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Parallels parallels Citrix, VMware with mobile app delivery slurp

2X software acquisition to take junior virtualiser into Citrix's lair

VMware made its name in server virtualisation and Citrix rose to fame with application delivery technologies. Both now compete in both fields and in the emerging market for application delivery to, and management of mobile devices.

Junior virtualiser Parallels, meanwhile, has concentrated on helping service providers to stand up virtual servers for their clients and bundling apps for consumption-as-a-service.

Until now, that is. The company's just acquired 2x Software, a provider of application virtualisation, remote application delivery, and mobile device management solutions.

Parallels and 2x are both privately held, so there's no mention of how much coin has changed hands.

Neither company is saying much about what comes next, but Parallels president Jack Zubarev's canned statement says “We see huge synergies with Parallels Access and Parallels Desktop products and are excited about the potential 2X solutions brings to us.”

Parallels Access makes it possible to run Windows and Mac OS apps from mobile devices... which is just what Citrix and VMware also offer.

Parallels' service provider focus means it is probably not going to go head to head with VMware and Citrix for enterprise business. Citrix, however, runs a programme that sees it work with service providers to target software developers looking for a way to get into software-as-a-service. The idea is that service providers will give developers apps the Citrix treatment to give themselves a new subscription product to sell and developers an easier on-ramp to the cloud.

This acquisition and the little we know about it looks to signal Parallels is going to have a go at something similar. ®

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