VMWare release open virtualisation client

The VMWare View Logo, coming to an open source desktop soon? VMWare have announced the VMWare View Open Client, an open source implementation of a client for VMWare View, VMWare's proprietary virtualisation platform. The release of the source code is hosted on Google Code under the LGPL 2.1 licence. The code, as released, lacks a number of features of VMWare's proprietary client products, for example USB and multimedia redirection and multiple desktop sessions, but retains the ability to work over an SSL tunnel and to authenticate with RSA SecurID.

Some observers have suggested that this is an response to open source and proprietary virtualisation solutions from Microsoft, Sun, Red Hat and others. heise Online talked to Fredrick Sjostedt, VMWare's Director of EMEA Product Marketing. Sjostedt says that VMWare's intention is rather that the open client creates a lower cost on-ramp for mobile device and Linux developers to integrate with VMWare's proprietary infrastructure.

Previously, a device maker would need to make partner arrangements with VMWare for them to implement the client for their platform. With the new open sourced client, these developers can now download the code, port it themselves and either obtain a VMWare Thin Client certification for their version from VMWare later, or support their port themselves. This reduces the engineering costs, both for developer partners and VMWare, and this is apparently the strategy behind the open source move. VMWare is no stranger to providing open source code where it can see an advantage. In 2007, it released code to create the Open Virtual Machine Tools project, which allowed open source developers to improve support for their distributions when running within a VMWare virtual machine.

(djwm)