Sun Announces VMware Support

September 19, 2008: Following VMware’s big announcement this week of “the next generation” of virtualisation technology, Sun and VMware have declared a new partnership that will see Sun add VMware’s Virtual Desktop Manager and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure to its lineup of supported solutions.

The expanded relationship will include new offerings from Sun for its Sun Ray thin client customers, who now have the flexibility to select either the Sun Virtual Desktop Connector, a component of Sun VDI Software, or VMware Virtual Desktop Manager for virtual desktop deployments.

In addition to offering VMware VDI and VMware Virtual Desktop Manager, Sun Ray virtual display clients are now VMware Ready Certified for VMware VDI. This is made possible thanks to the new Sun Ray Connector for VMware Virtual Desktop Manager, an add-on that Sun says provides tight integration while enabling a highly-secure connection between Sun Ray thin clients and VMware Virtual Desktop Manager.

Sun says that with this joint solution, Sun Ray users can access and display virtual desktops based on Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

“Enabling choice for our desktop virtualisation customers is a paramount goal for Sun. Through our relationship with VMware, we're able to better deliver to customers a broad range of virtual desktop technologies that can be deployed to meet their specific VDI needs,” said Bob Gianni, senior director of desktop systems engineering at Sun.

“Sun's innovative and industry-proven Sun Ray technology combined with VMware's popular, leading-edge Virtual Desktop Manager and VDI products offer a powerful choice for customers seeking to take advantage of the cost-savings, efficiency, and eco benefits of a thin client-based virtual desktop deployment.”

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