"Until now, the costs and level of effort required to move applications to the cloud have off-set projected savings. Automating that effort alters the equation of using the public Cloud as an extension of the data center."
AppZero News Release
Andover, Mass., May 6, 2009 - Server application virtualization pioneer AppZero has announced general availability of AppZero 4.0 for Windows. Targeted at enterprises and ISVs that want to move Windows server applications from the datacenter to a cloud computing environment, AppZero encapsulates server side applications as virtual application appliances (VAAs). This enables 100% mobility and nearly instant provisioning of applications as services across a network, on any server (physical or virtual), in the datacenter or in the cloud. AppZero is offering a free two-week down load of AppZero 4.0 at http://www.appzero.com/content/download.
By separating the application from the operating system, legacy and new applications -- such as those built on SQL Server, Oracle, IBM, SAP or open source stacks that include MySQL -- can be quickly moved across different servers and to and from clouds such as GoGrid and Amazon EC2. AppZero's VAA approach is designed specifically to address the complexity and challenge of server application virtualization for today's datacenter and cloud computing environments. VAAs are pre-installed, preconfigured applications that contain zero OS, permitting mobility without violation of Windows licensing agreements.
"Server-side application virtualization is setting the standard for next generation datacenters and cloud computing," said Greg O'Connor, AppZero president and CEO. "So far, application virtualization has been confined to the desktop. Now Windows server based applications can benefit from application isolation and mobility, as well as lower lifecycle costs, freeing businesses to run applications wherever they want." AppZero for Windows 4.0 offers a dramatic step forward by allowing server applications to work without an operating system, providing freedom from licensing restrictions, while offering an easy on ramp to the cloud, O'Connor said.
Benefits for the Enterprises, ISVs and Cloud Providers
AppZero is a critical component in the next generation datacenter, providing a wide range of benefits for enterprises, ISVs and cloud computing providers, with dramatic cost savings in application lifecycle, server and application management costs, as well as unprecedented application mobility and support for dynamic workloads in the cloud.
For Enterprises:
- A risk-free way to move applications to the cloud with no modification to applications and without cloud lock-in
- Makes disaster recovery of second-tier applications a near-zero cost option
- Dramatically reduces the application lifecycle costs
For ISVs:
- Automated proof-of-concept engagements that are instantaneous and error free
- Eases and accelerates ISVs moving to a SaaS model
- An appliance distribution model that works for Windows
For cloud providers:
- Speed and cost-efficiency in provisioning server-side applications allow cloud providers to offer higher value/margin services to clients
- Seamless cloud on- and off- ramp drives adoption without fear of cloud lock-in
Key AppZero for Windows 4.0 feature improvements include:
- 64-bit infrastructure support for Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server
- Remote run from centralized storage over the network
- No installation or copying required for running
- VAA mobility - Application can be provisioned and moved between servers, from the datacenter to the cloud, cloud to cloud, or from the cloud to the data center.
AppZero is available immediately through channel partners. Suggested retail pricing for AppZero starts at $500 per VAA instance per year. .
About AppZero
AppZero develops software for creating, controlling and maintaining Virtual Application Appliances (VAAs), server-side application appliances that make provisioning of applications as services almost instantaneous: across a network, on any server (physical or virtual), in the datacenter, hosted, or in the cloud. For more information, visit www.AppZero.com.
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All trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Contact:
Betsy Kosheff
413-232-7057
Dick Csaplar
Senior Analyst
Aberdeen
