Category Archives: Dell

Cloud & IT Management, Dell, Microsoft Windows, Quest, Window Azure

Quest Software Adds Monitoring for Windows Azure Apps

Quest Software, Inc., now part of Dell today announced the general availability of Foglight for Windows Azure Applications, as well as beta availability of Foglight for Cloud Cost Management. Both are available immediately via the new Foglight On-Demand platform. This enhanced product offering, together with a new, currently free, cost management tool, enables developers to easily optimize the performance of applications built on the Windows Azure platform.

“The enhanced functionality in Foglight for Windows Azure Applications and the accompanying new and free tools open the door for Quest to provide valuable services at a nominal price to small- and mid-sized organizations that are leveraging Azure today. For large enterprises, these new solutions provide the assurance that when they are ready to leverage cloud platforms, or look to use SaaS-based application performance monitoring (APM), Quest will be there to support them.”


Dell, Gale Technologies, M&A Activity

Dell Acquires Gale Technologies

Dell today announced the acquisition of Gale Technologies, a provider of infrastructure automation software that allows organizations to streamline the deployment of on-premise and hybrid clouds for self-service access to infrastructure. Dell also announced the formation of its Enterprise Systems & Solutions organization focused on the delivery of converged and enterprise workload topologies and solutions in alignment with Dell’s Enterprise vision.

Gale Technologies helps customers turn discrete compute, network and storage components into integrated and highly-optimized application, virtual desktop infrastructure, and private cloud solutions featuring self-service and advanced automation. Gale Technologies’ solution provides a comprehensive management, automation and orchestration platform for simplifying end-to-end provisioning across heterogeneous infrastructures. Gale Technologies delivers automated physical and virtual resource allocation, preserves best practice enterprise infrastructure deployment through reusable templates, and masks that complexity from the end user to provide a valuable enterprise asset.

Gale Technologies’ solutions are complementary to Dell’s enterprise approach in that they provide cost-effective management and orchestration tools that are easy to deploy and customize in both homogeneous and heterogeneous IT environments. This approach allows customers to extend their current IT investments to capitalize on new IT models.


CA Technologies, Citrix, Citrix Systems, Citrix XenApp, Dell, Desktop virtualization, Partnerships, Virtualization, Webinar/Webcast/Presentation

News shorts from Citrix Synergy Barcelona (October 17-19)

CENTERM Exhibiting Cloud Terminal

CENTERM will exhibit its new desktop cloud terminal B20 and mobile cloud terminal CT Pad2, calling it “…a major step forward as the firm demonstrates its latest technological achievement in System-on-Chip (SoC) and Power-over-Ethernet (POE) after CENTERM made its first foray into the US and European markets when it announced the GM810 cloud terminal at Citrix Synergy San Francisco 2012 in May.”

The GM810 is certified as Citrix HDX Ready and ready to ship now.

CA, Citrix Partner

CA Technologies and Citrix announced that they are partnering to “help enterprises and service providers increase agility and productivity by providing additional management and monitoring capabilities on top of Citrix cloud and desktop virtualization solutions.”

New Mobile Enterprise Solutions

Citrix unveiled the next phase of its strategy to enable the mobile enterprise. With the advent of consumerization, mobility and the cloud, an increasingly mobile workforce is looking for easier ways to work the way they want – with anyone, from any location, on any device. With today’s announcements, Citrix gives customers of all sizes the Power to Say Yes to consumer-inspired mobile workstyles with an expanding portfolio of solutions that give employees the freedom and flexibility they want, combined with the security and control businesses need. Today’s announcements make it easier for companies of all sizes to go mobile – empowering employees to interact securely with any combination of data, apps and devices – then bringing it all together in a seamless, integrated experience for end users.

Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions with Citrix Products

Dell announced new additions and enhancements to its end-to-end cloud client computing portfolio. The solutions, which are specific to Citrix-based IT environments and now available in the US and Europe, are “…easy to select, deploy, and support, and deliver a cost effective and highly secure user experience to any device anywhere.”

