Sun Microsystems today announced Solaris (SM) On Demand, its software as a service (SaaS) program for the independent software vendor (ISV) community. This program provides ISVs with the technology, hosted infrastructure and services needed to offer their software as a service. It is especially targeted at ISVs with a traditional, on-premise license model who want to offer their existing application on-demand without having to use a multitenancy application architecture.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is giving customers a new way to simplify IT by delivering optimized hardware and consulting services around Microsoft’s most advanced Windows Server operating system, Windows Server® 2008. Available across Dell’s PowerEdge™ server line, Windows Server 2008 – when optimized by Dell – can provide customers with more energy efficient computing, simplified virtualization and greater control for running mission critical business applications. Windows Server 2008 will be available worldwide for ordering from Dell the first week of March.

Sun signed an OEM agreement with Microsoft to enable deployment of Windows Server operating system on Sun x64 systems.

Much to the delight of open-source operating system vendors and the community, VMware announced that it has released a majority of VMware Tools as open source software as part of the project Open Virtual Machine Tools. VMware Tools is a set of guest operating system virtualization components that enhance performance and improve management of VMware virtual machines.

Responding to the need for yet smaller, cheaper, and easier to manage thin clients, Wyse Technology, today announced its zero client computing vision and initial product line-up that supports it. This breakthrough product vision addresses needs for reduced hardware costs, "greener", more flexible desktop/mobile thin devices, a richer user experience, and simplified IT management.