VMware, Intel expand reach to SMB

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF: VMware, Inc., a provider in virtualization solutions, on Monday at VMworld 2009,  announced an agreement with Intel to sell VMware vSphere 4 with Intel board and system products starting in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The agreement would enable Intel to provide VMware vSphere 4 through its worldwide distributor network to resellers and system integrators that service small and midsized businesses (SMBs).

This relationship expands on the Intel Enabled Server Acceleration Alliance (ESAA) certification agreement previously signed by the companies and strengthens the companies’ longstanding strategic relationship, said a press release.

“SMBs are looking for a means of administering ‘Always On IT’ through a robust, continuously available IT infrastructure with minimal overhead and high investment return,” said Carl Eschenbach, executive vice president of worldwide field operations, VMware.

He added, “combining VMware vSphere with Intel server products through Intel’s channel will help reseller and system integrator partners deliver virtualization solutions faster and at a lower cost, while extending the critical business benefits of virtualization to an even larger number of customers.”

The VMware vSphere 4 packages for SMBs deliver differentiated functionality and considerably lower the entry point for customers new to virtualization.

Companies with less than 20 physical servers can deploy a server consolidation and management solution and get higher application uptime with VMware vSphere 4 Essentials Plus, said the release.

Lisa Graff, general manager of Intel’s Enterprise Platforms and Services Division said, “Our ongoing technology collaboration has resulted in excellent performance of VMware vSphere 4 running on IntelXeon processor-based platforms. This agreement will enable the channel to meet the growing demand by SMBs for the improved efficiency, greater control and increased flexibility that virtualization offers.”

The Intel global reseller community of more than 50,000 Premier and Associate members would benefit from the new agreement by being able to resell the virtualization platform to their SMB customers.

The agreement supports Intel strategy to proliferate virtualization technology on the recently announced Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series into SMB markets, added the release.