VMware

VMware, Inc. is a multinational software company that specializes in virtualization and cloud computing. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, it develops software that enables multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server and provides tools for data center management, networking, security, and digital workspaces. Since 2023, VMware has operated as a subsidiary of Broadcom Inc. following the acquisition of the company.

The core product lines include vSphere, which combines the ESXi hypervisor with the vCenter Server management platform; vSAN for software-defined storage; and NSX for network virtualization and security. Additional offerings cover vRealize for cloud management, Horizon for virtual desktops, and Workspace ONE for digital workspace management. The security portfolio includes Carbon Black, acquired in 2019. VMware also provides cloud-integration tools to support private, public, and hybrid cloud deployments and Kubernetes environments.

History: VMware was founded in 1998 by Diane Greene, Mendel Rosenblum and others with the aim of delivering x86 virtualization. It rose to prominence with server virtualization technologies in the early 2000s and became a market leader. VMware was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004; after Dell Technologies’ acquisition of EMC, the company operated as an independent subsidiary and continued as part of the Dell ecosystem until Broadcom’s 2020–2023 acquisition process, which closed in 2023, making VMware a Broadcom subsidiary.

Impact: VMware products are widely used in data centers, service providers, and enterprises to consolidate hardware, improve disaster recovery, and enable hybrid and digital-workspace strategies. Competitors include Microsoft Hyper-V and Citrix.