Parallels virtualization and automation software is powering a new offering for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) from STRATO. The STRATO Oracle Server XE offering uses Oracle Database 10g Release 2 Express Edition, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, Parallels Plesk Control Panel, and Parallels Automation.

The pre-configured database solution addresses the needs of both beginner and professional developers by providing an easy-to-use, cost-effective database platform for developing web applications. STRATO customers will benefit from a full service database solution that includes monitoring, systems management, security and backup.

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers enables STRATO to virtualize the database server while Parallels Automation allows the company to manage ordering, billing, and reporting for resources across several servers. STRATO’s customers use Parallels Plesk Control Panel to conveniently manage their virtual servers through a web interface. In addition, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers comes with extensive controls so that available hardware resources can be reallocated in real-time to manage workload fluctuations.

"Parallels virtualization and automation solutions guarantee service delivery independent of other customers on the same physical server and give us the flexibility to meet the needs of our customers," said Julien Ardisson, CTO of STRATO. "In addition, Parallels solutions help us optimize hardware usage for maximum efficiency, while lowering power consumption, which is cheaper for the customer and good for the environment."

"STRATO's new virtual database servers powered by Parallels software provide businesses with the infrastructure needed to take advantage of two key hosting trends – virtualization and SaaS," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "The new offering gives SMBs innovative technologies that have traditionally been reserved for large enterprises due to technical requirements and previously high cost."

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is different from traditional hardware virtualization solutions in that it dynamically partitions an operating system instance into highly efficient and scalable virtual environments or "containers". It is the only virtualization solution that enables dozens to hundreds of containers to immediately and automatically leverage real hardware, resulting in exceptional datacenter efficiency, which results directly in reduced administration and energy consumption.