CGIDir Monday, November 6, 2006; 06:15 AM
JumpBox, a new virtual appliance development service, launches on
November 8, 2006 during the First Annual Entrepreneurship Conference in
Phoenix. JumpBox virtual appliances are a way to simplify and speed up
the deployment of server-based software both for the software vendor as
well as the consumer. Vendors interested in deploying their software
via the JumpBox platform can visit www.jumpbox.com.
There are only a few players in this new burgeoning space which is
transforming the way enterprises access applications. According to IT
Week, in an article from August 14, 2006, "Virtual appliances have some
distinct advantages over traditional appliances and servers. So many,
in fact, that the age of the traditional hardware appliance could be
coming to an end."
"The term "virtual appliance" is a fancy name for software that just
works," says Sean Tierney, CEO JumpBox. These are applications that
come bundled as a virtual computer complete with operating system and
all dependencies pre-configured so that a user can simply boot it up
and start using the software. They allow their operators to be
productive immediately without having to spend any time on setup or
maintenance of a complex application. Most commercial software is
distributed via an installer that runs in order to set up the
application and its dependencies on a physical computer. Open source
software tends to have a less-friendly setup process and often requires
that the operator have knowledge of the platform and underlying
technologies (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) in order to get it to work.
Both have the problem of deploying into an unknown environment where
there may be version compatibility issues and the need for specific
libraries in order for the application to run. JumpBox virtual
appliances simplify this deployment by wrapping all the necessary
pieces into a self-contained package that has everything the
application needs to run.
"Virtual appliances mean less time futzing with the tedious setup and
more time for being productive with using the software," adds Tierney.
"This is one of our key objectives with JumpBox virtual appliances – to
keep both the developer and the consumer more productive."
Hardware-based appliances are a common approach but with virtualization
there are significant cost savings including cutting hardware costs,
reduced power and space requirements. "Our competitive advantage is
that we will deliver virtual appliances in a more flexible manner,
while also doing so at a lower cost," says Kimbro Staken, CTO JumpBox.
JumpBox will be making their launch announcement during the opening
comments for the First Annual Entrepreneurship Conference at the Ritz
Carlton Hotel in Phoenix on November 8, 2006 at 8 am.
JumpBox will also attend VMWorld's Partner day on November 6, 2006 in
Los Angeles where they will be privy to the major players who are
driving the latest trends in virtualization.
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