Parallels Workstation 2.1 Offers Superior Hardware Support, New Interface, Free Upgrade; Company Also Commits to Support Intel's New Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O(R) (VT-d).

HERNDON, Va. -- Parallels, Inc. today announced the general availability of version 2.1 of its desktop virtualization software, Parallels Workstation. The upgraded version delivers faster performance, better stability, and stronger isolation of virtual machines.

Additional improvements and new features in the popular, easy-to-use, cost-effective virtualization software include:

--A completely re-designed interface

--Better hardware support, including USB and wireless networking support, and support for PAE-enabled machines

--Better functionality, including the ability to suspend and resume VM (virtual machine) activity, a new "compact hard disk" feature that helps users manage available hard disk resources, and a more robust tools package that lets users personalize their experience

--Primary and guest support for SUSE Linux 10

--Guest OS support for Sun Solaris.

--Improved performance for guest OS/2 virtual machines

A complete list of Workstation 2.1's new features and functions is available at http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/21/newfeatures/.

"Parallels Workstation 2.1 is everything you need in a virtualization solution; it offers superlative performance, stability and ease of use, and on top of that, it is by far the most cost-effective solution available," said Benjamin Rudolph, Parallels' Marketing Manager. "This release's impressive performance, feature set and industry-leading, low price point, coupled with free upgrades for current customers and responsive support, reinforce our across-the-board commitment to building virtualization solutions that work for anyone, regardless of computer savvy or budget."

Additionally, Parallels announced that future versions of Parallels virtualization products will offer full support for Intel's next generation of hardware virtualization technology, Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d), which extends virtualization support into the platform by making it possible to robustly assign IO devices to virtual machines (VMs) in a virtualized system. This enables devices to be driven "directly" by the native/physical driver when assigned to a virtual machine, resulting in significantly faster virtual machine performance.

"Intel is delivering relevant innovations for virtualization solution providers including Intel Virtualization Technology for CPU (VTx) and Directed I/O (VTd), Dual Core microprocessors and Intel(R) Core(R) Microarchitecture," said David Tuhy, General Manager of Intel's Desktop Products Division. "Parallels has taken full advantage of VTx in Parallels Workstation 2.1, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Parallels on enabling new platform capabilities such as VTd which will help improve the reliability, performance and flexibility of I/O devices on virtual machines."

As part of the company's ongoing efforts to build powerful products that meet any IT budget, Parallels is offering registered Workstation 2.0 customers a free upgrade to version 2.1. Registered users will be receiving an email with instructions on how to receive their 2.1 permanent license key.

New users can purchase licenses at the industry-leading low price of $49.99 directly through the company's online store at www.parallels.com/buyonline. New users are also welcome to download and evaluate a free, fully functional 15-day trial by visiting the Parallels Download Center at www.parallels.com/download.

About Parallels

Parallels is a server and workstation virtualization solutions company committed to building powerful, user friendly, cost-effective products that can be used by anyone, from an experienced developer to a computer "newbie" to improve efficiency, lower hardware costs, and reduce operating expenses. The company's products all feature hypervisor technology for strong, stable virtual machines, and an intuitive web-like interface that facilitates zero-training operation. Additionally, Parallels solutions fully support Intel Virtualization Technology architecture, which is optimized to provide superior virtual machine performance. The company is rapidly growing and employs a global team of experienced technical and business professionals. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com.