VMware to Deliver Client Virtualization Platform on Intel® vPro™ Technology

VMware Client Virtualization Platform Extends Superior Client Management and Security of VMware View to Desktop and Notebook PC Users, Whether Online or Offline

CANNES, France. — Today at VMworld Europe 2009, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, announced new collaboration with Intel Corporation to deliver the VMware Client Virtualization Platform (CVP) as a new product that will be part of the VMware View suite of desktop virtualization products.

VMware CVP is a bare-metal client hypervisor optimized to run on desktop and notebook client PCs utilizing Intel® Core®2 and Centrino® 2 processors with Intel® vPro™ technology. CVP will extend the centralized management capabilities of VMware View by enabling end users to run their virtualized desktop environments on desktop or notebook PCs and work online or offline while IT administrators manage these environments securely from a central location. This helps customers further reduce the operating costs of PC management while boosting business flexibility and end user productivity.

First introduced at VMworld Las Vegas 2008 as part of the company’s vClient Initiative, VMware View will enable IT to safely administer all virtual desktop environments—including server-hosted and client-hosted virtual desktops with CVP—from the datacenter using VMware View Manager and VMware View Composer. Working in conjunction with Intel vPro technology, this enables IT to centrally administer data and deliver proactive security and built-in manageability whether the PC is off, hardware (such as a hard drive) has failed or the operating system has become unresponsive. Meanwhile, end users can access their personalized virtual desktop environments from almost any device, at any time with the rich user experience provided by the industry-leading VMware View.

“VMware CVP strengthens our comprehensive portfolio of desktop products and helps us deliver on our vision of the universal desktop — a desktop that follows you across any device, providing a rich personalized experience that is secure, cost-effective and easy to manage,” said Jocelyn Goldfein, vice president and general manager, desktop business unit, VMware. “By working with Intel, we can provide a complete desktop solution that makes life simpler for end users and administrators alike.”

Intel vPro technology provides enhanced security and manageability and improves remote maintenance both inside and outside the firewall. This helps administrators to quickly identify and contain more security threats, remotely maintain PCs virtually anytime, take more accurate hardware and software inventories, quickly resolve more software and OS problems down-the-wire, and accurately diagnose hardware problems. Combined with these powerful capabilities, VMware CVP is a best-of-breed solution that will deliver the utmost flexibility in addressing the needs of enterprise IT.

“Intel and VMware are joining forces to solve some of IT’s toughest challenges,” said Gregory Bryant, Intel vice president, Business Client Group, and general manager, Digital Office Platform Division. "By combining VMware CVP and Intel vPro technology, VMware provides IT with the tools to deliver the robust user experience that desktop and mobile workers need combined with centralized image management through an innovative use of protected client virtualization.”

“Client hypervisors such as VMware CVP will be a vital step forward in client management and will unlock many benefits of desktop virtualization for businesses, such as making networks more secure and flexible,” said Darrel Ward, director of commercial desktops, Dell Product Group. “Dell is pleased to work with partners such as Intel and VMware to advance the state of the art in desktop virtualization, helping our customers save money, simplify management and increase productivity.”

VMware View is a major advance in virtual desktop computing that includes VMware View Manager and VMware View Composer and will include VMware CVP. VMware View Manager is a flexible desktop management server enabling IT administrators to quickly provision and tightly control user access. VMware View Composer enables IT to create thousands of virtual desktop environments rapidly from a master image and update these images by simply updating the master—all while consuming up to 70 percent less storage space. This powerful combination enables IT to provision and manage thousands of virtual desktops simply, securely, and with substantially lower operating costs.

VMware CVP leverages VMware’s leadership in client virtualization technologies. VMware began shipping breakthrough desktop solutions in 1999 with the introduction of VMware Workstation. Since then, VMware has introduced VMware ACE to better manage employee-owned IT assets as well as VMware Fusion, which enables customers to seamlessly run Windows on their Macs alongside Mac OS X. Along the way, VMware pioneered numerous client virtualization technologies, including virtual USB, virtual 3-D graphics support, and support for multi-core processors. As a result, end users can enjoy the richest and most stable virtual desktop environment while IT administrators can centrally and cost-effectively administer, deploy and update applications and operating system images across Intel-based desktops and laptops for increased uptime, mobility and manageability.

Pricing, packaging and availability of VMware CVP have not been determined or announced.