VMware facts for kids
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Entrance to campus headquarters, Palo Alto, California
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Formerly
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VMware, Inc. (1998–2023) | ||
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| Traded as | NYSE: VMW (2007–2023) | ||
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| Founded | February 10, 1998 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
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| Headquarters | Stanford Research Park Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$13.4 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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 US$2.0 billion (2023) |
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| US$1.3 billion (2023) |
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| Total assets | US$31.2 billion (2023) |
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| Total equity | US$1.5 billion (2023) |
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Number of employees
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38,300 (2023) | ||
| Parent | Broadcom | ||
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| Footnotes / references Financials as of February 3, 2023[update] |
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VMware LLC is an American company that creates cloud computing and virtualization technology. It is based in Palo Alto, California. VMware was the first company to successfully make x86 architecture computers run "virtual" versions of themselves.
VMware's desktop software works on computers using Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. Its special software for large computer systems, called VMware ESXi, is an operating system that runs directly on server hardware.
On November 22, 2023, another company called Broadcom Inc. bought VMware. This deal was worth about US$69 billion. After the purchase, VMware's division that focused on software for end-users was sold to KKR. This part of the company was then renamed Omnissa.
History of VMware
How VMware Started
VMware was founded in 1998 by five people: Diane Greene, Mendel Rosenblum, Scott Devine, Ellen Wang, and Edouard Bugnion. Diane Greene and Mendel Rosenblum were students at the University of California, Berkeley. Edouard Bugnion was the main designer and technology leader until 2005.
For its first year, VMware worked quietly, with about 20 employees. The company officially launched in February 1999. Their first product, VMware Workstation, came out in May 1999. In 2001, they started offering software for servers, like VMware GSX Server and VMware ESX Server.
In 2003, VMware introduced new features like VMware Virtual Center and vMotion. They also added support for 64-bit computer systems in 2004.
Being Part of EMC
On January 9, 2004, a company called EMC (now Dell EMC) bought VMware for US$625 million. Later, on August 14, 2007, EMC sold 15% of VMware's shares to the public. This was done through an initial public offering, where shares started at US$29 each.
In July 2008, Diane Greene, one of the founders and the CEO, left the company. Paul Maritz, who used to work at Microsoft, took over as CEO. Mendel Rosenblum, another co-founder, also left in September 2008.
VMware worked with Cisco Systems in 2008. This led to new products like the Cisco Nexus 1000V. In 2011, EMC moved its Mozy backup service to VMware.
VMware also released an open-source system called Cloud Foundry in April 2011. This system helped developers create and run applications more easily.
In August 2012, Pat Gelsinger became the new CEO of VMware. Paul Maritz moved to a different role at EMC. In March 2013, VMware created a separate company called Pivotal Software. Many of VMware's tools for app developers moved to Pivotal.
In May 2013, VMware launched its own IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) called vCloud Hybrid Service. This service allowed businesses to extend their existing virtual computer systems into the cloud. It was later renamed vCloud Air and then sold.
Becoming Part of Dell
In January 2016, before Dell bought EMC, VMware made some changes. They reduced about 800 jobs, and some leaders left. However, VMware continued to release updates for its products.
In April 2016, other important people from VMware also left. Despite rumors, CEO Pat Gelsinger said he would stay. In August 2016, VMware launched its Cloud Provider website. The Mozy service was moved back to Dell after Dell and EMC merged.
In April 2017, VMware was ranked as one of the highest-paying companies in the United States. In mid-2017, VMware sold vCloud Air to a French company called OVH.
On January 13, 2021, CEO Pat Gelsinger left VMware to become the CEO of Intel. Zane Rowe, the CFO, became the temporary CEO.
Becoming Independent from Dell
On April 15, 2021, Dell decided to separate from VMware. Dell gave its shares in VMware to its own shareholders. The two companies planned to keep working together for at least five years. This separation was completed on November 1, 2021.
On May 12, 2021, Raghu Raghuram was announced as the new CEO of VMware. In May 2022, VMware announced a partnership with the Formula One racing team, McLaren Racing.
Acquisition by Broadcom
On May 26, 2022, Broadcom announced its plan to buy VMware for about $61 billion. Broadcom also took on $8 billion of VMware's debt. Broadcom's software group was planned to be renamed VMware.
