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Microsoft Unveils Virtualization Strategy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the getting-all-hyper dept.

billstewart writes "The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft will be announcing a virtualization strategy on Tuesday. Of course there's plenty of focus on the competition with VMware, including the obligatory reference to Microsoft's entry into the browser wars prior to cutting off Netscape's air supply. The pieces of the picture will include: an alliance with Citrix Systems, owners of XenSource; acquisition of privately held Calista Technologies of San Jose, which has software that speeds up the performance of applications running in a virtualized environment; and lower price for Windows Vista used on virtualized computers. Microsoft also reversed its earlier position and will now allow the Home Basic and Home Premium versions of Vista to run under virtualization. The company confirmed its plans to deliver its Hyper-V hypervisor within six months of the launch of Windows Server 2008 (betas available now), which is expected this quarter."

4 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. What worries me. by marcello_dl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I were a prospective client, I would think about the effective way IE killed the then king netscape, sure.

    I would also think about the way IE turned into an awfully modularized insecure POS after winning.

    Let's just hope Xen makers don't play the part of NCSA Mosaic.

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    ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
  2. Re:Scary?-The future. by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Xen won't squeeze VMWare out until they get themselves a freakin' UI that is usable.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. Re:Scary? by gbjbaanb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Usually Microsft's first attempt *is* someone else's first attempt. Their roduct development roadmap is a case of "that's cool, we must have some of that, buy that company".

    Who did they buy to get Virtual PC in the first place? I'd be very surprised to hear that they developed it entirely in-house.

    This endeavour will be somewhat successful - VPC is out there at the moment, and its free since roughly the same time VMWare offered VMWare server for free (go figure :) ). If this hypervisor is not free too, then it'll have a hard time being adopted by companies that are used to, and happy with, VMWare.

    If they do give their hypervisor away for free, then VMware will release ESX too and nothing will really change! I think this can only be a good thing for us :-)

  4. Vista now virtualisable by mccalli · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whether you go for their whole strategy or not, a good thing to come out of their announcement is them allowing non-Ultimate Vista to be virtualisable (or non-Business, or whichever of the twenty levels they arbitrarily set it at the last time).

    I'm on OS X and run a VMware image of XP for a couple of apps. I have no need for Vista, but should a need arise I can now upgrade to the lower versions and carry on running. MS gets some money from me it previously wouldn't have had and I can still use my platform of choice.

    That's good news for people.

    Cheers,
    Ian