Oracle preps virtualization strategy

Oracle plans to integrate virtualization throughout its applications, hardware and software lineup in an effort to portray rivals like VMware as narrowly focused.

On Thursday, Oracle is holding a Webcast outlining its virtualization strategy. At the hub of this strategy is Oracle's Enterprise Manager software, which is designed to manage IT infrastructure and the various moving parts.

According to Edward Screven, chief corporate architect at Oracle, the plan is to offer virtualization throughout its IT stack preconfigured. The move isn't all that surprising since Oracle has been pitching integrated database, application and hardware systems. "Enterprises have looked at virtualization more or less as a way to consolidate," said Screven. "But it's more than just server virtualization."

Also: Oracle ships VDI 3.2

The big pitch from Oracle is that it has a vast collection of virtualized assets ranging from apps to databases to Sun's Solaris containers and desktop virtualization tools. Screven was even talking about Sunray thin clients, which are a bit of a blast from the past.

It's unclear whether customers will go for Oracle's virtualization everywhere argument since much of it depends on buying the company's IT stack. But you see where Oracle is heading though. Screven noted that VMware was "narrowly focused on server virtualization." Microsoft had virtualization and an operating system, but no apps, according to Screven. Red Hat was in a similar situation.

While sketchy on a lot of detail, Oracle's virtualization Webcast Thursday does seem to signal that the company is working on its messaging to customers. Oracle is likely to start revving up its virtualization message more. Today, the company often isn't mentioned in the same sentence with the likes of VMware, Citrix, Microsoft or Red Hat and obviously wants that to change.

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