Parallels Virtualizes OS X (Server)

ZuCom has been provided with an advance copy of Parallels Server 3.0 for Mac. (you too can get it now that it's public. at www.parallels.com). With a little over a month in use we can report that the engineering of this solution is clearly of a new caliber. This product targets enterprise shops who need to get serious about virtualizing the Mac platform.

While this product only allows the virtualization of OS X Server (Leopard Server 10.3), it does so with a no-nonsense design and offers most tools you'll need to manage a large infrastructure of VM's. With P2V tools, Management Consoles and even remote management from command line, the only thing missing from this package is a system monitoring tool (something that Parallels engineers say is something they've had a number of requests for).

With all this one has to ask where you could go wrong? Truthfully we cannot. With a starting price just north of $1200.00 (it's un-confrirmed but we think that's per host machine) it's a heck of a lot cheaper than competitors from an entry point but still a little high for the small shop who's trying to manage costs (but even that point is arguable in most circumstances).

I must make one thing clear, this is not a desktop VM solution so if that's what your looking for look at their other products. The integrated desktop features you've seen with other Parallels and VMWare aren't what this product is about. This product is clearly intended to reduce server rack space in your data center and provide you with the tools to manage that infrastructure. Simply put it does that VERY well at a competitive cost.

Overall ZuCom recommends the product and will offer support to enterprise and small business clients looking to leverage this new technology.

-Robert Zullo

ZuCom