ALISO VIEJO, Calif., August 26, 2010 -- Quest Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: QSFT) today announced the release of Quest Cloud Automation Platform 7.5, its next generation of enterprise-class cloud automation and management technology. Originally developed by recently acquired Surgient, Quest Cloud Automation Platform enables IT to maximize the utilization of cloud infrastructure, fully automate the delivery of complex IT services, and automatically reclaim unused infrastructure, driving down IT costs and delivering unmatched productivity gains across the enterprise. The Surgient acquisition is part of Quest’s greater virtualization and cloud strategy, which will be formally unveiled Aug. 31 at an invitation-only event for media and analysts during VMworld.

"The Quest platform (formerly Surgient) is designed to work alongside a customer's in-place helpdesk system, IT service catalog, CMDB, runbook automation framework, and so on. It assumes the presence of virtual infrastructure from VMware or Microsoft, and plays nicely with physical provisioning and automation from the likes of HP and Symantec,” said Rachel Chalmers, research director of infrastructure management at The 451 Group. “What it adds to these is a self-service portal backed by automated service delivery and recovery, just-in-time self-service and scalable, user-centric services. In practice, this means that IT operators can configure resources and policies, users can request services as needed, and [the platform] manages the provisioning, use and recovery of the underlying resources. Presto—private cloud."

Among the new features in Quest Cloud Automation Platform 7.5:

    * Instant Cloud Insight with the Cloud Management Dashboard - graphical view of pooled infrastructure enables cloud administrators to easily manage live services and capacity

    * Self-Service-enabled VM Migration - new graphical interface enables administrators to safely manage migration recommendations from performance management tools (i.e. VMware vMotion, DRS, DPM) while maintaining the integrity of a true self-service cloud

    * In-Depth Reporting with Chargeback Support – fully redesigned reporting solution supports multiple chargeback methodologies and provides comprehensive data for inclusion in third-party business intelligence tools

    * Enterprise Deployment Modes – New persistent and debug deployment modes enable long-running deployments and ease the development of new IT services

“With its robust, scalable infrastructure management and service delivery capabilities, Quest Cloud Automation Platform 7.5 enables IT to dramatically impact capital and operating expenses in the data center while driving unmatched business agility,” said Steve Stover, senior director of product management, Quest Virtualization Management. “Combined with Quest’s virtualization management portfolio, Quest Cloud Automation Platform is a truly comprehensive, enterprise-class solution for deploying and automating IaaS private clouds.”

Availability

Quest Cloud Automation Platform will become generally available after Sept. 30. It will be demonstrated in Quest booth 1113 at VMworld 2010, Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Also available is Quest Cloud Express, the industry-unique package bundling Quest Cloud Automation Platform licensed for 30 managed CPUs with all the professional services, documentation, and support needed to go live with a private cloud in less than 30 days. Visit www.quest.com/cloudexpress for more information.

About Quest Software, Inc.

Now more than ever, organizations need to work smart and improve efficiency. Quest Software creates and supports smart systems management products—helping our customers solve everyday IT challenges faster and easier. Our innovative solutions for application monitoring, database management, Windows management and virtualization management help customers achieve better results, faster. Visit http://www.quest.com/ for more information.

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Source: Quest Software, Inc.