Worldwide Software Appliance 2008 Top 10 Predictions: What to Look for in 2008

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Predictions
• In This Study
• Situation Overview
• Future Outlook
  • 1. The Puzzle Pieces Required for Software Appliances Are Mostly There, and the Required Infrastructure, Sans Management, Will Fall in Place to Support Software Appliances
  • 2. Start-Ups Will Fill the Management Gap, But the Real Question Is When Will the Major Management Vendors Take Notice?
  • 3. Virtual Server Deployments Are Exploding; Compounding That with a Move from Hardware Appliances to Software Form Factors Will Make the Market Ripe for Success
  • Figure: Reason for Use of Virtualization Software
  • 4. Early Software Appliance Adoption Will Follow a Similar Trend to Hardware Appliances - Led by Security, Storage, and IT Infrastructure, and Followed Later by More Complex, Heavier Workloads
  • Figure: Current and Future Workload Deployment Areas for Software Appliances
  • 5. Software Appliances Will Move Beyond an Application Delivery Form Factor and Become a New Medium for Competitive Differentiation, Accomplishing Previously Difficult Tasks Such as Aggregation of Unused Processor and Storage Resources
  • 6. Software Appliances Will Begin to Move Down a Path to Become a Viable Tool to Enable On-Premise Software Vendors to Deliver Services That Can Compete More Effectively with SaaS Solutions
  • 7. Linux Will Be the Runaway Software Appliance Operating System of Choice for 2008 and Beyond Because of Its Flexible Subscription Model, and Even More So Because of Its Availability as a Subscription- and Cost-Free Solution
  • 8. Novell Must Respond to the Recent Announcement of the Red Hat Appliance Operating System and Its Associated Development Kit, or Possibly Be Left Behind
  • 9. Despite Windows Having the Broadest Application Portfolio Today, Which Makes This Operating System a Prime Candidate to Be Incorporated into Software Appliances, Its Licensing and Packaging Restrictions Make It a Nonstarter for Now
  • 10. Some Low-End Software Appliances Delivered in 2008 Won' t Be the Best Quality But Will Be More than Adequate for the Tasks They Target; at the Other End of the Market, Watch for Entrants from One or More Large Vendors with Sophisticated Solutions
  • Figure: Software Appliance Ease of Use
  • Figure: Future Deployment Plans for Software Appliances
• Essential Guidance
• Learn More
  • Related Research
  • Definitions
    • Software Appliances
    • Virtual Appliances
  • Synopsis