Virtualization Notebook
8 PCs For the Price of One? I recently spoke with Eli Segal, CEO of an Israeli-based company that has built what they call a next-generation PC.
Miniframe was founded in 2003 and its SoftExpand product is essentially an out-of-the-box virtualized PC that doesn't use any hypervisor technology. The secret sauce is software that balances host PC resources between CPU and the video card's GPU. Additional LCD monitors share resources and applications and attach to the host via cabling and a USB hub.
The company now has a presence in 25 countries including Belgium, Singapore, and Nigeria and sells primarily to business markets through distribution partners. Segal says they have yet not tackled the U.S. market and are still deciding whether to approach it from a consumer or business standpoint. He also believes that the company's product aligns very well with the goals of the One Laptop Per Child foundation. Developing countries can use the technology to great advantage and chip away at the digital divide in which 75 percent of the world's PCs are deployed in only 15 countries.
A Few Notes on Greene’s Departure. When Microsoft's Hyper-V was made available last month, I remember wondering if VMware was going to come up with some news designed to take some of the wind out of Microsoft's sails. Well, problem solved. Based on a lot of conversations I've had with industry insiders and analysts, Diane Greene was a much admired and well respected figure in the virtualization market and within the company she founded and built into the powerhouse it is today. Although I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting her, I did take notice of her unique and personable management style as CEO which, while not "fitting the mold" from an investor point of view, was certainly refreshing. Let's hope we see more of Diane Greene in the IT industry going forward.
Posted by Tom Valovic on 07/21/2008 at 12:49 PM