VMware Community Source
The Community Source program provides industry partners with an opportunity to collaborate with VMware on the ESX source code under a royalty-free license. Partners have the ability to use source access to contribute shared code or use ESX interfaces to create binary modules through a collaborative development model. An architecture board comprised of technical architects from the partner community and VMware will influence the evolution of ESX and drive the definition of new interfaces. This approach combines the best of commercial software and open source models to drive open collaboration while preserving the ability of partners to build differentiated, intellectual property-protected solutions. Read quotes from industry leaders about the Community Source approach.
For customers, the source access and development model will make it possible for advanced, virtualization-aware technologies and solutions to appear much more rapidly. Source access can also accelerate the interoperability between VMware and other vendor products.
For partners, the source access and development model allows efficient delivery of differentiated product capabilities that feature deep integration with VMware's highly functional and stable virtualization software. By building on a mature platform with widespread enterprise customer acceptance, partners can deliver solutions that gain immediate commercial viability and accelerate the return on their development investment. Read quotes from program participants.
How Do I Get Involved?
Participation in the VMware Community Source program is initially available to corporate entities large and small, with a focus on technology vendors whose technologies or commercial objectives intersect with virtualization technology. See a list of current Community Source members.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more details on key elements of the program.
For more information about possible participation with VMware Community Source, please submit a web information request form with your proposed objectives for participation.
VMware also expects broader availability of the program to academia and industry researchers in the future. If you are an interested academic or research entity please submit a web information request form and VMware will contact you as the soon as the Community Source program is further extended to additional partners.