The deal was completed on November 22, 2023. There was a delay because the Chinese government wanted to make sure VMware's server software would still work with other companies' hardware. After the deal, Broadcom reorganized VMware into four main parts. They also laid off over 2,800 employees. Broadcom moved its main office to VMware's campus in Palo Alto.
On December 13, 2023, VMware stopped selling products with one-time licenses. They moved to a system where customers pay a subscription fee. This change was planned before Broadcom bought the company.
In February 2024, the private equity firm KKR bought Broadcom's End-User Computing (EUC) Division, which used to be part of VMware. This deal was for about $4 billion. The EUC division was renamed Omnissa. It includes products like Horizon and Workspace ONE UEM.
On May 14, 2024, VMware announced that VMware Workstation Pro and VMware Fusion Pro would become free for personal use. Businesses still needed to pay for them. In November 2024, VMware announced that commercial use would also be free.
Companies VMware Acquired
VMware has bought many other companies over the years to add new technologies and services. Here are some of them:
| Date | Company | Description |
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| October 2005 | Asset Optimization Group | Helped with planning how much computer power was needed. |
| June 2006 | Akimbi Systems | Focused on managing computer labs. |
| April 2007 | Propero | A company that provided virtual desktop services. |
| September 2007 | Dunes Technologies | A company from Switzerland. |
| October 2007 | Sciant | An outsourcing company from Bulgaria. |
| January 2, 2008 | Foedus | A professional services company from the U.S. |
| July 2008 | B-hive Networks | A startup from Israel. VMware opened a research center there. |
| October 2008 | Trango Virtual Processors | Developed software for ARM processors. |
| October 2008 | Blue Lane Technologies | Made virtual firewalls for security. |
| November 26, 2008 | Tungsten Graphics | Specialized in 3D graphics software. |
| August 10, 2009 | SpringSource | Created popular software for building web applications. |
| January 12, 2010 | Zimbra (software) | An open-source email system. |
| May 6, 2010 | GemStone Systems | Developed a fast, shared database system. |
| January 2011 | NeoAccel Inc | Its technology was used in VMware's networking products. |
| April 26, 2011 | SlideRocket | Made online tools for creating presentations. |
| May 31, 2011 | Socialcast | Created a private social network for businesses. |
| August 2011 | PacketMotion | Focused on monitoring user activity. |
| May 22, 2012 | Wanova | |
| July 2, 2012 | DynamicOps | Developed a cloud management system. |
| July 23, 2012 | Nicira | Made software for virtual networks. VMware bought it for $1.2 billion. |
| February 11, 2013 | Virsto | |
| October 15, 2013 | Desktone | Provided desktop-as-a-service. |
| January 22, 2014 | AirWatch and Wandering WiFi | Helped manage and secure mobile devices for businesses. Bought for $1.54 billion. |
| March 6, 2014 | ThirdSky | Consulting firm for IT services. |
| August 20, 2014 | CloudVolumes | Helped deliver applications to virtual desktops in real-time. |
| October 29, 2014 | Continuent | Developed software for database management. |
| October 2014 | MomentumSI | Consulting firm for cloud migration. |
| June 13, 2016 | Arkin Net | Helped discover and manage network security. |
| April 12, 2017 | Wavefront | Provided cloud-based monitoring tools. |
| May 15, 2017 | Apteligent | Focused on mobile application performance. |
| December 12, 2017 | VeloCloud Networks | Developed software for wide area networks (SD-WAN). |
| February 18, 2018 | CloudCoreo | Helped manage cloud settings. |
| February 22, 2018 | CloudVelox | Software for automating cloud operations. |
| March 28, 2018 | E8 Security | Software for protecting devices from online threats. |
| May 14, 2018 | Bracket Computing | Security virtualization technology. |
| August 27, 2018 | CloudHealth Technologies | Platform for managing cloud costs and security. |
| November 6, 2018 | Heptio | Provided Kubernetes software and services. |
| February 2019 | Aetherpal | Added remote support for mobile devices. |
| May 15, 2019 | BitRock | Tool for creating software installers. |
| July 2019 | Avi Networks | Provided cloud application services like load balancing. |
| July 18, 2019 | Bitfusion | Focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning. |
| August 20, 2019 | Intrinsic | Focused on application and serverless security. |
| October 8, 2019 | Carbon Black | Software to detect and prevent online attacks. |
| December 30, 2019 | Pivotal Software | Provided cloud-native technology and services. |
| July 31, 2020 | Lastline | Cybersecurity and breach detection platform. |
| September 29, 2020 | SaltStack | Software for automation and configuration management. |
Legal Matters
In March 2015, a person named Christoph Hellwig sued VMware in Germany. He claimed that VMware's ESXi product used parts of the Linux kernel without following its open-source rules. VMware said their product was not based on the Linux kernel. The lawsuit was dismissed in July 2016 and again in February 2019.
