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Parallels Announces Parallels Server for Mac with Bare Metal Capabilities

In a major extension of its server virtualization offerings for Apple environments, cloud services automation and virtualization software Parallels (www.parallels.com) has introduced the world’s first bare-metal hypervisor solution for the Apple Xserve.

According to the company’s Wednesday announcement, Parallels Server for Mac Bare Metal Edition offers greater performance for applications running in virtual machines on the Xserve, and enable businesses to standardize on the Apple platform, and open a new opportunity for cloud services providers to offer profitable Mac OS X services. The addition of Parallels Virtual Automation provides comprehensive management tools for monitoring and maintaining the virtual environment.

“The 33 percent year-on-year increase in sales of Macintosh computers reported by Apple this quarter indicates a growing interest in Apple hardware,” Parallels chief executive officer Serguei Beloussov said in a statement. “Virtualization solutions can help make this a practical reality for users, giving them the ability to run the Windows and Linux applications they need on the Apple system they want. Parallels Server for Mac Bare Metal Edition provides a high performance solution that enables IT professionals and developers to capitalize on the power of Mac OS X Server while having the flexibility to run Windows and Linux workloads both on-premise and through the Cloud.”

Building on Parallels’ virtualization portfolio for Apple environments (most notably the existing server virtualization solution, Parallels Server for Mac), the new architecture represents the first ever bare-metal hypervisor for Intel-powered Apple systems, offering users greater performance and hot migration, the ability to migrate systems without needing to go completely offline.

“The Xserve offers unbeatable performance, and Mac OS X Server is the world’s easiest to use server operating system,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “With the Mac more popular than ever, and Parallels’ new virtualization tools, there has never been a better or easier time for entire organizations to switch to Mac.” 

Not just for on-premise deployments, Parallels Server for Mac Bare Metal Edition presents an opportunity for cloud services providers to diversify their offerings into new growth areas — capitalizing on Apple’s popularity. Parallels’ service provider partners can quickly and easily offer profitable Mac OS X services, including Virtual Private Servers and application hosting as a cloud service. 

At this week’s Parallels Summit in Miami, hosting company Go Daddy (www.godaddy.com) announced plans to offer Mac OS X services based on virtual private servers built on Parallels Server for Mac Bare Metal Edition. “Go Daddy is always looking for ways to enhance our customer experience, and provide simple solutions,” Go Daddy chief operating officer and president Warren Adelman said in a statement. “We do this by offering the products our customers want and need. Together with the innovative minds at Parallels and the usability experts at Apple, we have opened the door to a line of Mac OS X hosting products.”