Dell unveiled new vStart for VDI Citrix XenDesktop 5.6 reference architectures. Available in two configurations, vStart for VDI 50 and vStart for VDI 1000 are pre-engineered, pre-built and pre-integrated converged solutions that include Dell’s PowerEdge servers, EqalLogic or Compellent storage, PowerConnect or Force10 networking, Dell Wyse T10, Dell Wyse Xenith Pro and now Dell Wyse Xenith 2 thin- and zero-clients and management plug-ins. These VDI infrastructure solutions leverage XenDesktop and help organizations achieve benefits of desktop virtualization in a rapid, highly secure manner.

Dell is also updating its DVS Simplified Appliance this month to specifically address the cost and complexity challenges of virtual desktop adoption with new flexible server form factors, support for new hypervisors and additional new capabilities.

Citrix outlines strategy

Citrix unveiled the next stage of its strategy to help enterprises and service providers of all sizes deliver business-ready cloud services. Citrix revealed that Project Avalon will be delivered in two releases – code named Excalibur and Merlin.

The Excalibur release, available this quarter as a tech preview, will feature “…advancements in simplicity, scalability and rich multi-media services needed to deliver Windows apps and desktops to millions of new consumer style mobile devices. Excalibur will dramatically simplify the management of virtual apps and desktops, giving Citrix XenApp® and Citrix XenDesktop® customers a single unified way to design and deliver any mix of virtual applications and desktops from a common management console, and deliver them to end users with any mix of virtual delivery technologies.”

The Merlin release, available as a tech preview in the first half of next year, will “…bring cloud-style orchestration, self-service and deployment flexibility to XenApp and XenDesktop by integrating proven technology from products like Citrix CloudPlatform™ and Cloud Portal™. As a result, customers will be able to rapidly deploy personalized Windows apps and desktops in a flexible, private cloud environment across single or multiple sites, and utilize public clouds in a “capacity on demand” fashion to support fluctuating business needs.”


Dell, M&A Activity, Quest, SonicWALL

Dell Acquiring Quest Software

Image representing Dell as depicted in CrunchBase

Dell and Quest Software today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Dell to acquire Quest, an IT management software provider offering a broad selection of solutions that solve the most common and most challenging IT problems.

Dell recently announced the formation of its Software Group to build upon its existing software expertise. The Dell Software Group will add to Dell’s enterprise solutions capability, accelerate strategic growth and further differentiate the company from competitors by increasing its solutions portfolio with Dell-owned intellectual property.

Quest’s family of software solutions and key technologies are strongly aligned with Dell’s software strategy. The acquisition provides critical components to expand Dell’s software capabilities in systems management, security, data protection and workspace management. In addition, Quest’s software portfolio is highly complementary to Dell’s scalable design approach to develop solutions that scale with customer needs. Some examples include:

  • The Quest One Identity and Access Management solution family adds to
    Dell’s very strong set of security assets with SonicWALL and
    Secureworks, creating a comprehensive set of security solutions to
    address important customer needs.
  • Quest’s Performance Monitoring solutions for applications, networks
    and databases address a rapidly growing need for our customers.
    Industry analysts have consistently ranked Quest Foglight as a leading
    application performance monitoring solution. Businesses of all sizes
    are looking to reduce their IT complexity and automate workloads for
    their IT departments. Customers worldwide leverage Foglight to
    continually monitor their IT environments, proactively identifying and
    remedying performance issues before they become bigger problems.
  • Quest’s Windows Server Management solutions complement Dell Services’
    rapidly growing application modernization practice with recently
    acquired Clerity Solutions and Make Technologies.
  • Effective database management is critical to the successful operation
    of most organizations. Quest’s Database Management capabilities offer
    a strong complement to Dell’s enterprise offering. Today, millions of
    DBAs, developers, and analysts around the world rely on Quest’s
    database management tools to simplify their work.

