The Microsoft investment in virtualization industry started in unsuspected times, with the acquisition of the only VMware competitor in 2003: Connectix.

At that time rumours spread the gossip story Microsoft tried to acquire VMware first, but the company management didn't want to simply become a department like others at Redmond headquarters.

Other anonymous voices whispered instead that Microsoft was evaluating both VMware and Connectix technologies when finally decided for the latter, being faster and easier to integrate with Windows for time to come.

Obviously none of these versions can be confirmed, and possibly both are completely counterfeit.

In any case since that time Microsoft has been almost dormant, providing one minor update per year to Virtual PC (already existing at Connectix time) and Virtual Server (in development at acquisition time), and basically letting VMware becoming a de-facto monopolist in the virtualization industry.

Microsoft also failed to fill voids in the virtualization ecosystem at that time, not producing effective tools for physical to virtual migration and enterprise management, and not facilitating virtualization reconsidering support strategy and licensing models.

In other words Redmond giant has never been perceived nor as a leader neither as an innovator.

Then, in October 2005, Microsoft decides to completely change its approach and announces part of a complex, long-term strategy to conquer a market which became the most dynamic and promising of last years.

And now, even if some aspects of this strategy are still unveiled, everybody look at the company asking if it has a real chance to beat VMware on its own game.

First step: Viridian and Virtual Machine Manager

Send via e-mail | Submit to Digg | Add to Live Favorites