Tuesday, 18 July 2006

Microsoft Buys Virtualisation Company Softricity

Microsoft has completed the acquisition of Softricity Inc., a provider of application virtualisation and dynamic streaming technologies. The financial terms of the deal announced on May 22 has not been disclosed.

Microsoft claims the acquisition would help its customers reduce costly application management processes, accelerate application and operating system deployments, and create a foundation for a software services infrastructure.

Softricity’s application virtualization technology can help significantly reduce the amount of application compatibility testing typically needed when deploying new applications, upgrades and patches. Applications are served centrally and delivered directly to the user’s desktop in an isolated, virtualized image, minimizing application-related alterations to the operating system and compatibility challenges with other applications.

"Customers will now have access to new Microsoft solutions to address application compatibility challenges, ease migration to Windows Vista and Windows Server, code-named ‘Longhorn,’ and dynamically deliver application functionality," Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft.

With the closing of this acquisition, Softricity becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, and integration of Softricity’s technologies into the Microsoft software delivery and engineering processes begins.

Microsoft said it will soon make available the SoftGrid application virtualization platform at a reduced price in the streamlined form of two core offerings: SoftGrid for Desktops and SoftGrid for Terminal Services. Both products will include the Softricity ZeroTouch Web-based access and self-service portal functionality.

In addition, Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 customers will be able to acquire Softricity’s SMS connector as a free download, Microsoft said.