VMware Buys AetherPal for Remote Device Support

VMWare acquired AetherPal, which provides software for remote support of IoT and endpoint devices, in a deal designed to serve telcos and enterprises, VMware said Tuesday.

AetherPal's technology will augment VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW)'s endpoint device management platform, VMware Workspace ONE, which provides integrated support for mobile, PCs, ruggedized devices and the Internet of Things. AetherPal allows IT "to remotely view, control, troubleshoot and fix devices and applications in the field to improve productivity and efficiency, while reducing downtime," Shekar Ayyar, VMware EVP, strategy and corporate development and general manager, Telco NFV Group, said in a blog post Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Enterprises now use purpose-built and ruggedized devices for specific jobs, such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities and retail, Ayyar says. And those devices require remote support. "For telco operators and device hardware manufacturers that support thousands or even millions of business customers and consumers, the need for remote support technologies is even more profound," he says.

Since 2017, VMware has resold AetherPal's Remote Support technology as an add-on to VMware Workspace ONE under the name Workspace ONE Advanced Remote Management, says Shankar Iyer, VMware SVP and general manager of end-user computing. Using the AetherPal technology integrated with Workspace ONE, IT will be able to remotely connect to any device in seconds from the Workspace ONE console using any web browser; view any device screen in real time; and resolve problems faster with immediate visibility into hardware, OS, memory, storage, diagnostics, network and other information.

AetherPal was founded in 2009, and has between 51 and 200 employees, according to the company's LinkedIn page. It's backed by New Venture Partners and PJC, with $6 million of funding, according to Crunchbase. It's based in Piscataway Township, NJ, with an office in India.

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— Mitch Wagner Executive Editor, Light Reading