Is VMware thinking about e-mail?
Why would VMware consider buying an e-mail application? VMware’s growth potential lies in what the firm terms “private cloud.” Basically, it’s what it does on the vSphere platform, extended to the service provider and outsourcing communities. If the Zimbra deal happens, VMware could help provide a messaging platform for the service provider community, which could in turn lead to e-mail as a service offerings for its (service provider) customers. VMware has the virtualization platform and everything that goes with it–including HA, DR, cost efficiency, performance, etc. All it has to do is take Zimbra and run it on top of the platform, resulting in instant value to the customer and perhaps aligning well with one of the first applications on deck to move to the “cloud.” Customers could leverage third party storage for DR, test/dev, and on-demand capacity while also using that same third party for e-mail. The movement to the cloud will be based on trust, ease of doing business, and overall portfolio value. Acquiring Zimbra offers VMware the opportunity to give service providers a nice boost.
