Robin Wauters

Layered Technologies yesterday launched its new partner program during the Channel Partners Conference & Expo 2010 in Las Vegas.

The new program is designed to engage partners who want to include the best dedicated hosting, virtualization and cloud computing technologies as part of the overall services and value delivered to their end-use customers.

Unlike typical channel programs that merely provide reseller discounts, Layered Tech’s new program assigns partners dedicated account managers, sales engineers and project managers. In addition, the program’s new, feature-rich Partner Portal will give partners the ability to order online, as well as access joint-marketing materials and training resources such as webinars to help partners sell more deals and close them quicker. The Partner Portal also will automatically authenticate partners when they sign in and will apply the proper pricing, discounts and special offers based on the partner’s Silver, Gold or Platinum status.

System integrators, VARs, SaaS providers and technology consultants will find Layered Tech’s new partner program particularly appealing because it streamlines and strengthens their ability to sell and deliver dedicated and virtual/cloud computing IT infrastructures and services.

One such partner is San Carlos, Calif.-based Burstorm, which focuses on helping businesses identify the best network, co-location, compute and storage cloud services to help solve complex business and IT problems. Conceived, founded and operated by technology visionaries who have helped lead companies such as Oracle, Yahoo, and Applied Materials, Burstorm became a Layered Tech partner so it could bring the best enterprise-class IT infrastructure solutions to its customers.

Founded in 2004, Layered Tech is a global provider of managed dedicated hosting, on-demand virtualization/cloud computing and Web services. With eight top-tier data centers around the world, the company’s infrastructure powers millions of Web sites and Internet-enabled applications including e-commerce and software as a service (SaaS). Layered Tech has seen rapid growth in recent years, and in 2009 was ranked in the top 15 percent of Deloitte LLP’s Technology Fast 500 and was also named to the Inc. magazine list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies.

Virtual Bridges, developers of the VERDE suite for desktop virtualization, and ZSL, an ISV and global software solutions and services provider, today announced a worldwide reseller agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Virtual Bridges VERDE suite will be an integral component of ZSL’s PowerCube DaaS (Desktop as a Service) packaged service offering.

VERDE 3.0, announced in December 2009, is the only solution available today which runs in both networked and disconnected environments. In addition, VERDE uniquely offers the ability to run Linux and Windows guest sessions, enabling significant operating cost reductions over Windows-only environments. In partnership with the IBM Client for Smart Work and Canonical’s Ubuntu server and desktop offerings, VERDE also provides the choice of opting for a lower-cost cloud computing alternative.

PowerCube, launched in January at the 15th annual Lotusphere, was recognized as a finalist for the IBM Lotus Awards recognizing exceptional IBM PartnerWorld members, in the category of Best CTO Award. ZSL’s PowerCube DaaS is a virtualized desktop environment powered by IBM’s Client for Smart Work running on Linux desktops and virtually enabled using VERDE and available as private and public cloud offering and as on-premise model. ZSL offers PowerCube DaaS with suite of services that includes end- user segmentation, TCO analysis, BPM-based role identification and SOA to application migration, pilot and production deployment.

Currently, Virtual Bridges offers its product suite through a network of more than 40 partners. Today’s announcement marks a major step toward realizing its aggressive partner network development strategy. To learn more about joining Virtual Bridges’ rapidly expanding partner network, click here.

Intel and RealVNC have collaborated to embed VNC remote control technology in the all new 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family to provide IT professionals with a built-in, fully graphical remote control capability to facilitate problem diagnosis and resolution.

KVM and KVM-over-IP solutions have been available for many years in the form of external hardware add-ons.

Intel’s collaboration with RealVNC makes out-of-the-box KVM functionality a feature of Intel vPro Technology.

This innovative solution enables IT professionals, with PCs based on Intel vPro technology, to see the system as the user sees it providing an advantage even when client software is not functioning, or while PCs are rebooting, in BIOS setup screens or an operating system failure. In combination with the other Intel vPro Technology features, IT departments can troubleshoot and in many cases recover systems viewing the system as if they were physically there, helping reduce downtime to a minimum.Efficiency is improved as the need for desk-side visits is further reduced.

In previous case studies with customers remote control has reduced average desk-side visits by up to 50 percent. Intel KVM remote control promises to improve on that experience.

Pano Logic today announced that Fujitsu will integrate Pano Logic’s ground-breaking zero client virtual desktop technology into a new Fujitsu desktop computing solution.

The new Fujitsu Zero Client delivers dramatic cost of ownership savings, energy efficiency and security advantages by completely centralizing computing onto virtualized servers while connecting users through the industry’s first truly zero client-enabled LCD monitor.

The Fujitsu Zero Client computing platform, which will be orderable in March, is a comprehensive software and hardware solution for plug-and-play virtual desktop computing that eliminates the need for a PC or thin client at the endpoint. IT managers enjoy a simplified infrastructure, managing all users from a single, centralized control interface that leverages their VMware infrastructures while end users access a familiar Windows environment directly through the monitor.

