Various benefits to server virtualisation

Server virtualisation has benefits for companies of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises, one industry commentator has claimed.

Writing in a VMWare white paper, experienced IT manager David Davis said that given the money-saving potential of managed services, it should no longer be a question of "if" a company virtualises, rather "when" they take this step.

"Any way you measure it, virtualisation comes out as a cost-saving proposition. [Money is] saved in less administrative time, fewer infrastructure requirements and less energy utilisation," he stated.

Mr Davis added that the technology enables the use of advanced features such as resource optimisation, high availability and point-in-time snapshots of servers –essentially simplifying management.

In addition, virtualisation offers hardware independence and decreased recovery time in the event of a disaster, he explained.

John Abbot, founder and chief analyst with The 451 Group, recently said virtual hosting can offer firms reliable, flexible storage solutions.

Written by Mark Hainsby