VMware, a global leader in virtualization software, expressed hopes to stay on close terms with its local clients including Samsung and LG.

“Clearly, a part of my trip here is to meet with a number of major companies, some of the major telecoms and chief information officers. Given the long-term relationships I have with these companies, I hope to forge deeper relationships,” said Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware, during a press conference at Lotte Hotel on Tuesday. 

Regarding the possibility of whether Samsung and Apple may share a virtualization platform in the future, Gelsinger appeared to skeptical, at least for now, citing Apple’s strong licensing restrictions.

“Apple has really kept a tight binding between hardware and software, and this has been their corporate policy forever,” Gelsinger said. “Samsung, in comparison, is much more flexible.”

But the CEO stressed he could not tell what would happen in the future, saying only that he hoped to find more areas, in which to cooperate with Samsung.

Gelsinger also hinted that VMware may consider building an R&D center in Korea.

“We don’t have plans for R&D activities (as yet), but clearly, I hope that may materialize as we build on service partnerships with Samsung, LG and et cetera,” the CEO said.

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and S4 phones, along with the G2 and Optimus View from LG, are among the locally made handsets on Verizon Wireless networks in the U.S. that run VMware’s Horizon Workspace data security program.

Samsung and VMware are also rivals in data security, with Samsung’s Knox security technology bearing a strong resemblance to VMware’s Horizon Mobile.

On Korea’s lack of workload virtualization, referring to storing data 100 percent virtually, Gelsinger said the new country leader ― former Microsoft Korea CEO Yoo Jae-sung ― and VMware’s headquarters would work together to address the problem.

Korea’s workload virtualization currently hovers at 20-30 percent, which compared with the 70 percent market average ― a figure VMware hopes to eventually push up to 100 percent in the long term.

Gelsinger was formerly president and chief operating officer of EMC Corp. before joining VMware. EMC is the parent company of VMware.

The role of firms like EMC and VMware has become more significant as virtualization software is now a critical part of data security. Technology from companies like VMware creates a virtual desktop or server to allow users to store and emanate information as securely as possible.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)