Removing support and maintenance of an endpoint device and replacing it with a monitor embedded with Pano Logic technology slashes the total cost of ownership of computing dramatically while providing end users greater flexibility to access their virtual desktop from any Zero Client monitor connected to the network.

Embedded in the monitor will be Pano Logic’s zero client technology, which connects end users to their virtual machines that are 100 percent centralized on the server. With Pano Logic software operating the computing resources on the server, there is nothing at the endpoint — no processor, no operating system, no memory, no drivers, no software and no moving parts, resulting in absolutely zero endpoint management. No additional hardware results in a dramatic reduction in energy costs and demands on the power grid.

rPath, provider of automating system provisioning and maintenance solutions, today announced it is adding support for configuration management to its system automation solution.

Effective immediately, rPath will support interoperation with key open source configuration management tools, including Reductive Labs’ Puppet, Cfengine, and Opscode’s Chef. During the second half of 2010, the company will introduce native support for configuration—including native implementation of a configuration management engine—to be delivered as part of its Project Javelin roadmap.S and middleware configuration files typically need to be heavily modified to “contextualize” a system for its local host environment.

Today, rPath supports open source configuration tools such as Puppet, Cfengine and Chef in two ways:

• Side-by-side. Used side-by-side, rPath manages operating system, middleware and application software while a third-party configuration tool manages configuration files. No changes or integrations are required in either system.
• Deploy and manage. rPath can deploy and manage configuration tool scripts, managing the regularly-changing scripts under version control and alongside software system manifests. Scripts are easily deployed and reproduced, and changes to the scripts can be easily rolled back. Unique configuration scripts can be managed together with specific system manifests to ensure they’re coordinated and synchronized as they move together through the release lifecycle.

Going forward, rPath will also support configuration natively as part of Project Javelin.

Among other areas, the rPath roadmap invests heavily in model-driven and version-controlled configuration management to extend its next-generation system automation platform. Since configuration requirements are highly diverse across enterprises, rPath is investing in and natively supporting two complementary approaches to configuration:

• Version-controlled CIM (Common Information Model). rPath will bring full CIM-based configuration management under system version control, making it easy to model, deploy and update consistent systems by simultaneously deploying systems and their supporting configurations. rPath’s CIM engine will be compatible with both Windows and Linux environments.
• Direct configuration templating. rPath will let users templatize and parameterize traditional configuration files under system version control. Less controlled but easier to adopt than CIM, configuration templating offers a lightweight and ad hoc “backdoor” to fully model-driven configuration, which allows users to easily make changes on the fly.

Both capabilities will be available by Q3 2010.

When these capabilities are delivered, rPath customers will have the option of using these advanced configuration features or continuing to use other tools in conjunction with rPath.

Convirture has launched ConVirt 2.0, calling it the next major step up in open source virtualization management.

The ConVirt 2.0 generation combines a flexible, open architecture, the highest level of management capabilities, and the industry’s most flexible pricing model. Built on a brand-new, 3-tier architecture, ConVirt 2.0 includes a highly interactive, web-based user interface, a new data repository, advanced automation, enterprise scalability, multi-user administration, a full suite of integration capabilities, and much more.

ConVirt 2.0 is now delivered in two editions – ConVirt 2.0 Open Source and ConVirt 2.0 Enterprise. Focusing on core management and advanced automation respectively, both editions benefit from ConVirt 2.0’s new, highly robust, scalable and open architecture while at the same time allowing organizations of any size to best match their individual needs.

ConVirt 2.0 Open Source (available now!)

Building upon ConVirt 1.0, the leading management tool for open source virtualization, and benefiting from robust community testing and feedback during an extensive public beta, ConVirt 2.0 Open Source is finally here! ConVirt 2.0 Open Source dramatically improves upon its predecessor by delivering greater ease of use, accessibility as well as new features for automating every aspect of virtual machine lifecycle management including monitoring, configuration management, templates-based provisioning, basic automation, live migration and much more. ConVirt 2.0 Open Source is licensed under GPL and is free to download and use. Meanwhile, support from Convirture is always there when you need it. Learn more about ConVirt 2.0 Open Source here.

ConVirt 2.0 Enterprise (coming soon)

extends ConVirt 2.0 Open Source’s capabilities with advanced automation, scalability and extensive enterprise integration – necessary to run large scale or mission critical virtualization environments. Some feature highlights of ConVirt 2.0 Enterprise include High Availability, Backup and Restore, Dynamic Resource Allocation, fine-grained Role Based Access Control, and many more. Learn more about ConVirt 2.0 Enterprise and the upcoming beta here.

With ConVirt 2.0, organizations considering Xen or KVM as open source alternatives to commercial virtualization platforms are no longer forced to compromise on manageability. ConVirt 2.0’s advanced automation, enterprise scalability and datacenter integration features now meet or exceed what’s available from proprietary platform vendors … and it’s all there without the vendor lock-in and excessive costs!

By choosing a combination of Xen and KVM with ConVirt 2.0 as the management solution, companies of all sizes can now reap the full benefits of server virtualization at the highest levels of flexibility and lowest total cost of ownership.