As the result of VMware and its industry partners’ efforts, a standard has already been developed called the Open Virtualization Format (OVF). OVF describes how virtual appliances can be packaged in a vendor-neutral format to be run on any hypervisor. It is a platform-independent, extensible, and open specification for the packaging and distribution of virtual appliances composed of one or more virtual machines. OVF gives customers and developers the choice to select any hypervisor based on price, preference, or functionality, and it prevents vendor lock-in. This standard packaging and distribution format for virtual appliances will be important in accelerating the adoption of virtual appliances.