Palo Alto, California - (The Hosting News) - August 12, 2008 - Virtualization solutions firm, VMware, Inc.'s VIP Partner Program, has instituted its new VMware System Builder Program, designed for selling the VMware virtualization solutions.

The VMware System Builder Program provides certain unique benefits for system builders, including pre-sales technical support, targeted training programs, and new and improved marketing tools. System builders also can leverage all the best-in-class benefits of the VMware VIP Partner Program including the Advantage+ financial incentive program, the VMware Alliance Affiliate Initiative, the VMware Going Green Program, and the ability to sell VMware's entire line of industry-leading virtualization solutions.

Steve Dallman, Vice President, worldwide reseller channel organization at Intel Corporation noted, ''For system builders focused on the server business, there is a great new opportunity for them to increase their value-add with VMware's virtualization software. We are excited about VMware's new System Builder program, which provides the necessary certified education and technical enablement resources for Intel channel partners to rapidly customize their server hardware solutions for a time-to-market advantage.''

A ''system builder'' is considered to be an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that focuses on local or national distribution. In addition, VMware has been working with leading global original design manufacturers (ODMs) to certify a wide range of one-, two- and four-socket server systems as well as blade servers for the VMware ESX and ESXi hypervisors. ODMs supply many system builders with the hardware they use to build and brand their custom systems. This existing effort from VMware provides system builders participating in the new program even more flexibility in how they make VMware virtualization available by offering a broader range of hardware options to suit the needs of customers of all sizes.

VMware system builders worldwide can sell VMware's entire line of datacenter and desktop virtualization solutions - composed of more than 20 products that run on top of the industry-leading VMware ESX hypervisor - and have access to specialized benefits including:

• Up to 10 instances of pre-sales technical support targeted to help system builders successfully integrate their systems for customers
• Online trouble-shooting courses and comprehensive technical training that helps system builders provide the unique technical support their customers need
• New marketing programs and sales tools designed specifically to help system builder partners capitalize on the market opportunity of VMware virtualization, including a unique system builder logo, a system builder community forum and sales training

In addition to the specialized benefits, system builders can take advantage of the full benefits of the VMware VIP Partner Program, including:

• The VMware Advantage+ financial incentive program, which delivers best-in-class margin enhancements to VMware VIP partners and is designed to help reward the partner's investments when proactively selling VMware products and solutions. The VMware VIP Partner Program rewards VMware VIP partners with a combined up-front discount and back-end rebate program when selling into new accounts, registering new opportunities and influencing deals.
• The VMware Alliance Affiliate Initiative, which enables partners to accelerate profitability through joint solution selling with VMware's technology alliance partners.
• The VMware Going Green Program, which provides financial incentives to partners in North America who participate in the energy-efficiency rebate programs offered by a growing number of utility companies nationwide, helping companies who virtualize their datacenters to reduce power consumption.
• VMware demand generation programs, which help partners integrate and execute virtualization marketing activities quickly and easily including pre-packaged customizable campaigns, Website-in-a-box content, RSS feeds and other activities.

Steve Houck, Vice President of worldwide channels at VMware remarked, ''System builders account for a significant number of servers sold around the world, especially to small and medium businesses, so it is important that we provide them with the tools they need to capitalize on the global market opportunity for VMware virtualization. Now that customers and partners can download the VMware ESXi hypervisor free of charge, we expect virtualization to become even more pervasive, increasing the demand for system builder offerings. To help address this, we will continue to broaden our world-class partner program, which now enables our system builder partners to more easily develop their expertise, achieve additional profitability and stimulate demand for their solutions through VMware virtualization.''

VMware, a global virtualization solutions provider, from the desktop to the datacentre. Customers of all sizes rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2007 revenues of $1.3 billion, more than 100,000 customers and nearly 14,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest growing public software companies. VMware is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and on the web at www.vmware.com. VMware Canada is headquartered in Burlington, Ontario.

To learn more about the VMware System Builder program, please visit: www.vmware.com/partners/vip/system-builders.

For more about VMware, please visit: www.vmware.com.