Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) -- EMC Corp.'s VMware boosted the size of its initial public offering to as much as $1.1 billion, potentially making it the biggest share sale of a technology company since Google Inc.'s IPO in 2004.

VMware, whose software is used to run server computers, will sell 33 million shares for $27 to $29 each, according to a regulatory filing today. In July, the company predicted they would sell for $23 to $25 each.

If all shares are sold at the top price, VMware may rank as the fourth largest U.S. offering this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Palo Alto, California-based company makes programs that let server computers run several operating systems, such as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista, allowing one server to do the work of many ``virtual'' machines.

EMC, the world's largest maker of data-storage computers and software, bought VMware in 2004 for $635 million, and in February decided to sell about 10 percent of the unit.

Shares of Hopkinton, Massachusetts-based EMC fell 66 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $17.74 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock has risen 34 percent this year.

Blackstone Group LP held the biggest U.S. IPO this year, followed by MF Global Ltd. and MetroPCS Communications Inc. Google, owner of the most popular Internet search engine, raised $1.92 billion in August 2004.

Last month, Intel Corp., the world's biggest computer chip- maker, said it would spend $218.5 million for 2.5 percent of VMware's outstanding shares. Cisco Systems Inc., the biggest maker of computer-networking equipment, said it will buy $150 million of shares for a 1.6 percent stake.

VMware said in the filing that net income for the three months ended June 30 more than doubled to $34.2 million from $15.2 million a year earlier. Sales increased 90 percent to $296.8 million.

Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. are leading the group of investment banks underwriting the sale. Deutsche Bank Securities, Merrill Lynch & Co. and Credit Suisse also are working on the offering.

To contact the reporters on this story: Matthew R. Miller in Atlanta at mmiller31@bloomberg.net; Melita Marie Garza at mgarza4@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 9, 2007 16:30 EDT