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VMware Announces General Availability of VMware View™ 4.5

VMware Announces General Availability of VMware View™ 4.5

VMware View 4.5 is the first enterprise-class desktop virtualization solution to deliver rich user experiences online or offline

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2010 — VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced the general availability of VMware View™ 4.5, the first enterprise-class desktop virtualization solution that delivers rich virtual desktop experiences to end-users online or offline. VMware View 4.5 is a complete, virtual desktop solution that enables enterprises to improve security, lower operating costs, and simplify desktop administration and management by establishing a modern, end-user computing architecture.

VMware’s vision for end user computing helps organizations evolve their legacy desktop computing environments to a more modern, user-centric application and data delivery model. The company’s strategy seeks to free users and IT from more than two decades of complex, device-centric computing and deliver a more consumer-focused cloud experience for the enterprise.

“The release of VMware View™ 4.5 establishes a clear path to the modern desktop and our vision for a user-centric application and data delivery model,” said Vittorio Viarengo, vice president, End User Computing Products for VMware. “VMware View 4.5 provides the best of both worlds – end user mobility and IT manageability. VMware View 4.5 dramatically expands the number of use cases for virtual desktop technology by offering the first offline solution in the market allowing users to check out their virtual desktop from the data center and take it on the road with them.”

VMware View 4.5 Powers VMworld 2010 San Francisco

VMworld 2010 Hands-On Labs provided a rich opportunity to experience enhancements to VMware View 4.5. Attendees accessed more than 480 concurrent VMware View 4.5 seats resulting in over 21,000 total lab hours.  During four days, more than 150,000 VMware View 4.5 desktops were provisioned over a Wide Area Network (WAN) environment. For the first time, the Labs were powered by VMware hybrid cloud technology based on VMware vSphere™ via data centers located in San Francisco, California; Ashburn, Virginia; and Miami, Florida to enable 4,000 virtual machines to be deployed and un-deployed every hour.

VMware View 4.5 Features and Benefits:

VMware View 4.5 delivers new innovations, expanding the value of desktop virtualization to the enterprise:

  • Offline Desktop Access – VMware View Client with Local Mode, the industry’s first integrated offline virtual desktop solution enables users to access their virtual desktop even while disconnected from the network. In addition to offline requirements, VMware View Client with Local Mode delivers solutions to enable uses cases such as Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) and contractor owned IT.  Innovative management provides enforcement of consistent security and compliance policies across connected and disconnected virtual desktops.
  • Rapid, Cost Effective Windows 7 Migration – VMware View 4.5 fully supports Microsoft Windows 7 while providing a model for enterprises to significantly reduce the cost and time required migrating from legacy operating systems. Customers that combine VMware View 4.5 and VMware ThinApp™ for application virtualization can realize even more advantages, reducing the time and cost of Windows 7 migration by 50 percent. Customers can calculate their expected savings by visiting VMware’s ROI calculator.
  • Expanded Administrative Capabilities – VMware View Administrator has been enhanced to deliver unprecedented levels of manageability, scalability and efficiencies for IT organizations.  With the addition of role based administration, monitoring dashboards, simplified reporting and support for third-party tools VMware View Administrator continues to drive simplification of virtual desktop management through a single administrative interface.
  • Integrated Application Assignment – VMware View 4.5 simplifies the delivery of virtualized applications to end-users through integration of application assignment with the VMware View Administrator console.  Integration enables VMware ThinApp applications to be centrally managed and easily delivered to pools or individual desktops.
  • Improved User Experience – With enhancements to optimize delivery of virtual desktops to end-user on the Local Area Network and across the WAN, VMware View 4.5 continues to improve end-user experience and expand to address new use cases.  Enhancements to the PCoIP display protocol in the VMware View 4.5 release include expanded support for authentication mechanisms, improvements to zero client capabilities and optimized interaction for end-users over wide area links.
  • Reduced Solution Cost – With the introduction of tiered storage, VMware View 4.5 helps reduce the cost of storage by enabling customers to take advantage of multiple storage tiers including high performance and locally attached storage.  This helps to not only optimize performance but also allows organizations to reduce the cost associated with storage requirement for virtual desktop environments.  In addition VMware has worked with partners such as Dell, HP, Cisco, NetApp and EMC to provide prescriptive reference architectures which enable customers to deploy a desktop virtualization solution that is both scalable and cost effective.  Finally, through integration with VMware vSphere 4.1, a key component of the VMware View solution, customers benefit from increased desktop VM consolidation to improve server utilization and further optimize solution costs.
  • Enhanced Security Features – Improved security management and security card support in VMware View 4.5 expands secure access for virtualized desktops while protecting sensitive data. Enterprises can now deliver a secure, consistent desktop environment for all remote and branch offices, mobile workers, and outsourced and contract business models. VMware View 4.5 also supports the FIPS 140-2 U.S. Federal Government Security Compliance, enabling protection of sensitive and secure data for U.S. Federal Government agencies.
  • Flexible Device End-Points – View delivers a personalized, uncompromising desktop experience across nearly any end-user device, including Microsoft Windows and Mac devices, Zero Clients, Thin Clients, Kiosks and new computing platforms such as the Apple iPhone and iPad as well as Android devices. This capability enables new flexible desktop models, supporting contractors and employees leveraging their own endpoint devices so that enterprises can provide users with increased flexibility to choose from new device types while ensuring each system remains managed, secure and compliant. To see a complete list of VMware View Ready clients visit http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/view.
  • Optimized Anti-virus Protection – Integration of VMware vShield™ Endpoint enables the centralization of anti-virus and malware scanning to optimize virtual environment performance, simplify AV management and improve desktop security.