Quest has a diversified software portfolio and generated $857 million in global revenue based on its fiscal year 2011 results at gross margins of 86 percent and operating margins of 11 percent. Quest supports heterogeneous and next-generation virtualized environments across leading platform vendors. The addition of Quest, including its 1,500 software sales experts and 1,300 software developers, to Dell’s existing software expertise in systems management, security and cloud integration, is the foundation of a $1.2 billion software business, based on annual revenue.

Quest, established in 1987, is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif. and serves more than 100,000 customers worldwide, including 87 percent of the Fortune 500. The company has approximately 3,850 employees and operates 60 offices in 23 countries.


Dell, Desktop virtualization, M&A Activity, Virtualization, Wyse, Wyse Technology

Acquisition of Wyse Technology to Extend Dell’s Desktop Virtualization

Image representing Dell as depicted in CrunchBase

Dell today announced it has completed its acquisition of Wyse Technology, the global leader in cloud client computing. The combination of Wyse’s capabilities with Dell’s existing desktop virtualization offerings position the company as the leader in the desktop virtualization, enabling it to offer true end-to-end IT solutions for customers and partners.

Dell has made significant strategic investments over the past three years to expand its enterprise technology and services capabilities. The Dell Wyse portfolio with current Dell desktop virtualization offerings, leading data center products such as servers and storage, and Dell’s services division, provides customers and partners with a single vendor that can match the full range of their cloud computing and desktop virtualization needs.

The Dell Wyse solution portfolio includes industry-leading thin, zero and cloud client computing solutions with advanced management, desktop virtualization and cloud software supporting desktops, laptops and next generation mobile devices. Dell Wyse has more than 180 patents, both issued and pending, covering its solutions, software and differentiated intellectual property. Dell’s existing offerings include Desktop Virtualization Solution Simplified and Desktop Virtualization Solution Enterprise.

Dell recognizes it’s critical for the desktop virtualization solutions strategy to embrace simple device management, enhance security, scale, and boost user productivity, while providing the flexibility to support anytime, anywhere access on any device.

Dell plans to preserve Wyse’s channel offerings and all existing Wyse channel partners will be eligible for our PartnerDirect Program. Dell will combine the best of both companies’ channel deal registration programs, extend this new deal registration program to all partners, and introduce a program in which partners can grow and nurture a customer relationship.

“We’re excited to officially welcome Wyse to Dell and help extend its industry-leading efforts to a broader range of customers and partners,” said Jeff Clarke, Dell vice chairman and president, Global Operations and End User Computing Solutions. “We believe the Dell Wyse capabilities, combined with our previous desktop virtualization offerings and the strength of the Dell enterprise portfolio, provides the most comprehensive and competitive DVS solution available today.”

“Wyse and Dell share the vision and passion in helping our customers and partners create a frictionless user experience via the cloud,” said Tarkan Maner, Vice President and General Manager Dell Wyse, Cloud Client Computing.. “Combining our relentless IP innovation and tight operational skills, and most importantly our laser focus on customer and partner advocacy, Dell cloud client computing will develop and deliver the most advanced solutions globally, from the data center to the end user. We are and will be completely focused on the best user experience for any user, for any content, using any app, on any device, anytime, anywhere; without any conflict, compromise and constraint.”

“As a current customer who has deployed Wyse cloud client computing solutions with Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell EqualLogic storage, Western Wayne School District is excited about the combination of Dell and Wyse,” said Brian Seaman, Network Administrator at Western Wayne School District in Pennsylvania. “Like most school districts, Western Wayne operates in a budget constrained environment and our move to desktop virtualization technologies supported with strong enterprise infrastructure has enabled us to do more with less in service of our students and community. In working with Dell and Wyse to scope and deploy our computing environment, Western Wayne now has the right technology to help us achieve our vision of educating our students of today to become the productive citizens of tomorrow.”

