Microsoft Expands Virtualisation Offerings

May 27, 2008: Microsoft is elbowing its way further into the virtualisation market, with the announcement that now its acquisition of Kidaro is complete it will be integrating the firm’s technology into its Desktop Optimisation Pack.

Kidaro’s software enables multiple versions of Windows to be run simultaneously without needing multiple virtual machine sessions to be opened, and represents a significant part of Microsoft’s virtualisation push.

Microsoft will re-brand Kidaro’s software as Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualisation, and it will be incorporated into the Microsoft Desktop Optimisation Pack (MDOP) in the first half of 2009.

“We've invested over $400 million in developing and expanding MDOP thus far, and I'm very excited to share with you that we have officially finalised the acquisition of Kidaro Technologies, whose products enable a seamless combination of applications running from within both a host and guest OS,” wrote Shanen Boettcher, General Manager of Windows Product Management for the enterprise on the Windows Vista blog.

“This technology will help enable end users to run applications from multiple versions of Windows at the same time, with seamless windowing and menus, and without the confusion of logging into and seeing multiple virtual machine desktops.”

Boettcher also noted that with 6.5 million licenses sold by mid-May, MDOP is the fastest-selling volume licensing product in Microsoft’s history.

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