Dell and VMware Broaden Partnership to Help Organizations Easily Implement Virtualization Capabilities from the Desktop to the Data Center

Today at VMworld 2009, Dell and VMware jointly announced an expansion of their existing partnership where Dell will bundle VMware View™ as an option on select server and client platforms. This partnership establishes a “one-stop shop” for companies looking to take advantage of the benefits of virtualization that encompasses an end-to-end solution from the desktop to the datacenter as a foundation for cloud computing. The agreement pairs a world’s leading virtualization technology vendor with the world’s leading supplier of commercial desktops¹, delivering the foundation for client hypervisor-based virtualization and flexible computing solutions to a wider range of businesses.

To extend the benefits of this agreement, Dell will also offer services to help customers with the initial scoping, design, implementation, ongoing support, and management of these solutions, including monitoring and reporting performance and capacity issues in real-time. These services are designed to drive down costs and data security risks, and help customers accelerate their virtualization projects for faster time to value.

The News

Dell and VMware today announced an extension of their already successful partnership whereby Dell will offer VMware View as an option for its Flexible Computing solution. With this new bundling option, IT managers can run virtual clients in the datacenter, while offering end users a single view of all their applications and data in a familiar, personalized environment on client devices at virtually any location. The objectives are:

• Lowered costs for businesses by centralizing management, administration and resources. IT management will be able to streamline operations and application support and focus on fewer applications and corporate images.
• Increased security by moving data from desktop devices into the datacenter helping to ameliorate corporate concern around the weakest link in the data security chain – information contained on the mobile device.
• Improved business agility with faster provisioning and user flexibility with universal access – so companies can get users up-and-running quickly.
• Greater end user flexibility by providing users the ability to access their personalized desktops from client devices at virtually any location while providing them with regular access to their applications and data.

This partnership also helps extend Dell’s leadership in Flexible Computing. Dell can help customers reduce overall IT costs through alternative computing models, where data or computing power are centrally stored, and data is accessed from multiple client devices. Dell’s Flexible Computing strategy aims to address the needs of both end users and IT by using client-server (network-based) computing and virtualization technologies to help improve manageability, data security, compliance and disaster recovery.

Quotes

Todd Forsythe, Dell, vice president Business Client Product Marketing -- As organizations think about their virtualization strategies from the datacenter to the desktop, they want to partner with a trusted IT adviser to help them design, deploy and implement the right solution. A comprehensive datacenter solution combining Dell technology and VMware View gives our customers an easy-to-deploy virtualization solution that provides outstanding flexibility, reliability, efficiency and security for managing end-to-end, from the desktops to the datacenter. And when coupled with Dell services specifically designed to help companies with the virtualization process, Dell is clearly the vendor of choice for companies interested in proven virtualization products and strategies.

Jocelyn Goldfein, VMware, vice president and general manager Desktop Business Unit -- Client virtualization has taken flight as a better way for IT to manage user environments by providing user-centric computing to meet the needs of both enterprise IT and their end users without compromise. This new agreement enhances our longstanding relationship with Dell and enables us to more easily provide customers with virtual desktop solutions that help them reduce complexity and TCO while enabling end users with secure and flexible computing.


About Dell

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is a leading technology provider to commercial enterprises around the world.

About VMworld 2009

Now in its sixth year, VMworld 2009, with more than 10,000 attendees and over 200 sponsors and exhibitors, is the must-attend event for IT professionals looking for actionable ideas, innovative products and best practices for virtualizing their businesses – from the desktop to the datacenter to the cloud. Under the theme "Hello Freedom", VMware and virtualization are changing the world of IT – no longer is IT tethered to the complicated, expensive and inefficient systems. Say goodbye to the limitations of the traditional ways of computing and hello to the power to innovate. See how virtualization frees the lives of those that embrace it. Super Sessions are being given by Platinum Sponsors Cisco, Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Intel, NetApp, Symantec, Wyse and VMware. VMworld features more than 300 breakout sessions and hands-on labs, led by VMware and industry professionals, and is being held August 31- September 3 at Moscone Center in San Francisco.

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