Huge Opportunity Remains In Server Virtualization

More than 90 percent of businesses have implemented server virtualization at some level. However, even organizations reporting that they have 'fully deployed' server virtualization also report that only 37 percent of their industry-standard server infrastructure consists of virtual servers. More than half – 54 percent – say they have completed their deployment.

The business IT environment is virtualization-friendly, with a substantial majority of participants saying they have the necessary policies and staff in place for successful virtualization implementation. Ninety-nine percent give their CIO or IT director a passing grade in virtualization technology – a vast majority (78 percent) giving an A or B – and 85 percent believe their IT department is appropriately staffed and trained to manage a virtualized server environment.

There is also a strong bias toward virtualization, with 89 percent saying their companies employ a 'virtualization first' strategy – a requirement that network users prove a new software application does not work in a virtual environment before the company will buy a dedicated server to support it.

"What we found in this study, consistent with what we see in our customers' experiences, is that most adopters have captured the low-hanging fruit and are building their trust in virtualization platforms as they consider how to capture more of virtualization's promise," said Scott Severson, director of CDW's server and storage solutions practice.

While no single barrier to growth dominates, 17 percent point to reservations about the security of virtual environments and another 17 percent believe their hardware does not support virtualization. Similarly, 62 percent of respondents say they still employ applications that simply should not run on virtual servers because of the criticality of the data and the applications' functions.

Experience managing a virtual environment appears to ease such concerns. Among businesses that have fully implemented virtualization, only 11 percent voiced concern with security – half of the number among businesses that have not implemented it fully (22 percent). Meanwhile, 95 percent of businesses that have implemented virtualization believe they are saving significant money as a result, and almost as many (94 percent) are measuring their success in terms of IT productivity, business agility and reductions in IT energy consumption.

"Based upon the successes and benefits they have already seen from server virtualization, we expect continued, steady expansion of virtualized environments as user trust builds and the software vendor community adapts to serve customer demand," said Severson.

The survey also examines the business drivers of server virtualization and reports what business IT decision makers say will help overcome barriers to further deployment. It concludes with recommendations, tips and suggestions for businesses at each stage of adoption, from those merely considering it to those who say they have fully implemented it.

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