Virtualization and the Small Business

This post is brought to you by VMware and their Online Forum 2013 Event

Does virtualization have a role the world of small business?

Virtualization can bring a lot of value to organizations. That said, the organization has to be large enough to be able to use that value….or do they?

Can a small business take advantage of virtualization today? Sure they can…they just need to understand what virtualization can do for them.

For starters, small businesses are already using virtualization but most don’t know it.  Their website is most likely powered via a virtualized server sitting in a data center somewhere.  Their phone systems, if they use VOIP, might even be powered via a virtualized server somewhere.

That said, virtualization really doesn’t enter the lexicon of most small business owners and managers. There’s really no need…until there is. I’ve worked with businesses large and small.   I’ve offered virtualization options for many organizations regardless of size, but I’ve found the most difficult ‘sell’ for virtualization is the small business owner. They can’t quite grasp the need to get ‘fancy’ with virtualization…but once I’m able to show them the benefits, they immediately grasp how important the idea can be.

Virtualization can bring flexibility to any organization, but for the small business, it can mean significant cost savings.  Rather than buy a full server and take on the costs of maintaining that hardware, a small business can go out to the ‘cloud’ to pick up that same level of computing power. This virtual computing can usually be picked up for a significant cost savings when compared to a full server.

The key for for a small business’s use of virtualization is for them to understand what virtualization is and what it can do for them.  There are good resources on the web for learning more about virtualization but many of the sites that I run across regularly aren’t always targeted at small business owners – most are targeted at IT professionals.

VMware is putting on an online forum on April 23 2013 from 8AM to 1PM Pacific that could help introduce the concepts of virtualization. While not directed specifically at small business owners, there’s a wide range of topics available – and its free. You can signup for the event here.

A description of what you can expect at the event:

• Extend the benefits of virtualization across the software-defined data center– including compute, security, storage, availability, and networking—establishing the most efficient,reliable and agile architecture for cloud computing
• Combine virtualization with best-in-class automation and management capabilities to optimize capacity, improve utilization, and drive cost savings
• Empower end users with workplace mobility and freedom to choose their devices, while maintaining IT control

Image credit: Cloud vs Virtualization By Tsahi Levent-Levi

This post is brought to you by VMware and their Online Forum 2013 Event