EMC announced broad participation in VMware vStorage, a set of technologies that provides storage vendors like EMC with interfaces and programs that enable its products to integrate and optimize their capabilities with the VMware platform. Having strong integration points across EMC's portfolio, improve the ties between two critical areas of the virtual environment: centralized storage and virtual infrastructure.

"Customers are demanding more efficient and flexible management of their virtual datacenters," said EMC's Mike O'Neill, Vice President, Technology Alliances. "To make sure we address these customer challenges, EMC is working with VMware on the elements of the vStorage program. Through this program, EMC will continue to deliver more storage products that are directly integrated with VMware Infrastructure, VMware VirtualCenter, and the VMware vStorage framework."

EMC is participating in the following VMware vStorage programs:

vStorage APIs for Multipathing

• vStorage APIs

• EMC integrates with VirtualCenter and array-based snapshots on VMFSvolumes with EMC Replication Manager. This provides virtual-machine consistent backups for datastores and the ability to restore virtual machines instantly in a few clicks. The vStorage APIs provide the framework for further VirtualCenter integration.
• EMC platforms support advanced offload mechanisms through vStorage APIs to accelerate common VMware tasks.
• EMC supports virtual provisioning across our entire storage portfolio and is working with the vStorage APIs so that provisioning and utilization information for EMC storage is directly accessible within the VirtualCenter interface.

• VMware Ready Storage Virtual Appliances

"We are excited about the opportunity to further improve customer TCO and deliver a richer customer experience with EMC's broad participation in the VMware vStorage program," said Parag Patel, Vice President of Alliances at VMware. "EMC's end-to-end product line makes good use of VMware's broad enablement portfolio and helps customers maximize the return from their investments."