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The Realities of Virtualisation
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 08:40
Dissolving the myths
              
Everyone's talking about it, but not everyone's doing it. So, what's stopping them? It seems everyone accepts it's a great idea – for someone else. 'It doesn't give us the control we need over our systems', 'It's just too risky for our network'. The perception is that though virtualisation offers greater efficiencies and lower costs, it also means less control and more risk.

Today, companies rely heavily on their infrastructure. When something goes wrong it’s a big deal, a very big deal. Money is lost, time is wasted. The perception is that a fully virtualised platform simply does not provide the confidence and control they need. They believe that if one element runs slowly then the whole system will be affected. If Microsoft Exchange goes down, then the user’s productivity is at risk. And, if that risk extends rapidly to revenue, this puts the whole company at risk.
 
In fact, the opposite is true.
Instead of creating a sluggish and risky environment, virtualisation actually creates a more efficient infrastructure. It helps guarantee productivity and optimises the use of the hardware environment. The key is, of course, that the solution you leverage (for example) for archiving, security and storage can also keep your local inboxes and systems running smoothly and safely in a virtual environment.
 
Leaner and greener
Virtualisation can also reduce overheads and energy consumption, lowering running costs and the impact the network has on the planet. By consolidating systems virtually the amount of physical equipment needed is slashed. This in turn cuts the amount of people needed to manage and monitor the data centre. And, with less equipment, a virtual system leads to greater efficiency – saving money, reducing energy and helping the environment.