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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / JULY 7, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 27
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Breaking News - Operating Systems
& Middleware:
PlateSpin Deploys New Server
Conversion Solution
PlateSpin, Ltd., a leading developer of solutions that bring flexibility
and
automation to the data center, announced the availability of Version 2.5
of the PlateSpin Operations Management Center. This groundbreaking release
enables IT administrators to automatically identify, convert and consolidate
underutilized Windows NT, 2000 and Linux servers to virtual machine servers
running within VMware's GSX or ESX software. Significantly, this is the first
of several PlateSpin innovations designed to revolutionize data center
management by giving CIOs the ability to migrate existing servers from any
existing configuration (image, physical server or virtual machine) to any
other configuration - quickly, easily and with complete operating system and
application portability.
IDC predicts that 75 per cent of large corporations will consolidate
portions
of their Intel servers in 2003, with the Windows 2000/NT 4 market spending
more than $1.3 billion to do so. Using existing technology, however, the
process of server consolidation is costly and time-consuming. PlateSpin's
Operations Management Center solves the problem by achieving the same result
in less than one-tenth the time. Moreover, the PlateSpin solution provides a
simple management framework that enables administrators to efficiently manage
both physical and virtual machine servers through their lifecycle. The result:
a more flexible, modular and a self-managing data center that delivers
improved business service at dramatically lower cost.
PlateSpin's solution enables:
Automated discovery and inventorying of existing and newly connected
physical and virtual machine servers - Gathering of utilization information to
assist with consolidation planning - Provisioning and configuring of VMware's
ESX and GSX host environments - Remotely preparing physical servers for
conversion - Automating the conversion of Windows or Linux servers into
VMware's ESX or GSX virtual machines through a simple, drag-and-drop
interface.
"The industry is beginning to take notice of technologies that enable a
cost
effective and reliable consolidation strategy", said Charlie Leffingwell,
Director of Business Development, Expert Server Group. "We have developed a
robust Server Consolidation practice using the latest server virtualization
software but need additional tools to provide a complete solution to all of
our client base. Products developed by vendors like PlateSpin assist us in
offering unique capabilities to end-users as physical conversion and virtual
machine management is high on their list."
"We realized the value PlateSpin brings to customers using virtual machine
technology as soon as we saw the software," said Alan Smith, President of
ThinApse Inc. "Those benefits are increased dramatically when the virtual
machine environment is managed through a product like PlateSpin."
Added Tom Bevington of Capital Group's Technology Directions Service:
"PlateSpin's superior management console has been instrumental in making our
first, small forays into VMware-based server virtualization a success, and has
given us the confidence that we can reliably consolidate and manage large
numbers of what are now costly and relatively brittle hardware servers into
less expensive and exceptionally flexible virtual machine environments."
PlateSpin also announced today that it has secured strategic funding from
Covington Capital, CastleHill Ventures, Skylon Capital, Raza Foundries and
Four Quarters. The financing will be used to further advance PlateSpin
technology and support the needs of its clients and partners.
PlateSpin CEO Stephen Pollack noted that the funding demonstrates strong
support for PlateSpin's technology and vision. "As customers begin to
consolidate and manage more with less, there is a growing need for full
operating system and application portability," he said. "Customers can look to
PlateSpin to provide this level of flexibility along with further innovations
in automation as part of an expanded product family that will see several
exciting releases this year."
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