VMware teams with LG on smartphone virtualization

VMware, a major name in desktop virtualization through its Cisco alliance, has announced a partnership with LG that could prove equally significant for smartphones.
 
The company said earlier in the year that it was embedding its Mobile Virtualization Platform (MVP) in devices from various OEMs, but did not reveal their names.
 
Now it is clear one was LG, which has announced a deal to “help enterprises of all sizes improve security and control sensitive corporate data while enabling more flexible access via employee owned mobile devices.”
 
The first priority will be to enable selected LG smartphones to run separate business and personal accounts, with their own discrete settings and apps, on the same handset. It expects to have VMware's technology available on some devices next year.
 
The technology will work much like a server or desktop hypervisor, with Android running the user's own email and apps, and a guest OS supporting the work environment - or the other way round.
 
That guest OS could be another Linux system or, subject to licensing requirements, a third party OS.
 
The vendor told NetworkWorld that “VMware's strategy with mobile phones will be very similar to our approach in the PC space. Users have the ability to run any supported guest operating system as long as it complies with predetermined licensing guidelines.” The devices would also have two phone numbers.
 
The alliance is part of LG's battle to improve its fortunes in the smartphone market, where it was a latecomer and needs clear differentiators.
 
Its first strategy was focused on price - launching its Optimus One as a very affordable, fully-featured, Android phone.
 
Now it will look to higher end features to boost its margins and target different user bases.