They say politics makes strange bedfellows. So too, apparently, does cloud computing.
Salesforce and VMware, two firms that typically work at cross purposes, have forged a partnership that will see VMware power a new cloud-based application platform that will sync with Salesforce’s network and communicate with its data.
The new offering, dubbed VMforce, is on tap for release later this year, Developer.com reports.
SAN FRANCISCO — Salesforce and VMware don’t seem like two firms that have much common ground: one helps virtualize datacenter servers, the other advocates dumping your on-premises apps for their on-demand software marketplace.
But VMware owns SpringSource, a company that develops an important technology for both firms: the Spring application framework. The Spring framework has become popular as an alternative to Java EE for building enterprise-scale applications, particularly for database access.
VMware will leverage Spring to offer a new application development platform in the cloud called VMforce, which in turn will talk to Salesforce.com applications. This will basically enable Java apps to access the Salesforce network and share data, not to mention allow Java developers to write apps that utilize Salesforce services. (VMforce is slated for release later this year.)
