Trends Report

A Surprising New Java Platform Option: VMware

Acquiring SpringSource, VMware Targets Java And Clouds

August 26th, 2009
Mike Gualtieri, VP, Principal Analyst
Mike Gualtieri VP, Principal Analyst
John Rymer, null
John Rymer
James Staten, null
James Staten
Jeffrey Hammond, null
Jeffrey Hammond
With contributors:
Mike Gilpin , Wallis Yu , David D'Silva

Summary

VMware's ambition is to expand up the stack from its franchise in systems virtualization software into application platforms. The company's decision to buy Java frameworks specialist SpringSource is a first step toward realizing this larger ambition as well as toward diversifying its Windows-dominated business. With SpringSource's development platforms and tools, VMware can now create a Java platform on top of its virtualization software. That product will be a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) for internal and external clouds rather than a conventional middleware stack. VMware's challenge will be to create a whole company that is greater than the sum of its parts and to drive significant revenue from cloud-based and open source opportunities. Development shops seeking alternatives to Java platforms from IBM and Oracle should understand VMware's potential to address their delivery and cost issues.

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