As if VMware didn't already have enough problems, Red Hat has gone on the offensive, claiming that its new Qumranet virtualization software outperforms VMware's ESX in a number of key areas, as The Register reports. Specifically, Red Hat claims that its KVM software:
- Runs five virtual machines (VMs) for every three that VMware's ESX can run on the same physical hardware;
- Tops out at 52 VMs on a physical server while ESX can only manage 35, and Citrix gives in at 30.
I haven't seen any independent benchmarks, but if these claims are true than proprietary VMware has a serious problem on its hands. Not only will it be more expensive, but it's also apparently offering less performance. Not a good combination.
If you want an insider's view on Red Hat's acquisition of Qumranet, you could hardly do better than to read Billy Marshall's commentary. Billy used to run North America sales for Red Hat and competes with Red Hat today from his perch at virtualization vendor rPath.
Billy writes:
With this acquisition, Red Hat is escalating the already fierce battle that is raging for control of the software layer that is rapidly replacing the general purpose OS as the access layer for hardware infrastructure. Qumranet is a very savvy acquisition by Red Hat because it plays to their strength as the primary maintainer of low level Linux kernel technology. The Linux kernel is a mature, high performing provider of hardware driver capability, and there is no doubt in my mind that it can become a significant competitor in the bare metal hypervisor space.
Billy's good opinion of the move, given his past and present roles, is telling. Of course, Billy is smart enough to know that having Red Hat validate his own assumptions of where the market is moving - toward more virtualization - can help rPath, if he plays his hand well.
Increased competition in the virtualization market from Red Hat and others is good for rPath, just as it's good for customers. I'm just waiting to see how Red Hat and other operating system vendors will productize and price it such that it's good for them, too.
Just four days after Red Hat closed its second quarter, the company has announced the acquisition of Qumranet, an open-source virtualization company, positioning the open-source leader to close many more successful quarters to come.
Red Hat acquired Qumranet for $107 million in cash, according to the company, which is surprising, given Qumranet's comparative lack of revenue, having only released its product in September of 2007.
Such is the importance of virtualization. I'd argue that Qumranet was worth the hefty multiple.
In a statement, Red Hat claims that it "can now deliver what virtualization-only vendors cannot: a comprehensive solution integrated with the operating system, which can drive down IT costs while simultaneously enhancing the flexibility and responsiveness of IT infrastructure." Nice, but the the more interesting news embedded in the Qumranet acquisition is the Windows management technology that comes with it:
The Qumranet acquisition also extends Red Hat's virtualization solutions for managing Windows desktops. SolidICE is a high-performance, scalable desktop virtualization solution built specifically for virtual desktops, not simply a retrofit from server virtualization solutions. SolidICE is designed to enable a user's Windows or Linux desktop to run in a virtual machine that is hosted on a central server.
Qumranet has been making waves for its innovative VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure). Qumranet's SolidICE makes it easy to "offer remote PCs access to virtual desktops via a Web browser," including Windows desktops.
In other words, Red Hat just got in the Windows game without having to get its hands dirty with the Microsoft operating system.
It will be interesting to see what Red Hat will do with the proprietary Qumranet technology. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Moshe Bar and the rest of the Qumranet management team fit into Red Hat's corporate structure. (Moshe is a longtime entrepreneur who had previously been behind Qlusters.)
Finally, I still want to know why the Qumranet team decided to take its name from where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Inquiring Bible-savvy minds want to know. :-)
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