Start-Up’s Profile: VM6 Software

Company
VM6 Software, Inc. (formerly VM6 Inc., systems integration and services provider in VMware virtualization)
 
Location
Headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with offices in Toronto, ONT, New York, NY and Seattle, WA
 
Born in
2005
 
Financial funding
Series A of $4 million led by investors RBC Venture Partners and Ignition Partners
 
Main executives

• Claude Goudreault, founder and CEO: a serial entrepreneur with experience in developing IT infrastructure for large enterprises; prior VM6, consultant working for customers like Microcell, Rogers, Videotron, Bell, Hydro-Quebec, General Electric, GAN Insurance and Valero, CGI, IBM, Quebecor, John Hancock, Canada Post and OCE.
• Eric Courville, co-founder and COO: formerly VP of WW sales and business development at Embotics and PlateSpin, acquired by Novell.
• Kirsten Foon, director of marketing: was part of the marketing team at PlateSpin

Number of employees
Under 50
 
Technology
All-in-one software solution that virtualizes storage, servers and desktops on a single server. By leveraging Microsoft Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V and using x86-64 servers, it creates a virtualized IT infrastructure. It also comes with its own clustering technology and management console.
 
Products
VM6 VMex:

• Leverages virtualization technology from Microsoft (MS Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V)
• Uses two commodity x86-64 servers for high availability
• Does not require the purchase of a SAN (creating its own V-SAN)
• Can be operational in less than three hours, according to the company
• Integrates with Windows Active Directory, but has no dependency on it or on DNS
• Comes with its own clustering technology and management console (no need to buy third party clustering and management technology)

Price range
VM6 VMex starts from $2,595 per server node for VM6 VMex Standard edition. "We typically provide 70% lower TCO over traditional virtualization solutions", said VM6.
 
Roadmap
New options for automated DR and backup management, integration with Microsoft System Center as well as enhancements that for ease of use.
 
Distributors and OEMs
100% channel focused with resellers across the world

Market
SMBs, MSPs and remote office/branch offices
 
Number of customers
Several hundreds: SMBs such as JLR, Urgences-Santé, Central Plain Eyes, MSPs such as Motio and Noxent, enterprises such as the National Concert Hall of Ireland
 
Applications
Leverages Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V.
 
Competitors
From a storage perspective, HP/LeftHand and EqualLogic; from a purely virtualization angle, VMware and Citrix.