technical professionals to transform the way they develop, test, demo and deploy software.

According to the January 2010 Enterprise Strategy Group study (ESG), more than 75% of enterprises refreshing their desktops in the next 24 months are expected to migrate to Windows 7. ESG projects that of those looking to extend existing hardware, 62% will likely upgrade their existing operating systems to Windows 7.   As companies are looking to make this move to Windows 7, VMware Workstation 7.1 provides the industry-leading and trusted personal desktop virtualization solution that will help them migrate to Windows 7 quickly and cost-effectively.

“VMware Workstation provides the best way for technical professionals to quickly learn about Windows 7, check application compatibility, and test corporate images all on their PC,” said Pat Lee, Director Personal Desktop Products for VMware.  “VMware Workstation 7.1’s excellent Windows 7 performance and integration makes it easy for technical professionals to effortlessly learn, test and demo new platforms and technologies like Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010, and SharePoint 2010 –without disrupting their current PC environments.”

Key enhancements of VMware Workstation 7.1 include:

Richer Graphics Enable The Most Demanding Applications

  • Up to 2x the graphics performance for DirectX 9.0 and hardware acceleration for OpenGL 2.1 in Windows 7 and Windows Vista virtual machines, resulting in smoother video playback, improved gaming experience, and VMware Workstation 7.1 virtual machines are now supported and recommended by Autodesk for use with AutoCAD 2011.
Increased Power
  • Optimized performance for Intel’s Core i3, i5, i7 processor family for faster virtual machine encryption and decryption.
  • Support for even more powerful virtual machines with 8 virtual processors (or 8 virtual cores) and 2 TB virtual disks.
  • Ability to import and export Open Virtualization Format (OVF 1.0) packaged virtual machines and upload directly to VMware vSphere™, the industry’s best platform for building cloud infrastructures.
Tighter Integration
  • Launch virtualized applications directly from the Windows 7 taskbar to create a seamless experience between applications in your virtual machines and the desktop.
  • Built-in automatic updates that check, download, and install VMware Workstation updates.
Run Even More Operating Systems
  • VMware Workstation 7.1 supports running over 600 operating systems and adds support for the latest Linux operating systems including Ubuntu 8.04.4, Ubuntu 10.04, OpenSUSE 11.2, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5, Fedora  12, Debian 5.0.4, Mandriva 2009.1.

”As a software developer in today’s rapidly changing technology environment, I needed a desktop virtualization tool that would allow me to manage specific workflows and test environments with near native performance” says Wayne Hartell, Senior Software Engineer,  Bentley Systems, Inc. ” VMware Workstation exceeded my performance demands and gave me the features I needed to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time doing my job.”

Availability and Pricing

VMware Workstation 7.1 is now available for download from www.vmware.com/workstation for $189.00. Existing VMware Workstation 7 customers can download a free update.  Upgrades from VMware Workstation 5.x or 6.x are available for $99.00. VMware Workstation can also be purchased through VMware’s network of resellers and distributors.

About VMware

VMware delivers solutions for business infrastructure virtualization that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes.  With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere™ – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2009 revenues of $2.9 billion, more than 170,000 customers and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization which consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com.


# # #
 

VMware and VMware vSphere are 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.