In May 2023, VMware was ordered to pay $84.5 million to a Canadian software company called Densify. This was because VMware had used some of Densify's patented technology without permission.
VMware's Main Products
VMware is best known for its "hypervisors." These are special programs that let one computer act like many separate computers. VMware's first popular product was VMware Workstation. This led to other products like ESX/ESXi for servers and the older VMware Server.
VMware software creates a "virtual" computer with its own video, network, and hard disk. This makes it easy to move virtual computers between different physical computers. A system administrator can pause a virtual machine, copy it to another computer, and start it exactly where it left off. For large businesses, a feature called vMotion allows moving running virtual machines between servers without anyone noticing.
VMware's products can work on older computer processors that don't have special virtualization features. On newer processors, they use these features to run even faster. VMware software runs very quickly, often at more than 80% of the speed of a regular computer.
Desktop Software
- VMware Workstation: This software, first released in 1999, lets users run many different operating systems on one personal computer. It became free for personal use in May 2024 and free for commercial use in November 2024.
- VMware Fusion: This software does the same thing as Workstation but for Intel Mac and Apple Silicon computers. It also became free for personal use in May 2024 and free for commercial use in November 2024.
Server Software
- VMware ESXi: This is a powerful software for businesses. It runs directly on server hardware, which means it uses less of the server's power. This allows virtual servers to run very efficiently. VMware ESXi also works with VMware vCenter, which adds more helpful services.
Cloud Management Software
- VMware vRealize Suite: This is a platform for managing cloud systems, especially for hybrid clouds (a mix of private and public clouds).
- VMware Cloud Foundation: This helps businesses easily set up and manage their own private cloud systems.
- vSphere+ and vSAN+: These add-on services help protect important applications running on a business's own servers. They include features for recovering from disasters and protecting against ransomware.
Application Management
- VMware Workspace Portal: This was a self-service app store for managing how people access their work tools.
- PlateSpin: This software helps with setting up and managing computer systems.
Storage and Availability Products
VMware has two main products for storing data and making sure it's always available:
- VMware vSAN: This is a special storage system built into VMware's ESXi software. It uses standard servers to create a powerful storage system. The latest version, 6.7, was released in April 2018.
- VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM): This tool helps businesses automatically switch their virtual machines to a backup location if their main site has a problem.
Networking and Security Products
- VMware NSX: This is VMware's product for creating virtual networks. It helps businesses manage their data centers using software. This technology helps control who can access applications and data more securely.
Other Products
- VIX API: This is a tool that allows computer programs to automatically manage virtual machines.
- Herald: This is a special way for mobile devices to communicate using Bluetooth. It helps with finding how far away devices are. This code is open-source and was used in Australia's COVIDSafe app for contact tracing.
Former Products
Desktop Software
- VMware Workstation Player: This was a free version of VMware Workstation for personal use. It had fewer features than the full Workstation product. It has since been discontinued.
Cloud Management Software
- VMware Horizon View: This product helped businesses provide virtual desktops to their employees. It was part of the EUC division that was sold to KKR and renamed Omnissa.
Other Products
- Workspace ONE UEM: This software helped mobile users access apps and data securely. It was also part of the EUC division sold to KKR and renamed Omnissa.
Security Incidents
In early 2022, hackers used a weakness called Log4Shell to get into servers that used VMware software. This happened to organizations that had not updated their systems with fixes released by VMware. Hackers used this weakness to install hidden software and to mine cryptocurrency. The Lazarus Group, a cybercrime group, also used Log4Shell to attack VMware Horizon servers.
A security weakness called CVE-2025-22230 was found in VMWare Tools for Microsoft Windows. This weakness could allow a virtual machine to break out of its virtual environment. Broadcom shared information about this weakness on March 25, 2025.
See also
In Spanish: VMware para niños
- Comparison of platform virtualization software
- Hardware virtualization
- Hypervisor
- VMware VMFS