“End point computing models continue to evolve and are accelerating tremendous innovation and efficiencies across enterprise desktop and personal computing,” said Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays, IDC. “One area of strong customer growth is in the desktop virtualization space and we expect to see adoption rates continue to grow over the next several years. As use models continue to mature, so do the vendors who offer solutions in this product space. Dell’s acquisition of Wyse results in an industry-leading solutions and services provider with a formidable end-to-end technology stack from the end point to the datacenter to the cloud.”


Dell, Legacy system, M&A Activity, Make Technologies, Tools

Dell Acquires Make Technologies for Cloud Transition Tech

English: logo.

Dell announced today it has finalized the acquisition of Make Technologies, a leading application modernization software and services company. This acquisition, combined with the recent acquisition of Clerity Solutions, enables Dell to empower customers to reduce the cost, risk and time required to transition business-critical applications from legacy systems to cloud infrastructure and open, standards-based platforms. Through this technology, Dell is positioned to help organizations leverage more flexible platforms, allowing them to better leverage social and mobile technologies, enhancing workforce productivity and helping to deliver better business results.

The acquisition significantly augments the applications expertise Dell offers to customers with the following services enabled by the Make Technologies Transformational Legacy Modernization (TLM) suite:

  • Detailed application portfolio assessments to help customers define a
    modernization roadmap
  • Faster, lower risk, and cost-effective approach to application and
    data re-engineering

With this acquisition, Dell is better able to provide customers IT modernization solutions to reduce operational costs, migrate to an easier-to-maintain, standards-based architecture, and move to an application and data architecture that more effectively aligns with their business strategy. With a comprehensive mix of software and services dedicated to application modernization, Dell is well positioned to help scale Make’s offering and adds another tool in its suite of solutions that can help relieve customers from the inefficiencies of legacy applications and legacy infrastructure.

By better aligning their environments with current and future business processes, Make can empower customers’ modernization efforts by providing fully re-architected applications that provide a foundation for growth. The company differentiates itself in several ways:

  • Provides customers with end-to-end application portfolio
    transformation solutions that modernize entire portfolios of legacy
    applications in less time and with higher precision
  • Provides code and data migration tools to re-architect legacy
    application software to a more modern architecture
  • Reduces cost of maintaining and managing legacy applications
  • Drastically reduces the amount of custom code in legacy portfolios,
    while protecting the legacy information and business processes of the
    business functions it supports
  • Increases business agility through a re-engineered application that
    better aligns with our customers’ current and future business processes

“The addition of Make Technologies to our Dell Services portfolio allows us to offer customers a complete suite of application modernization services to help them move their legacy IT environments to more modern architectures,” said Steve Schuckenbrock, president, Dell Services. “At Dell, we are focused on solving some of our customers’ most complex problems with powerful IT solutions. With Make and Clerity we believe we have the industry’s most robust offering to help customers meet their modernization goals in an efficient, reliable and cost-effective way.”

“If Dell embraces the MAKE process as well as the tooling, it will gain a formidable weapon for its services arm. The sky truly is the limit for Dell – if it plays its cards right¹,” wrote Forrester Research, Inc. principal analyst, Phil Murphy.

“The combination of Make Technologies and Dell provides the market with a single vendor solution for any modernization activity and is an exciting step in expanding growth opportunities for our core application modernization software and services,” said Bill Bergen, president and CEO of Make Technologies, Inc. “Together, with Dell’s global reach, scale and reputation for customer support, Make’s methodology and tools will become even more accessible to more customers struggling with the dilemma that surrounds legacy environments.”


Dell, Morphlabs, NexentaStor, OpenStack, Rackspace Cloud, Storage

Morphlabs Announces First OpenStack Converged Infrastructure for Enterprise Private Clouds

OpenStack

Morphlabs today announced the general availability of the all-SSD mCloud Rack Enterprise Edition, an SSD-powered converged infrastructure solution for the enterprise powered by OpenStack. The mCloud Rack E leverages the Dell PowerEdge-C Platform, Arista Networks’ switches and Nexenta’s enterprise-class OpenStorage to deliver the industry’s most price performant private cloud.

