22 Dec 2008

Server virtualisation 'increasingly attractive'

Medium-sized firms are set to use server virtualisation to improve their business continuity management, it has been suggested.

Cost savings and reduced management time are among the benefits that systems based on server virtualisation can offer medium-sized companies, wrote industry expert Howard Marks of Information Week.

His comments come after Cambridge Risk Solutions recently advised businesses that having a continuity plan in place provides greater reassurance to their customers, staff and suppliers.

Mr Marks said: "Not only is the price lower, but virtualisation can greatly reduce the time and equipment needed to bring up a disaster recovery site."

An InformationWeek survey of 125 business technology professionals found that 89 per cent of companies view cost as the main barrier to adopting a business continuity plan.

Some 57 per cent of the respondents, which were from companies of between 500 and 4,999 employees, also cited complexity as a hindrance, while 56 per cent said they were prioritising other projects.