VMware has announced two bundles of management and automation tools for datacentres operating numerous virtual machines. The bundles make it easier for customers to acquire key tools that are likely to be used together anyway, and offer a significant saving over purchasing them separately, according to the firm.

The two packages consist of the VMware IT Service Delivery Bundle and VMware Management and Automation Bundle. Both will be available from 19 May, but the latter will only be available until the end of the year.

The bundles combine new tools that VMware announced at its VMworld conference in Cannes in February. The IT Service Delivery Bundle consist of Lifecycle Manager and either Lab Manager or Stage Manager, for example, and is aimed at automating the entire lifecycle of IT services, the company said.

"With this suite, through Lifecycle Manager, customers can standardise on catalogues of virtual machines," said Douglas Phillips, VMware senior marketing manager for EMEA.

Today, administrators have to manually provision new machines using the Virtualisation Centre in ESX, he explained.

"With Lifecycle Manager, you have a simple web-based portal to go to. This ensures compliance with configuration standards and simplifies service delivery, " Phillips added.

The VMware Management and Automation Bundle is aimed at firms looking to implement a business continuity plan, according to Phillips. The key product here is Site Recovery Manager, combined with Lifecycle Manager, Lab Manager and Stage Manager.

"With Site Recovery Manager, this bundle gives people, especially mid-size firms, a way to implement a testable business recovery plan, where that wasn't really feasible before now," Phillips said.

The two packages will be available through VMware resellers with the IT Service Delivery Bundle priced at £1,531 per 2 processors, while the Management and Automation bundle costs £2,042 per 2 processors.