A Whole New Virtual World

I can remember first seeing Linux. I met someone who was marketing a CRM package by providing the computer with the software. It could be accessed from Windows machines through a web interface, but it ran on Linux. Who cared that it was not running Windows? I was impressed.

SugarCRM is now packaged that way if you do not want to install and configure it yourself. If you pay people to do the work, it can cost as much to install and maintain an application as it does to buy the box with a support package. If you factor in the cost of your own computer, it costs more to buy your own machine and install than it does to buy the appliance.

Years later, I because aware of software stacks like Apachefriends. This stack provides a running Apache Server with MySQL and PHP that install all of a piece. I was impressed. Apachefriends comes with PHPMyAdmin, and other useful tool.

Now, I can see the new step – all made possible because of open source. I can configure a whole operating system, with security, applications and configuration, and then package it as a virtual appliance. My client can install the VMPlayer, or some such tool, and use my product out of the box. The is no need to compile or make anything – it just runs. In theory, this is very compelling. See the TWiki VMware Virtual Machine for an example. Check it out.