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VMware buddies with Bitnami to hybridise cloud app templates

Virtzilla's third-party build-out brings it an apps marketplace

One of public cloud's selling points is that vendors make it super-easy to spin up common applications: Amazon Web Services, Azure and Rackspace all operate a “marketplace” in which one can find ready-to-deploy virtual machines for just about whatever takes your fancy. Google calls its version “click-to-deploy”.

VMware's vCloud Air doesn't have such a feature. Or didn't, until today, when Virtzilla teamed with Bitnami to make it happen.

Bitnami lives to deliver packaged applications into clouds. VMware lives to build cloud management software.

So the pairing makes sense because VMware gets to match its rivals and Bitnami gets a new offering, because by deploying its packaged apps into vCloud Air users can start in the cloud and then stretch back to an on-premises bit barn.

VMware feels folk will do test and development in the cloud and if they like the app Bitnami bundled, will consider either a hybrid cloud or on-premises implementation.

This arrangement is rather different to VMware's deal with Google that sees it resell the advertising giant's cloud services. However, it is thematically similar because it shows VMware is finding ways to add features to vCloud Air without having to build them.

VMware's public cloud strategy is mostly a hybrid cloud strategy: the company wants to ensure lots of vSphere customers turn to vCloud Air for their cloudy needs because it looks, feels, and behaves just like vSphere.

Matching other clouds' features, as this deal does, means users have fewer occasions on which they can say “But cloud X does stuff you can't”.

Virtzilla is a mighty company but its pockets just aren't as deep as Microsoft's, Amazon's or Google's. Working with partners to broaden and deepen vCloud Air therefore looks quite clever. ®

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