VMware on Tuesday said it acquired Socialcast, a collaboration company, for an undisclosed sum. Couple Socialcast with other recent acquisitions and VMware is clearly aiming to be a desktop collaboration player.
The company said in a statement that it will use Socialcast—along with the acquisitions of SlideRocket and Zimbra—to build its “modern end-user computing model.” Toss in VMware’s Horizon App Manager and the company appears to be trying to encroach on Citrix’s turf.
According to the company, the plan is to provide access to desktop applications on any device. Citrix with its Receiver and portfolio of tools like GoToMeeting has staked out a similar position.
What’s unclear is whether these collaboration parts will put VMware firmly on end-users’ radar. Typically, VMware has been positioned as a data center play. Socialcast brings customers like Avaya, SAS and Nokia to the table.
