Virtualization is a broad and often misunderstood term, not just in business but in the IT circle itself. Since many businesses struggle to understand what it can offer, it can be difficult to understand the benefits. However, if understood and implemented properly, it can offer an array of benefits, even to small and midsized businesses.

In order to abate this confusion, we will first discuss the essence of virtualization, then we will outline the positive effects that its implementation would have on your business.

What Exactly Is Virtualization?

The first thing you need to know is that it is different from cloud computing. While both technologies may offer similar benefits such as centralization of control and information, there is one major difference: while cloud is a service, virtualization is implemented on the physical infrastructure and can cover hardware, software, and storage to be precise.

At its simplest, virtualization is the decoupling of any application and all the resources required to run it from the underlying hardware.

Why Do You Need Virtualization?

Offers Long-Term Cost Savings

Virtualization enables a single server to support multiple resources. As a result, the number of servers needed is decreased as well as operation and maintenance costs. In this way, it actually becomes more economical as time progresses.

Enables Flexibility and Scalability

Scalability is perhaps the biggest benefit you can expect from virtualization, which makes it vastly more beneficial for businesses in the growing stages. As the number of employees, resources, applications, and hardware increases, you can scale the whole virtual environment without affecting operations or cost.

Expedites Disaster Recovery

Virtualization actually enhances and expedites the disaster recovery process by limiting the use of the physical server and keeping the environment independent of physical hardware vendors. Not only are virtual machines easier to backup, they allow you to properly test the system for various disaster scenarios.

Facilitates Quality Assurance and Testing

Speaking of testing, virtualization offers an environment where experts can test changes before implementing them throughout the system. This works primarily in favor of IT businesses or businesses with an in-house development team.

Provides a Pathway to Cloud

While it may be different from cloud computing, yet it is often an important aspect of cloud-based systems. Implementing cloud is much easier and more effective with a virtual environment in place; it brings down the time and cost involved in the migration to cloud.

That said, allow us to clarify that there are business models that are still better suited for virtualization than cloud. If you require better control for integration and security, a virtual environment is more or less a necessity.

What do you think would suit your business? Let us know through your comments.