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Dell Into Virtualization for Real

I just wrapped up a 2,500-word feature story about Dell's virtualization strategy for our new magazine Virtualization Review. I also spent weeks deciphering Sun, IBM and HP plans. These last three vendors have multiple hardware environments, their own management tools and, in two cases, homemade hypervisors. This was all as intricate as a Dennis Miller commentary (though far more interesting and less pretentious).

Dell was far different. What Dell does is sell standard servers that run standard third-party virtualization software. The strategy took all of two seconds to comprehend -- even for me. Dell has extended this to shipping servers with the embedded version of VMware, as well as the option to buy servers with Xen pre-installed. Dell also has a new Web site where you can easily buy virtual wares.

Dell may not have the broadest range of tools, but at least you won't get a headache trying to figure it all out.

Posted by Doug Barney on May 12, 2008


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