Parallels has launched Parallels Desktop 11 for the Mac. The release includes a new version of the software for developers, designers and power users, Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition. It also includes Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition, previously known as the Enterprise Edition.

The new editions of Parallels Desktop for Mac benefit from speed improvements of up to 50%, Travel Mode which extends battery life up to 25 percent while on the go, support for Windows 10 along with OS X El Capitan readiness and a host of other features for both Windows and Mac users, says Jack Zubarev, Parallels president.

Parallels Desktop 11 empowers Mac users to run Windows 10 and leverage the advantages of Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant, Cortana, when using both Windows and OS X. This is the first time that Parallels Desktop has ever made a Windows feature available for OS X applications. Parallels Desktop 11 also provides experimental support for OS X El Capitan prior to its launch, and will fully support the platform shortly after its release to give users a seamless experience with the latest OSes, says Zubarev.

He adds that new Parallels Desktop 11 ease-of-use benefits include improved performance and battery life with the use of Travel Mode, which can easily be activated to optimize performance. When users are on the go and not connected to power, Parallels Desktop Travel Mode will automatically extend battery life by up to 25% by temporarily shutting off resources that drain power.

According to Zubarev, Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac offers tremendous speed performance improvements over the previous version for an even faster work experience, including:

° Windows launch and shutdown is up to 50% faster;

° File operations inside of Windows are improved by up to 20%;

° Virtual machine suspend is up to 20% faster;

° Travel Mode can increase battery life up to 25%.

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Pro Edition

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Pro Edition (www.parallels.com/desktop) is a new version of the software specifically designed for developers, designers and power users. The Pro Edition supports integration with popular developer tools including Docker, Visual Studio (plug-in), Chef and Jenkins, Vagrant, Guest OS debugging and network simulation.

Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Pro Edition empowers users to run preview Windows machines and use nested virtualization for both Windows and Linux guests, making it the perfect tool for developers, power users and testers who need a variety of virtual machine environments, including simulation of more complex deployments.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition

Previously known as Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition, Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition (www.parallels.com/business) includes all Pro Edition features, offering IT admins a means to enable their employees with Macs to run Windows applications. The Business Edition builds upon Parallels Desktop’s solution by adding administrative features that enable IT departments to control and manage end user virtual machines, as well as manage and administer licenses via the new Parallels License Management Portal.

This exclusive feature provides IT administrators with vital information, such as license expirations, usage statistics, and real-time visibility into licensing activities, to easily manage all of their deployed licenses. Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition also supports business cloud services including Box, Dropbox for Business and OneDrive Business.

The recommended retail price (RRP) of Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac is US$79.99. Upgrades for existing Parallels Desktop 9 or 10 for Mac customers are $49.99, with an introductory offer to upgrade to a Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition subscription for $49.99 per year. Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Business Edition are available to new customers for $99.99 per year. Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition includes a complimentary Parallels Access (www.parallels.com/access) subscription to remotely access their Mac from any device.