VMware wants Android apps on the iPhone

VMware CTO Steve Herrod has a vision of enabling mobile phone users to be able to run all of their smartphone applications - whether it be Blackberry, Android, Windows, Symbian or Apple - on one device.

Linked gallery: Photos: VMware Virtualisation Forum 2009

Herrod said smartphone platforms were able to boot-up multiple operating systems, which provided better management and flexibility so consumers could use their personal smartphone to safely access work applications.

“They [employees] have their work phone and their home [mobile] phone,” Herrod told an audience at VMworld’s Virtualisation Forum 2009 in Sydney on Wednesday.

“The home phone is usually cool and the work phone is usually lame. It’d be pretty cool if you could have one phone and be able to run those apps within the [multiple] operating systems,” he said.

He explained that VMware had been working on software that could be installed on any mobile platform and would allow multiple virtual machines so any application could be accessed.

According to Herrod, there were no technical issues holding back the software.

“From a technical standpoint we’re able to virtualise all phones and all operating systems,” he said. “But ... this world is very locked-in in a lot of ways”.

He said that it would come down to a “business discussion” rather than a “technical discussion” as to whether smartphone makers - especially Apple and its iPhone - would allow VMware to install its software.

“We talk to everybody of course," Herrod said. "We don’t have any announced deals at this point".