Big-name vendors join VMware affiliate program

LAS VEGAS — VMware announced nine new members of its Alliance Affiliate Initiative this morning during Partner Day, the kickoff to VMworld 2008.

The Alliance Affiliate Initiative gives VMware partners extra margins for selling other vendors’ products along with VMware products. The nine new members are BMC Software, Computer Associates, IBM, Symantec, Cisco Systems, Force10, Emulex, Kingston Technology Company and Hewlett-Packard.

All nine will be sponsoring seminars today about how VMware partners can take advantage of these new opportunities. I’ll be attending Symantec’s session with Julie Parrish, the company’s vice president of worldwide channels, so check back later for a recap.