16 Oct 2008

Virtualisation will benefit firms, expert says

Businesses feeling the impact of the credit crunch should look to cut costs through virtualisation, it has been suggested.

Martha Young, writing in her blog at ITWorld, said outsourcing elements of their organisation and taking advantage of the capabilities of the internet could help firms which are struggling to overcome short-term problems.

Firms who turn to hosted applications through virtualisation could save money and resources on business functions such as marketing, human resources, budgeting, IT and staff training, Ms Young said.

In times of economic difficulty, businesses need to demonstrate invention, creativity and opportunities to succeed, and virtualisation could help them do so while also laying a strong foundation for growth in the long-term, she argued

"By applying virtualisation in today's business environment against the business's bigger picture goals of moving toward an e-business model, the current environment will be rendered providential and opportunistic," Ms Young said.

A recent survey of more than 500 firms by Storage Expo found that server consolidation was the primary reason as to why they opted for virtualisation.