Virtualization and Cloud Advisor

Expert analysis and advice on server virtualization technologies, deployments and management.

RSS
All Posts | RSS

Our blogger: Bernard Golden is CEO of consulting firm HyperStratus, which specializes in virtualization, cloud computing and related issues. He is also the author of "Virtualization for Dummies," the best-selling book on virtualization to date.

Tue, July 22, 2008

Virtualization Vendor Rhetoric Shows Who's Likely to Lose Ground During Coming Year

By Kevin Fogarty

Keywords: Virtual server, Microsoft, Virtual Iron, Citrix, VMware

CONNECTIONS
Microsoft
Virtual Iron
Citrix
In the old days—when people read news on paper, used phones they couldn't talk loudly on while sitting next to you on the train, and figured "virtualization" probably meant to make something less real—late summer was known in the news business as "silly season."

It's the time of year when half the country is on vacation and the rest wish they were and very little of any importance is being done because no one's paying attention.

It was silly because that was the time of year the UFOs and alien babies and bizarre accidents and sightings of Bigfoot showed up in the paper because something had to fill the space between the ads and there were not—as there are now—entire media empires built on those same stories.

(As I write this the local news radio station is reporting that a local teenager spotted a large alligator in a local New England lake, though everyone admits it might have been a snapping turtle, or a log. Last week a Denver teenager sparked a massive alarm after photographing an African lion hunting the suburban veldt, before state wildlife officers decided the photos actually showed a member of the relatively benign "big dog" species of lion. So far no UFOs or Bigfeet have been implicated in either sighting, but it's just a matter of time.)

Luckily those of us in the tech press rarely have to worry about silly season stories, though the anti-Windows paranoia of Mac-o-philes and Linuxians offers plenty of opportunity.

Even during downtimes, like immediately after a major Microsoft product announcement, when the industry's hype-generators are exhausted, or during the summer when nothing more exciting than routine hardware product refreshes and odd-but-irrelevant product introductions are going on, you can count on second-tier vendors to keep the technical discussions going.

This week's most pertinent V-discussions—much to my disappointment, actually—have a certain amount of relevance, if only because of what they indicate about the level of fatalism in the virtualization market and who the various vendors actually think they're competing against.

Citrix, for example, which actually did come out with something interesting last week, keeps CTO Simon Crosby busy being nasty to VMware, while mid-market stalwart Virtual Iron sics chief strategy officer Tony Asaro on Citrix. The rule seems to be to keep the CEOs out of it and let the chief geeks hold the sniping contest, but only by targeting competitors one step up the ladder from oneself.

Crosby shows his mathlete trash-talking skills by claiming VMware's Mike DiPetrillo's criticism of Citrix Xen acquisition shows that DiPetrillo is still out to prove that he finished high school math. Asaro, for his part, calls Crosby ridiculous, irresponsible and antithetical to the open-source philosophy.

More from IT Drilldown « Back to Virtualization
CASE STUDY
Disaster Can Inspire Quick Move to Desktop Virtualization
In the wake of a hurricane, a Texas hospital system's IT group overcame user reluctance to virtualize desktop PCs. Here's a look at their journey and the thorny little issue that Citrix just solved a few weeks ago: USB port support. Full Story »

Loading...
Virtualization Vendor Matrix

Find out what vendors offer the products you need.

View the Vendor Matrix »
Virtualization ABCs

Get up to speed on virtualization.

Learn More »
Virtualization MarketSpace
 
SPONSORED LINKS
 

Removing Barriers To Better Server Virtualization Efficiency

Global Research: CIOs Weigh In On Virtualization

5 Key Virtualization Management Challenges

Upgrading to VMware vSphere with vWire

Maximizing website Return on Information with high-quality search

See how AT&T can help protect your network.

Webcast: Unleashing the Power of Customer Data

White Paper: Improve Agility with Operational Responsiveness

White Paper: Legacy Tools: Not Built for the Helpdesk

Secure Email and Web-Based Communication from Evolving Attacks

WagerWorks Takes Fraudsters Out of the Game using iovation

Seven Design Requirements for Web 2.0 Threat Protection

Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protection.

Learn how advanced forecasting tools can deliver significant business results for global corporations.

Lower IT Costs with Oracle Database 11g Release 2

White Paper: Visibility and the New Normal of Mobile Work

Taking the Service Desk to the Next Level

Learn about The Information Technology Infrastructure Library.

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back. Get the facts.

VMware. The source for Business Infrastructure Virtualization.

ShoreTel tells businesses to untangle from competitors' complexity and turn to its brilliantly simple UC solution

Top Five CIO Challenges

Read the RSA report: Security for Business Innovation

64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.

A Clear View Toward Virtualization

White Paper: Right-Sizing Your Power Infrastructure

Taking a Seat at the Executive Table: The Reality of Virtualization

Server Consolidation: Leveraging the Benefits of Virtualization

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back

Cut Costs & Green Your IT Operations with PC Power Management

White Paper: 4 Customer Service Myths

White Paper: Managed Security for a Not-So-Secure World

White Paper: 5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support

White Paper: Next Generation Remote Infrastructure Management

Keeping Your Members Safe from Online Scams and Predators

The Total Economic Impact of Network Security Intrusion Prevention

Generation Remote Infrastructure Management - Changing the Paradigm

Cloud-Based Email Management: Opinion Shifts In Favor

eBook: How Can You Make Your People Productive Anywhere?

Achieving Business Agility with Application Grid

Ready to virtualize tier one applications? Check your virtualization maturity.

Seven Ways ITIL Can Help You in an Economic Downturn

Tips for successful virtualization management.

AT&T Synaptic Storage as a Service. Expand on demand

Trend Micro ranked #1 against real-world malware. Read more.

Webinar: Jump-start your in-house e-discovery with Ringtail QuickCull from FTI Technology

Streamline IT Costs. Boost Performance with WAN Optimization.

Build your 1st app FREE with Force.com

TDWI checklist helps define data readiness for analytics. Download report.

eZine: A Roadmap to Reducing IT Complexity

 
 
RESOURCE CENTER