VMware has released VMware Fusion 6, software that lets you runs Windows applications on your Mac, with more than 50 new features. VMware is also releasing a new version of VMware Fusion 6 Professional with advanced features designed to dramatically improve the way businesses deploy corporate desktops on Macs and PCs.

"VMware Fusion 6 and Fusion 6 Professional spotlight our award-winning virtualization platform that we continue to upgrade with major enhancements and integration with the latest operating systems from Apple and Microsoft," says Jason Joel, director of personal products, VMware. "For enterprises with a heterogeneous computing environment with both Macs and PCs, Fusion 6 Professional takes deploying corporate desktops to a whole new level with enhanced restrictions and virtual machine expirations, giving IT admins the right tools to deal with BYOPC trends while ensuring corporate compliance."

VMware Fusion 6 is recommended for home users who are looking for the easiest, fastest and most reliable way to run Windows applications on a Mac, he adds. New features include:

° OS X Mavericks support -- You can extend the unique features of Mavericks to your Windows environment such as taking full advantage of every display connected to your Mac with multiple display support and enhanced dictation support in your Windows applications.

° Windows 8.1 support -- You can run Windows Store applications side-by-side with your Mac applications. With VMware Fusion 6, you can access Windows Store applications in Launchpad or the Applications folder and put them in the dock in Unity mode.

° Optimization for the latest Macs -- VMware Fusion 6 is optimized for the latest Macs taking advantage of Intel’s latest Haswell processors for even better battery life and even faster performance when running Windows applications.

° Virtual machine capabilities -- You can create virtual machines with support for up to 16 vCPUs, 8TB virtual disks, and up to 64GB of memory to run the most demanding Windows applications on a Mac.

° An enhanced user interface -- From its streamlined user experience and improved PC migration assistant, to easier installation of Windows and more granular selection of computer resources, everything has been enhanced to give users an even better way to run Windows on a Mac.

VMware Fusion 6 Professional includes all of the features of Fusion 6 along with advanced functionalities designed to improve the way professionals deliver enterprise applications to Mac and PC users. Key benefits include:

° Enhanced restricted virtual machines -- Fusion 6 Professional enhances restricted virtual machines by adding more customizable restrictions that provide IT administrators with even more control over deployments of corporate desktops.

° Expiring virtual machines --With the ability to expire virtual machines at a specific date and time, VMware Fusion 6 Professional enables deployment of corporate virtual machines to contractors and allows software developers to deliver demos of their software as a time-limited virtual appliance.

° Single virtual machine mode -- You can prevent users from creating new virtual machines or accessing specific application features, to reduce support calls and increase productivity.

° Linked clones -- Linked clones allow users to create multiple copies of a virtual machine without duplicating the entire contents of the original disk saving considerable space on their PC.

° BYOPC with VMware Player 6 Plus -- VMware Fusion 6 Professional is licensed to let you use VMware Player 6 Plus to run restricted virtual machines created by VMware Fusion 6 Professional on Windows and Linux PCs.

VMware Fusion 6 and VMware Fusion 6 Professional are available immediately for download and purchase from vmware.com for US$59.99 and $129.99, respectively. VMware Fusion 6 Professional is also available via VMware channel partners.

Customers who have purchased VMware Fusion 5 between Aug. 1, 2013, and Sept. 30, 2013, are eligible for an electronic upgrade to VMware Fusion 6 at no additional cost.

VMware Fusion 4 and 5 customers can upgrade to VMware Fusion 6 for only $49.99 and to VMware Fusion 6 Professional for $69.99. VMware Fusion is available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.