DEBRA DONSTON
Virtualization: Survey says ...
An e WEEK survey shows virtualization is delivering on promises
It seems like you can’t read are counting on Xen. and processes that will help
an IT story these days with- Creating efficiencies IT managers cope, and the
out seeing the word “virtu- is the No. 1 reason for story based on that evalu-alization” in it. And, like all implementing virtualiza- ation will appear in next
good buzzwords, “virtual- tion. When asked to name week’s issue and at eweek.
ization” is being applied by the single most important com.
vendors and product mar- reason for implementing Server virtualization
keters to products that have virtualization, “lowering is meeting or exceeding
no real connection to the hardware costs,” “improv- expectations. Despite the
technology. ing server virtualization challenges, server virtu-
So, what’s the real story? rates” and “reducing server alization is meeting or
How is virtualization really sprawl” each were selected exceeding expectations
being implemented in the by about 20 percent of more often than not, our
enterprise, and how has the respondents at companies survey shows. For example,
experience been?
We asked those questions, among many others,
in the latest of what will be Expectations are being
monthly surveys of e Week met or exceeded in time,
readers (conducted by Ziff
Davis Enterprise Editorial cost, staffing and ROI.
Research). Here are some
top-level take-aways.
VMware is the clear with 500 or more employ- more than 80 percent of
leader in server virtualiza- ees. Only 2 percent of respondents at companies
tion, but many are counting respondents picked “lower- of 500 or more said that
on Windows Server 2008’s ing staff costs for server their server virtualization
virtualization capabilities. management” in answer to implementations met or
At companies with 500 or this question, and less than exceeded expectations in
more employees, about 74 1 percent picked “simplify- terms of time, cost, staffing
percent are using VMware ing security issues.” and return on investment.
ESX Server for their virtu- Indeed, now that more We’ll do more in-depth
alization needs. However, and more companies are analysis of the survey
23 percent said they will be embracing virtualization, results in the near future.
using the built-in virtualiza- one of the issues we’re And we’d like to hear about
tion capabilities in Windows seeing is the challenge of your virtualization experi-Server 2008, which just managing and securing all ences. ´
RTM’d (see review, Page of these virtual instances.
20). Eleven percent (respon- eWeek Labs Technical Direc- e WEEK Editor Debra Donston
dents could choose more tor Cameron Sturdevant is can be reached at ddonston@
than one platform) said they currently evaluating products eweek.com.