For a full list of new features in VMware View 4.5, see the product brochure.

Pricing & Availability:

Available today, the VMware View 4.5 family of products includes:

  • VMware View 4.5, Enterprise Edition: includes VMware vSphere 4.1 for desktops, VMware vCenter™ 4.1 and VMware View Manager 4.5, a flexible desktop management server enabling IT administrators to quickly provision and tightly control user access.
  • VMware View 4.5, Premier Edition: includes VMware vSphere 4.1 for desktops, VMware vCenter 4.1, VMware View Manager 4.5, View Client with Local Mode, VMware ThinApp 4.6, VMware View Composer and VMware vShield Endpoint 1.0 to enable integration of offline capabilities, image management optimization, application virtualization and centralized anti-virus protection with virtual desktop delivery and management.

VMware View 4.5 Enterprise Edition is priced at $150 per concurrent connection and VMware View 4.5 Premier Edition is priced at $250 per concurrent connection. Customers can download a 60-day free trial of VMware View 4.5 or existing customers with active SnS contracts can download the VMware View 4.5 update.

About VMware

VMware delivers virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes. With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere™ – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2009 revenues of $2.9 billion, more than 190,000 customers and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization which consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com


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VMware, VMware ThinApp, VMware View,  VMware vShield, VMware vSphere and VMworld are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, statements regarding the future of end-user computing, expectations for the evolution of desktop computing environments and user demands, our future Horizon technology and future benefits that can be achieved by customers.  These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in consumer or information technology spending; (iii) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures, industry consolidation, entry of new competitors into the virtualization market, and new product and marketing initiatives by our competitors; (iv) our customers’ ability to develop, and to transition to, new products and computing strategies such as cloud computing and IT-as-a-service, (v) the uncertainty of customer acceptance of emerging technology; (vi) rapid technological and market changes in virtualization software and platforms for cloud and desktop computing; (vii) changes to product development timelines; (viii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (ix) our ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; and (x) the successful integration of acquired companies and assets into VMware. These forward looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and changes in condition, significance, value and effect as well as other risks detailed in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that we may file from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. VMware assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.