Verizon offering full virtualization consulting, implementation services

Verizon Business is offering a full package of virtualization services that range from assessing potential server consolidation all the way to deploying and managing virtualized servers.

Kerry Bailey, Verizon Business' senior vice president of global services, says that the company's new services are intended to help any enterprises that want to move their current infrastructure to virtualization or that want to build new infrastructure based on virtualization. The goal of Verizon's virtualization services is to help companies use fewer computing resources to run operating systems and applications, the company says.

The first step in the Verizon's virtualization plan is to conduct a server consolidation assessment where Verizon analyzes a company's architecture to figure out which areas would benefit the most from server consolidation. From there, the company's virtualization experts design a system that consolidates physical infrastructure to more efficiently utilize resources. Once Verizon has developed a design for server consolidation, companies can choose to have Verizon build and implement it by installing network hardware and configuring virtual applications.

After the virtualized network is up and running, Verizon can host the infrastructure at one of its data centers or can manage it remotely at the company's premises. Verizon's management services for virtualized architecture include security, backup and administrative reporting.

Verizon is also offering consulting services that will give feedback to companies that have decided to build and implement virtualized architecture on their own or with the help of a third-party provider.

The virtualization services are available in the United States, Western Europe and certain Asia Pacific countries, including Australia, India and Japan. Pricing depends on how many of the services an enterprise wants: for instance, Verizon says that it will cost roughly $22,000 to conduct a consolidation assessment of a company's existing architecture, while it will cost $16,000 to design a virtualization system to consolidate infrastructure.