Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP) take 2.
Various people noticed that VMware were not on the list of companies participating in the SVVP. Any player in virtualizing Windows workloads needs to be on the program: don't participate and your customers don't get properly supported. There is no valid justification for staying out.
In the last 48 hours two new names have appeared on the list: VMware and Unisys. And you can read VMware's view from the top on this
Regular readers know that I'm not exactly a friend of VMware's, but when they do the right thing I've tried to say "fair's fair". If anyone tries to make out this is VMware giving in to Microsoft in any sense, I hope they'll get knocked back. That reduces the two companies to the level a couple of children saying "I don't want to pay in your game" and then "I had the best game, you had to join" . Microsoft and VMWare (and Unisys and the 5 vendors who were on the original list) are acting like adults and doing the right thing for customers who are both simultaneously "theirs" and "ours". I wasn't party to what went on behind the scenes - whether the delay was foot-dragging or perfectly valid legal to and fro. If I'm quite honest what seemed like a valid criticism a couple of days ago seems a bit mean spirited of me this evening.