Fortisphere, a provider of enterprise virtual machine lifecycle management software, today announced that it has appointed Jeff Puffenberger as vice president of business development. An experienced business development professional with diverse management expertise, Jeff will help spearhead Fortisphere’s foray into the virtual machine (VM) lifecycle management market by managing worldwide strategic alliances and business development initiatives.

Most recently, Jeff was the vice president of strategic alliances and business development at Configuresoft, a leader in systems management technology. At Configuresoft, Jeff established formal partnerships with Microsoft, Electronic Data Systems, EMC, Deloitte, and Siemens IT Solutions and Services.

“Jeff’s expertise in forging strategic alliances and partnerships and his background in sales will be integral to accelerating adoption of Fortisphere’s solutions,” said Michael Harper, president and CEO, Fortisphere. “His proven track record of building productive partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, HP, IBM and EMC is a testament to his industry knowledge and experience.”

“Fortisphere is addressing one of the most talked about pain points in the virtualization industry with its innovative technology,” said Puffenberger. “There is a distinct need for management tools that enable effective and secure deployment of virtual machines. Fortisphere’s Virtual Essentials suite of products delivers unprecedented levels of visibility and control that will enable enterprises to intelligently manage the growth of their virtualized environments. I look forward to helping Fortisphere solidify their leadership position in a market that is growing exponentially.”