Citrix targets VMware users

Citrix has announced a package of incentives to encourage companies to switch from VMware's virtualisation products to those supported by Citrix Essentials, the company's virtualisation management software - including its own XenServer or Microsoft's Hyper-V, states ZDNet UK.

The programme, called Project Open Door, follows on from Citrix's introduction of a free version of XenServer and a version of Essentials supporting Hyper-V earlier this year, as the company looks to turn itself into VMware's principal rival in the virtualisation market.

Project Open Door and the free version of XenServer are both intended to encourage adoption of Citrix Essentials, a paid product that adds storage integration, automated lab and stage management and dynamic workload balancing features.

Netgear, a provider of networking and storage products, is bringing virtualisation to regional small to medium enterprises, (SMEs) with its ReadyNAS family of unified network storage devices, reports Al Bawaba.

Focused on educating the market on the business advantages of robust network-attached storage (NAS) systems, the company is currently showcasing its complete range of 'ReadyNAS' products at 'GITEX Technology Week 2009', which opened on 18 October at the Dubai International Convention Centre.

The 'ReadyNAS' range has been certified as compatible with VMware's industry-leading ESX 4.0 virtualisation solution, which allows the products to fully integrate with VMware and therefore provide SMEs with the benefits of virtualisation at an affordable price point.

Server virtualisation is no panacea for cutting carbon emissions - indeed there could be three times more savings secured from placing greater emphasis on using IT to change entrenched business processes, according to IT Wire.

Rob Riegert, MD of Melbourne-based Prima Consulting, says electricity consumption to run servers typically contributes 2% of an organisation's emissions. “That means that 98% of emissions are from business as usual activities.”

He claims it is three times more effective to spend IT budgets on improving business as usual activities rather than just virtualising servers. “I'm not saying you shouldn't do it - but look at where you'd get the most benefit from your spend.”