VMware Opens Virtual-Appliance Marketplace

VMware, long an advocate of prepackaged software appliances that can be loaded onto virtualization software, launched a program Tuesday to certify and sell such virtual appliances. The move expands VMware’s earlier support for virtual appliances as a good way to try software. Now its Virtual Appliance Marketplace provides a way to buy as well. The EMC subsidiary also launched a certification program to ensure such appliances are working properly.