Microsoft and Red Hat are providing technical support for each other’s operating systems in an attempt to see off virtualisation competitor VMware. The deal sees the two companies effectively guaranteeing that each other’s operating systems will run in their own virtualisation software.
Linux-based software developer Red Hat refused to join other operating system vendors, including Novell, in signing patent and open source licensing deals with Microsoft in 2007. At the time, Microsoft insisted that any company running the two operating systems together without guarantees was carrying ?an undisclosed balance sheet liability?.
Microsoft and Red Hat are cooperating to challenge VMware’s dominance of the market. VMware’s virtualisation software runs directly on a company’s server hardware without the need for an underlying operating system.
Companies will be able to consult Microsoft customer support if they have trouble running Red Hat on Windows machines and vice versa. Worldwide virtualisation software revenue is expected to increase by 43% from USD1.9bn in 2008 to USD2.7bn in 2009 as companies try to minimise their total IT costs and carbon footprint.
StrategyEye's related categories: Virtualisation
