Microsoft Unveils Virtualization Strategy

billstewart writes "The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft will be announcing a virtualization strategy on Tuesday. Of course there's plenty of focus on the competition with VMware, including the obligatory reference to Microsoft's entry into the browser wars prior to cutting off Netscape's air supply. The pieces of the picture will include: an alliance with Citrix Systems, owners of XenSource; acquisition of privately held Calista Technologies of San Jose, which has software that speeds up the performance of applications running in a virtualized environment; and lower price for Windows Vista used on virtualized computers. Microsoft also reversed its earlier position and will now allow the Home Basic and Home Premium versions of Vista to run under virtualization. The company confirmed its plans to deliver its Hyper-V hypervisor within six months of the launch of Windows Server 2008 (betas available now), which is expected this quarter."

Hyper-V hypervisor

[Thyrteen]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=0FE4E411-8C88-48C2-8903-3FD9CBB10D05 [microsoft.com] - wtf? and I thought I had trouble managing URLs at times. Those guys have gotta be sharp. :P

Microsoft Windows

[andruk]

now with N times more vulnerability per physical machine!

...and real brine shrimp (sorry, I couldn't resist)!

Gates announces...

[Anonymous Coward]

... the solution to Vista is to use it to run Ubuntu inside VMWare...?

Re:Scary?

[gbjbaanb]

cheers for that. I was beginning to get worried as I typed that message... perhaps Microsoft had actually produced some original software. Normal service is now resumed and I can get back to my knocked off from Java development.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

I know that slashdot eds are supposed to be the some of the worst ever, but MS is in the running... One of the suppported OS's for the Hyper v is.... Microsoft Office 97 or later version

The below is taken from the MS website.

"System Requirements

        * Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows XP

Microsoft Office 97 or later version"

Part of the virtualization strategy...

[Dystopian Rebel]

should be to run a virtualized Ballmer so that they can shut him down whenever he puts both of his dancing shoes in his mouth during interviews.

Interviewer: "Mr Ballmer, how cool is the Brown Zune?"

Ballmer: "It's an iPod killer. I squirt to you, you squirt to me and then..."

[Ballmer disappears suddenly]

Interviewer: "Wha... What happened?"

Voice From Above: "Do Not Worry. The Virtual Ballmer Has Been Shut Down. Your Interview Has Not Been Affected."

XKCD's aquarium !

[DrYak]

Cheap price for virtualised Vista ?
"Home Basic" and "Home premium" version authorised to run on virtual machines ?

XKCD [xkcd.com] now has all needed ingredients for his aquarium !

(to be soon followed IRL, just like the ball pit... )