09.06.08
Does Microsoft Do VMware’s Thinking ‘on Its Behalf’?
This important background post may be essential for better understanding of the latest development. The gist of it is that Microsoft’s strong relationship with EMC, Microsoft’s Partner of the Year 2008, enabled it to sneak a former high executive into the CEO ’slot’ of VMware, having pushed Diane Green out of her long-standing role there. Microsoft now has partial control of VMware, which it can deny all it wants.
The Microsoft-shakes-Microsoft’s-hands situation appears to be continuing. The company controls both self and its fiercest competitor, so having its competitor concede completion or demote GNU/Linux is merely a game.
Despite VMware’s sheer dominance, it keeps caving to an almost inexistent rival. (highlight in red is ours)
VMware has confirmed that its ESX hypervisor will now work with Windows Server, as well as other software from Microsoft.
The move also gives customers ESX technical support from both companies when deploying VMware virtualisation software on Microsoft infrastructure.
Microsoft’s plan is to push GNU/Linux out of the server room through the gradual adoption of virtualisation (the almost-vast majority of datacentres haven’t yet taken advantage of hypervisors). Novell lends a hand to Microsoft by helping it exclude GNU/Linux vendors. The effect on Red Hat, for example, was noted yesterday.
What we have Microsoft do here is simple: Ripping apart the virtualisaton industry, creating a coalition along with existing partners and many acquisitions. All of this just to catch up. Microsoft tried these tactics in Netscape’s days (e.g. Internet Explorer and OEMs) and now it’s attempting the same game, boosted by Novell’s and Citrix’ assistance. Watch what Crosby (of Xen) has just said under the wing of Microsoft’s Partner of the Year 2008:
“They do not compete in the market for bare-metal or general purpose virtualization systems and certainly have nothing to do with the broader application delivery space. Crosby told InternetNews.com. “Their only interest is getting some level of virtualization built into the Linux OS so that Red Hat Linux is not at an even further disadvantage to Microsoft once Hyper-V begins shipping as part of Windows Server.”
Crosby argued that it is Citrix’s belief that the majority of the market will want bare-metal virtualization systems like XenServer and VMware ESX with some segments wanting virtualization built into the Windows OS through Hyper-V.
Citrix and Xen are expected to remain close to Microsoft if not grow closer to it. This is not competition. It’s market distortion through radical intervention and sabotage of status quo. Even Microsoft’s ‘fan analysts’ are helping this happen [1, 2]. Where are the regulators? █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
landofbind said,
September 6, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Is VMWARE an open source company?
Are VMware products open source?
So why are you wasting time between VMware and Microsoft?
What is your agenda? It isn’t Free Software!
And your word plays are infantile…
Note: comment has been flagged for arriving from an incarnation of a known (eet), pseudonymous, forever-nymshifting, abusive Internet troll that posts from open proxies and relays around the world.
Roy Schestowitz said,
September 7, 2008 at 2:43 am
In case it’s not obvious, VMware supports GNU/Linux hosts. Microsoft demotes them.
Bob said,
September 8, 2008 at 8:58 am
Assuming VMware is being controlled by Microsoft to provide a lesser experience on GNU/Linux, why does it matter? Isn’t VMware already proprietary software? Doesn’t the user acceptance of VMware already mean that users are subjugated into helplessness?
Even if the accusations are true, the user subjugating nature of VMware means that users are helpless to help themselves as they wish. The important issue is that users of VMware cannot live in freedom by the fact that VMware is freedom removing software.
Microsoft usurping control over VMware will do nothing to improve the users’ freedom - all it would do is change masters. Whether the master is Microsoft or Adobe, Nintendo or Konami, they are all the same in the fact that they control the users’ freedom. You cannot live in freedom whenever you accept proprietary software.
Roy Schestowitz said,
September 8, 2008 at 9:01 am
The concern is a bit different though. VMware still facilitates many GNU/Linux installations. Removing VMware from underneath them (no virtualisation or KVM) should be trivial though, so I can see your point.