VMware to bring virtualisation to mobile phones

David M Williams
Wednesday, 10 December 2008 13:23

Your IT - Mobility

Of course, the downside to this is that mobile phone operating systems using this platform will potentially lose the benefits of special chips because as far as the virtual environment is concerned there aren’t any; one virtual phone is the same as any other.

Similarly, the argument that end users can run multiple phone personalities is not entirely persuasive; I would presume these personalities are essentially totally separate virtual machines.

It will be like “dual-booting” your phone, as it were with conscious choice required as to the personality you require and a reboot needed to select something else.

Still, on the plus side, virtualised mobile phones mean end users can just pick up their whole configuration and installed applications, plus photos, videos, music and the like and bring them across to a brand new handset.

Boot up the virtual environment and you’re in business just like you were before, yet on a totally different system.

VMware have not yet stated when they expect the VMware MVP platform to be functioning on commercially-available handsets but point to a September prediction by the Gartner Group that by 2012 more than 50% of new smart phones will be virtualised.

Parties interested in becoming partners can contact VMware through www.vmware.com/mobile.