Are you under pressure to provide more IT power within a very tight budget? Does your IT need to be more secure and resilient? Virtualisation may well be the answer.

Up until recently, each server has had to run on a dedicated computer:  One server to one machine. With virtualisation, that’s changed. A single physical device can now support many virtual servers, or one server can run across several computers. Hardware resources such as memory, processing power and network bandwidth can be pooled and shared. They are then automatically allocated as needed. The virtualisation management software constantly checks the status of the hardware layer, and the demands being placed upon it, and automatically adapts to changing conditions.

Resources are fully utilised and processes are not left wanting so the total amount of IT hardware can be reduced. At the same time, the end user will notice a better, faster service.  Less hardware, and the ability to switch off devices when they are not needed, reduces the energy requirement and the cooling required.

The administration of the IT system is brought together and simplified, making tasks such as software updates, backups and hardware upgrades easier.  Downtime can be avoided and new implementations are faster. In addition, an extra level of security is provided by the virtualisation layer.

With virtualised server architecture, hardware failures need not be catastrophic. Other resources can be seamlessly switched to cover for the failed hardware and the fault can be repaired without affecting end-users applications.

In summary, the benefits of virtualisation include:
• Reduced hardware costs
• Better reliability and resilience
• Easier IT administration
• Simpler backup processes
• Faster services to the users
• Lower energy spend
• Increased security