VMware takes desktop virtualisation open source

VMware is to offer an open source version of its desktop virtualisation product, VMware View.

VMware View lets companies host desktops in a data centre. The new VMware View Open Client will allow the firm's partners to use that product's source code to better develop their own products and at a lower cost, the firm said.

"VMware feels strongly about industry collaboration to move the market forward to develop the best solutions," said Jocelyn Goldfein, vice president and general manager of VMware's Desktop Business Unit, in a statement.

Goldfein said that freeing up the source code will let vendors optimise the devices they create for virtual desktop systems. "As a result, IT is able to reduce the total cost of providing desktop environments by allowing low-end or less-expensive devices that provide the same feature set as higher-end devices," she added.

VMware is making View Open Client available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1. The code and more details can be found here.

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