Softbank Joins VMware Program

SAN FRANCISCO -- VMware (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced that major Japan-based telecommunications operator, SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp., has joined the VMware vCloud Datacenter Services Program, which delivers globally consistent enterprise-class hybrid cloud computing infrastructure services.

Through the partnership, SOFTBANK TELECOM's private and public sector customers will be able to move workloads seamlessly between their private clouds and SOFTBANK TELECOM's public cloud. By offering a common infrastructure, VMware vCloud Datacenter Services place full and rapid control in the hands of IT departments, enabling them to monitor, manage and secure their applications across environments.

The end result for enterprises will be business agility and cost effectiveness offered by a flexible hybrid cloud, combined with peace-of-mind security, on-demand computing capacity, flexibility and genuine freedom of choice.

In contrast to the IT industry's widely-held belief in a "one-cloud-fits-all" approach, VMware's customer-centric philosophy is that a cloud environment must be tailored to the unique business needs of each enterprise, while enabling organizations to leverage investment in existing IT resources. In addition, migration to cloud should represent incremental and not wholesale change, while offering the flexibility to use on- and off-premise resources in a totally secure fashion.

Today's news brings the number of service providers in the VMware vCloud Datacenter Services Program to seven, as SOFTBANK TELECOM joins Singapore-based telecoms operator SingTel and Australian subsidiary Optus, plus Verizon and Colt, as well as Terremark, BlueLock and CSC. More service providers around the world are expected to join the VMware vCloud Datacenter Services Program during the course of 2011.

"Joining our growing community of service provider partners, SOFTBANK TELECOM will deliver the full benefits of enterprise hybrid cloud computing with its new service based on VMware vCloud Datacenter Services," said Paul Maritz, CEO of VMware. "Our new partnership will enable enterprises to improve efficiency and agility by leveraging internal and external resources in a compatible, compliant and flexible manner, based on a common architecture developed and certified together by VMware and SOFTBANK TELECOM."

Designed and certified to be secure, compliant and offer up to 99.999% availability, SOFTBANK TELECOM's VMware vCloud Datacenter Services capability is based on VMware virtualization and cloud infrastructure comprising VMware vSphere, VMware vCloud Director and VMware vShield. This relationship empowers SOFTBANK TELECOM to help customers accelerate their journey to the new era of cloud computing in seamless fashion and enjoy the full cost and business-agility benefits of IT-as-a-Service.

Andrew Dutton, senior vice president and general manager, VMware Asia Pacific and Japan, said: "SOFTBANK TELECOM is our first VMware vCloud Datacenter Services Program partner in Japan. Being one of the fastest-growing service providers in this market positions the company extremely well to deliver VMware vCloud Datacenter Services. Our two companies are well aligned strategically and have the right technical and business relationships to make this partnership successful. Over time, SOFTBANK TELECOM will be able to leverage our global network of VMware vCloud Datacenter Services partners in order to extend reach to geographies the company is currently unable to serve."

SoftBank Telecom Corp.