The company joins SAP and Microsoft, among others, in its decision to limit hiring amid the economic slowdown.

Maritz said dividing the company into separate product divisions will help it to execute on its plans while it continues to expand. He didn't say how those divisions would break down. They each will have a separate research and development group but will share a common sales and marketing force, he said.

"We're still working our way through the details; our intent is to have them ready and implemented as we go into 2009," Maritz said. The company will hire or promote a senior executive to run each division, he said.

The move comes as VMware expands its technology roadmap into new areas. At VMworld in September, the company said it would build a "virtual datacenter operating system," including new products for virtualizing not only servers, but also network and storage gear. It is also developing products to let companies link their data centers to those of cloud computing service providers.

The executive changes may also help address turmoil that hit VMware's upper ranks. Diane Greene, its former CEO and co-founder, was ousted earlier this year. She was followed soon after by Chief Scientist Mendel Rosenblum, who is Greene's husband, and Richard Sarwal, who led research and development. Maritz addressed those departures on the call.