Virtualization.com

News and insights from the vibrant world of virtualization and cloud computing

Robin Wauters

Cisco Solution Brings Unified Voice, Video To Virtual Environments

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Cisco today unveiled the next phase of its Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI) with a series of offerings.

Utilizing its expertise in Unified Communications, Cisco announced endpoints that enable high-quality voice and video in virtual desktop environments – a development that it says could help redefine collaboration in the virtual workspace.

The announcement comes at a time when desktop virtualization is on the rise in the enterprise. The worldwide hosted virtual desktop (HVD) market is expected to reach 70 million units, or 15 percent of enterprise desktops and laptops by 2014.

Cisco is addressing this head-on with VXI, an open, validated virtual workspace solution that integrates products and technologies across Cisco’s network-based architectures – from Collaboration to Borderless Networks to the Data Center as well as from partners — to help deliver a flexible, highly secure infrastructure.

More information is available here.

IBM Buys System Software Company Platform Computing

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IBM yesterday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Platform Computing, a privately held company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Platform Computing offers cluster and grid management software for distributed computing environments.

The acquisition is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2011, subject to the satisfaction of closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Platform Computing management software helps clients create, integrate and manage shared computing environments that are used in resource-intensive applications such as simulations, computer modeling and analytics. These technical and high performance computing (HPC) applications fuel product development, critical business decisions and breakthrough science in financial services, manufacturing, digital media, oil and gas, life sciences, government, and research and education.

Platform Computing currently serves over 2,000 clients including 23 of the top 30 largest global enterprises. Example customers include CERN, Citigroup, Infineon, Pratt & Whitney, Red Bull Racing, Sanger Institute, Statoil and University of Tokyo.

Platform Computing’s operations as of the closing will be integrated into IBM Systems and Technology Group.

Platform Computing has approximately 500 employees worldwide.

Release: CA Access Control for Virtual Environments

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CA Technologies recently announced CA Access Control for Virtual Environments, a new solution that extends its identity and access management (IAM) security expertise, and complements and protects VMware virtual environments.

CA Access Control for Virtual Environments helps customers virtualize critical applications by addressing security and compliance concerns, and helping control privileged user access to the virtual environment.

CA Access Control for Virtual Environments is available direct from CA Technologies or through its partner channel.

Ready For VMworld 2011 Europe? More Than 6,500 Attendees Expected In Copenhagen

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Are you ready for VMworld 2011 Europe, which will be held in Copenhagen next week (Oct. 18 – 20, 2011)?

VMware recently unveiled the speaker lineup and sponsorship list for the European virtualization and cloud infrastructure industry event of the year.

Building on the conference theme, “Your Cloud, Own It”, the European event will feature more than 200 breakout sessions from VMware and its ecosystem of partners and customers.

More than 125 sponsors and exhibitors are supporting the conference including Global Diamond sponsors Cisco, Dell, EMC, HP and NetApp, and Platinum Sponsors CA Technologies, Colt, Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, Symantec, Trend Micro, VCE and Wyse Technology.

VMware executives will lead three general session presentations during the event.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 3:30 p.m. CEST (9:30 a.m. EST), the event will kick off with a keynote presentation featuring VMware CTO and Senior Vice President of R&D, Steve Herrod, who will demonstrate a cloud infrastructure suite, including VMware vSphere 5, as well as technologies helping enterprises better serve their employees in a world of increasing change.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. CEST (3 a.m. EST), Raghu Raghuram, VMware senior vice president and general manager, cloud infrastructure and management, will focus on industry trends moving toward a more dynamic, flexible and automated datacenter environment based on the increasing role of virtualization across the datacenter.

Closing the event on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 9 a.m. CEST (3 a.m. EST), VMware CEO Paul Maritz will take an inside look at the forces shaping Cloud Computing and the next generation of IT.

VMworld 2011 Europe will feature more than 25 lab topics with almost 8,000 lab seats conducting up to 240 simultaneous lab sessions during the three-day event.

Hosting.com Acquires Managed Hosting Company NeoSpire

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Hosting.com, a provider of cloud hosting and recovery services, recently announced the acquisition of Dallas-based NeoSpire, a mission-critical managed hosting company.

The acquisition both expands the physical footprint of Hosting.com and adds additional expertise to the company’s portfolio of services.

With data centers in Dallas, Denver, Irvine CA, Louisville, Newark DE, and San Francisco, Hosting.com can offer expanded services to customers in the south with geographic diversity across the country

NeoSpire was founded in 1999 by Mitch Gervis and Derek Wilson.

Desktone, GMO CLOUD To Make Cloud-Hosted Virtual Desktops Big In Japan

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Desktone today announced that it has partnered with GMO CLOUD K.K., the leading Japanese cloud solutions provider, to bring cloud-hosted virtual desktops to the Japanese market.

With this announcement, Desktone further extends its global delivery of virtual desktops.

The Desktone Cloud is a product for enabling virtual desktops in the cloud. By using the Desktone Cloud as the foundation of its DaaS service, GMO CLOUD helps customers instantly benefit from virtual desktops at a cost that is significantly lower than those typically associated with traditional VDI and shared desktop environments.

GMO CLOUD’s Desktone-powered DaaS service will be available on October 27, 2011, branded as “IQcloud Desktop.”