Today Paul Maritz and Steven Herrod announced the release of VMware vSphere 5. This release is the next step in VMware’s cloud operating system. It is the industry leading platform for building cloud infrastructures.

vSphere accelerates the shift to cloud computing for existing datacenters, while underpinning
compatible public cloud offerings, paving the way to the only hybrid cloud model.

New Features include :

Scalability and Performance – Enables Virtual Machines (VM) to grow up to 32 virtual CPUs, can support 1TB vRAM, and a variety of next-generation hardware, such as 3D graphics processors and USB 3.0 devices.

High Availability – Deliver the right availability services with groundbreaking simplicity for any application.

Auto-Deploy – Deploy more vSphere hosts running the ESXi hypervisor architecture in minutes.

Flexible Hybrid Cloud Management – The vCenter Server Appliance is a Linux-based virtual appliance and the Web Client works from any browser anywhere in the world.

From my point of view this release is again a major (r)evolution in path towards a cloud operating system that can be used for both private as public clouds. vSphere is the base for all the VMware products and indeed like the online event suggested VMware raises the bar again for the competition to follow. This results in a cloud operating system which more and more becomes hardware independent. Which in the end will make IT infrastructure a lot more flexible and easier to maintain.

More information about VMware vSphere 5 is available over here.