Microsoft is stepping up its efforts in virtualisation by purchasing Softricity. The software giant has also updated its plans for related new products.

Seven-year-old Softricity provides a platform to turn Windows applications into virtualised applications that can be accessed via a browser or desktop.

Softricity’s technologies could provide a useful bridge for companies planning Windows developments but concerned by problems of application compatibility. Microsoft said it expected the purchase to “accelerate corporate desktop transitions to Windows Vista”.

Separately, Microsoft said it should have a “release to manufacturing” (RTM) version of the Windows Server virtualisation hypervisor available within six months of the Vista RTM. The term RTM refers to the date on which vendors send code to be stamped on disks. Commercial availability of shrink-wrapped products can lag behind by several weeks.

A System Centre Virtual Machine Manager console, formerly known by the Carmine codename, will go into beta testing in the next three months and will be released to manufacturing this year, Microsoft said.