Virtualization gaining traction, Forrester report shows - Computerworld_9967

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IDG News Service - Going virtual is becoming a real answer for data center managers, according to a survey of large and small businesses.

Some 51% of North American companies are either testing virtualization technology in their data centers or have already deployed it, according to a report released Friday by Forrester Research Inc.

Use of virtualization is less in Europe (35% either testing or deploying it) and the Asia-Pacific region (21%),You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, but generally growing nonetheless.

Forrester compared results of a 2006 survey with a similar one in 2005 in which 41% of companies in North America, 30% in Europe and 23% in Asia-Pacific were using or testing virtualization. Although the Asia-Pacific number is lower in 2006 than 2005, Forrester notes the survey sample was smaller there than in the other regions.

Whether or not customers are using virtualization, interest in or even just awareness of virtualization grew in all geographic regions in 2006 from 2005.

Virtualization refers to dynamic management of a company's total information technology infrastructure. The most common use of virtualization is in the operation of x86 servers in data centers. Virtualization makes it possible to run multiple software applications and operating systems simultaneously on one physical server.

The result is that instead or running at only 15% to 20% of capacity, when one server runs only one application, servers can run at 80% to 90% of capacity. Thus,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, a company could spend less money buying servers.

Although virtualization is more likely embraced by large enterprises, awareness of it by SMBs (small-to-medium businesses) is growing at a faster rate,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, the survey showed. Awareness of virtualization by Global 2000 large enterprises grew to 92% in 2006 from 87% in 2005. But awareness by medium-to-large businesses jumped to 86% from 60% and by small-to-medium businesses to 83% from 62%.

Server virtualization software company VMware Inc. remains the dominant provider. All told, 53% of those surveyed would consider VMware for virtualization, versus just 9% for Microsoft's Virtual Server product. Only one respondent mentioned the open-source Xen virtualization software as a choice while just six mentioned Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Solaris operating system, whose virtualization feature is called Containers.

EMC Corp., which operates VMware as a subsidiary, announced plans last week to launch an initial public offering of VMware stock.

Microsoft, which introduced its Virtual Server product in 2004, is expected to launch an updated version later this year.

For this report, Forrester surveyed 1,267 enterprises with more than 1,000 employees and 503 SMBs with 100 to 999 employees.                                                                                                                                                        
Virtualization gaining traction, Forrester report shows - Computerworld