Is desktop virtualization a promising new technology, or is it still a bunch
of hype?
Well, if you're a CIO, chances are you don’t
believe that desktop virtualization technology can deliver on everything it
promises yet. That’s according to a new survey commissioned by Fujitsu that shows
that 49 percent of private-sector CIOs say desktop virtualization technologies
don’t deliver on what they promise.
The research shows that that view is most strongly held by CIOs at companies
with between 1,001 and 3,000 desktops—with 60 percent of those saying that
desktop virtualization is over-promised.
By contrast, only 38 percent of CIOs at larger enterprises with 3,000 or more
desktops agree that desktop virtualization is over-promised.
CIOs in the manufacturing vertical are the most skeptical, with 64 percent
saying virtualization is hyped.
And while vendors and solution providers are have been pointing out the big
benefits associated with moving to a centralized infrastructure, including
simplified administration, cost savings and reduced energy consumption, 76
percent of CIOs say they have no clear road map or strategy for taking
advantage of the benefits of desktop virtualization, or say it’s a “work in
progress,” according to the research.
CIOs in the financial services sector look to be leading the pack in terms of
potential implementation of desktop virtualization, with 44 percent of them
having a road map and strategy in place.
"What's clear from the research is that the IT industry is doing its usual
job of over-hyping the benefits of a technology without showing the real and
tangible benefits it can bring," says Ian Bradbury, solution design
director at Fujitsu UK
and Ireland, in
a statement.
"The industry has been talking about desktop virtualization in some form
for over 15 years—from server-based computing to thin-client and blade
PCs," he says. "Our belief is that desktop virtualization is coming
of age, with the next three years being the time CIOs will really challenge the
way they manage and deliver their desktop environment."
Fujitsu released the research two months after it launched a new desktop
managed service for the private sector. Vanson Bourne conducted the research
for Fujitsu in October, 2009, interviewing 100 CIOs with 1,000 or more desktop
seats in their enterprises.
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Virtualization 
