Analysis: VMware-AirWatch Deal Looks Promising for MDM Partners

Can VMware, backed by the recent AirWatch acquisition, dominate the MDM (mobile device management) market? That debate seems to be heating up.

Pushing beyond the virtualization and hybrid cloud markets, VMware is pushing hard into MDM and Desktop as a Service (DaaS). But the company faces strong competition from rivals like Citrix (CTXS) and Microsoft (MSFT) on numerous fronts.

Still, the MDM push looks really promising. Trefis, a research firm, says the VMware-AirWatch deal could push VMware to the top of the MDM market in 2014 — especially since former giants such as Blackberry (BBRY) have lost footing in recent years. And while competition from rivals such as Citrix, Apple (APPL) and even Amazon (AMZN) remain, VMware’s current strategy seems to be propelling them towards victory on both the MDM and DaaS fronts.

With Airwatch now under its banner, VMware can grow its MDM market share by integrating end-user computing with applications hosted on computers, smartphones and tablets, says Trefis.

By utilizing its VMware Horizon Suite to gain a hold in the Desktop as a Service market, VMware can effectively establish itself as more than just a provider of virtualization software. With an estimated $75 million in additional revenue expected for VMware this year now that it controls AirWatch, Trefis feels that the company stands to become a top player in the MDM market.

For channel partners, the result could be end-to-end solutions that stretch from software-defined data centers to mobile and desktop endpoints. But of course, VMware's success will come down to execution…