Virtualization involves software that powers cloud platforms and applications. Virtualization software is designed to configure and separate physical infrastructures, creating several different, dedicated resources.

The technology behind virtualization is known as a virtual manager, or virtual machine monitor (VMM), which is installed on a hypervisor. VMMs separate computer environments from the physical hardware, making it possible for one server to run several operating systems and applications simultaneously. These virtualized systems run independently of the physical infrastructure. For businesses, that means all kinds of benefits, including lower costs, better backup and disaster recovery, a better testing environment and better migration to the cloud.

The Top 3 Advantages of Virtualization

One of the key points of interest in virtualization right now is the way it helps companies implement cloud computing. While virtualization is software that manipulates hardware, cloud computing is a service that’s made possible by the virtualization of a server or infrastructure. Cloud computing refers to the services and applications delivered through a virtualized environment — whether the environment is public or private.

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With virtualization, businesses can implement private cloud infrastructures, which have several advantages over public clouds. With a private cloud, your company owns or leases the virtualized hardware and software that provides cloud-based services. But in a public cloud situation, a third-party vendor provides a virtualized environment for multiple clients on a pay-as-you-go usage basis.

Private clouds provide the consumption benefits of cloud computing, along with increased flexibility and control over your infrastructure. Public clouds are open to several users and can suffer from performance latency. There may also be a greater security risk with public clouds.

Other benefits of virtualization on a private cloud include:

  • Increased ROI: Virtualization allows you to streamline and maximize your resources, reducing the amount of physical hardware you need to maintain and providing greater value and usage for the servers you do use. In a traditional system, most servers are underused, but virtualization optimizes your hardware capacity.
  • Greater Flexibility: Virtualization allows you to run multiple types of applications and operating systems on the same hardware. You can configure a virtualized environment to support different operating systems for workstations, and run nearly any application to any machine.
  • Budget Integration: Virtualization makes it easier to control your IT budget, since the costs of administration, management and infrastructure maintenance remain a direct IT cost.

Can your business benefit from virtualization?

To determine whether virtualization is the right solution for your organization, you must consider your unique needs and requirements. Determine how virtualization would integrate with your existing systems, who will provide support for the virtualized environment, your scalability and security needs, and the overall costs of migrating to a virtual private cloud.

Companies with few or no in-house IT staff may fare better with a true cloud solution through a third-party vendor. But if your organization needs more control and greater security for your infrastructure, virtualization may be ideal for you.

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