Dell Virtualization Showdown With VMware, Citrix, Red Hat?

If Dell buys Quest Software, it could thrust Dell into the virtualization market head-on against VMware (NYSE: VMW), Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (NYSE: RHT), among other potential rivals. But is Dell really trying to get into the virtualization market?

Not in the traditional sense, according to The VAR Guy’s personal hunch. Dell’s interest in Quest Software (NASDAQ: QSFT) likely involves IT management and administration software — which could help VARs, MSPs and corporate IT managers to maintain customers’ IT infrastructure. Also, Quest Software ranks among the early leaders in Microsoft Office 365 cloud migrations.

But Quest Software has a range of additional software products in its portfolio. For instance, Quest Software has vWorkspace, which supports virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), desktop as a service, and a desktop cloud capability that works with Microsoft Hyper-V Server.

What could Dell do with Quest Software and vWorkspace? Noted blogger and virtualization expert Brian Madden offered some insights. And yes, the Dell strategy could connect the dots between Quest Software, vWorkplace and Wyse Technology — which Dell has just acquired.

Still, Dell would need to balance its own virtualization, VDI and hosted desktop ambitions with its technology partner ecosystem — which includes VMware, Citrix and Red Hat.

Meanwhile, Quest Software also owns PacketTrap MSP and PacketTrap PSA, a family of on-premises and hosted software for managed services providers (MSPs). As a result, it’s a safe bet PacketTrap’s channel partners are watching the alleged Dell-Quest Software negotiations closely.

So is The VAR Guy.