“The all-SSD mCloud Rack Enterprise Edition powered by OpenStack offers Morphlabs’ customers the full benefits of the most dynamic and fastest-growing open source project ever,” said Morphlabs CEO Winston Damarillo. “Morphlabs optimizes the best-of-breed cloud building blocks from Nexenta, Dell and Arista to deliver a high-performance, flexible infrastructure that leverages the robust OpenStack community for rapid innovations and increased code stability.”

The mCloud Rack E next generation modular architecture utilizes OpenStack adaptiveness to harness industry-leading cloud computing components. The mCloud Rack E optimizes enterprise cloud deployments by providing exponentially more IOPs per compute while retaining industry-defining power and cost efficiency.

“The strength of our community and contributions of companies like Morphlabs are helping accelerate the adoption of OpenStack by making it easier for enterprises to deploy and manage,” said Jonathan Bryce, OpenStack Project Policy Board and co-founder Rackspace Cloud. “Morphlabs’ mCloud Rack Enterprise Edition is a testament to the readiness of OpenStack for mission critical infrastructure deployments.”

Morphlabs’ mCloud solutions are built and tested on Dell PowerEdge-C servers, which use the latest hyperscale technology to decrease energy use, space and weight. Dell Data Center Services (DCS) provides global support for mCloud Racks, enabling four-hour response times anywhere in the world and affording a world-class supply chain to deliver the latest, most efficient and cost-effective data center technology to customers.

“As early supporters of OpenStack, Dell remains committed to providing open, standards-based solutions that enable customers to integrate new technologies without sacrificing performance or existing IT investments. By employing the power of Dell PowerEdge-C servers, including Dell’s popular Crowbar software framework, in Morphlabs’ mCloud Rack E, we created a purpose-built infrastructure that enables users to be up-and-running on an OpenStack cloud in mere hours,” said John Igoe, executive director of Cloud Solutions at Dell Inc.

The mCloud Rack E is the only converged infrastructure solution that enables scalable and modular enterprise-grade block storage. Leveraging the mCloud Rack E’s revolutionary share-nothing architecture and Nexenta Systems’ highly resilient ZFS-based NexentaStor, SSD-accelerated storage that eliminates the risk of data loss at the foundation of the cloud is finally affordable.

“If you want to accelerate the transformation of your virtualized infrastructure into an internal cloud, these solutions provide all the basic building blocks, already pre-integrated for you. They include the automation solutions for deployment, management, and monitoring; the unified virtual infrastructure; and even the self-service portal for deployment requests,” wrote Forrester Research, Inc. Vice President and Principal Analyst Richard Fichera1.

“Using OpenStack with proprietary storage makes no sense; why use an open approach to the cloud and then hand your data off to a proprietary vendor?” said Nexenta CEO Evan Powell. “Morphlabs has done a great service for their customers and the OpenStack community by launching an end-to-end engineered solution that leverages the best of open infrastructure. We’re proud that Morphlabs selected our ZFS-based and SSD-accelerated NexentaStor as the foundation of their mCloud Rack E and look forward to working closely with them.”

A trial of the mCloud platform is available for a limited time at http://www.morphlabs.com/evaluatessd/.


Dell, Research

Dell to be the Next Big Cloud Player?

Is Dell getting its ducks in a row to become the next big player to enter the cloud networking space in a big way? That’s the premise of an interesting post at Wired.

Dell has been on an acquisition spree for several years, yet the pieces of these acquisitions have not quite shown a clear vision of their purpose — until recently. Many have speculated as to the long-term vision of what all these acquisitions mean. What they really reveal is a complete end-to-end computing strategy that can handle every aspect of a business’ infrastructure, whether it be on-premise, cloud-based, private cloud-based or a hybrid cloud scenario.

Read the full post.