Businessweek

VMware, Inc. provides virtualization infrastructure solutions utilized by organizations to help transform the way they build, deliver, and consume information technology (IT) resources. The company’s virtualization infrastructure solutions, which include a suite of products designed to deliver a software-defined data center, run on desktop computers and servers, and support a range of operating system and application environments, as well as networking and storage infrastructures. In 2012, the company acquired Nicira, Inc., a pioneer in network virtualization, which expands its network virtualization capabilities into heterogeneous environments. The company launched the Pivotal Initiative with EMC Corporation, and intends to commit technology, people, and programs from both companies focused on Big Data and Cloud Application Platforms. It works with approximately 1,900 technology partners, including server, microprocessor, storage, networking, software, and security vendors. Products and Technology The company’s solutions are based upon its core virtualization technology and are organized into two primary product groups, Cloud Infrastructure and Management, and End-User Computing. Cloud Infrastructure and Management Products and Technology VMware vSphere is the company’s primary data center platform. Users deploy the VMware vSphere hypervisor when they purchase VMware vSphere. A ‘hypervisor’ is a layer of software that resides between the operating system and system hardware to enable compute virtualization. Other components of the company’s VMware vSphere platform include primary capabilities, such as vSphere vMotion and Storage vMotion; vSphere High Availability; vSphere Storage DRS; and vSphere Distributed Switch. The vCloud Suite, introduced in 2012, is an integrated solution for building and managing a cloud infrastructure optimized for use with the VMware vSphere platform. vCloud Suite is the company’s first product designed to fulfill the promise of the software-defined data center by pooling hardware and running compute, networking, and management functions in the data center as software-defined services. The company’s vCloud Suite offerings include combinations of various components: vSphere Enterprise Plus: The company’s virtualization platform enabling server virtualization with its feature set designed for policy-based automation. vCloud Director: It enables self-service access to logical pools of compute, network, and storage resources with policy-driven controls and service-level agreements. vCloud Connector: It extends management to the hybrid cloud. vCloud Networking and Security: It provides networking and security for applications and the perimeter of virtual datacenters, end-user computing, and cloud environments. VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager: It provides automated disaster recovery for virtualized environments. vCenter Operations Management: It provides performance, capacity, and configuration management for virtual or physical infrastructure. vFabric Application Director: It accelerates and automates the configuration and deployment of multi-tier applications across private and public cloud infrastructures. vCloud Automation Center: It enables customers to deploy and provision cloud services in the vCloud Suite. End-User Computing The company’s End-User Computing solutions are designed to enable a user-centric approach to personal computing, ensuring access to applications and data from various devices and locations. Its End-User Computing solutions address the needs of IT departments by enabling the delivery of existing end-user assets as a managed service. Elements of the company’s End-User Computing solutions are as follows: VMware View, an enterprise desktop virtualization platform designed to optimize application and desktop management and enable flexibility, security, and mobility for end users. In 2012, the company released VMware View 5.1, improving user experience by optimizing storage performance and adding support for unified communications, improved persona management, and increased available mobile device support. VMware