All things virtual

Inside this Article Virtualization at your fingertips Knowing where to look Related Links Moving beyond server virtualization The many sides of application optimization When apps are virtualized

and cost-efficient server infrastructure. Survey results from Forrester Research, for example, show that 75% of 1,200 respondents at global enterprises are aware of server virtualization technology, with 26% having implemented it and another 8% set to pilot it within the next year. Also telling is that 60% of the respondents who have implemented the technology plan to expand their use.

As companies become familiar with the technology, benefits start accruing. All this activity leads to the ultimate New Data Center architecture, one built on a virtualized infrastructure. Still, only about 5% of enterprise servers today are virtualized, and getting to the point where virtualization is the general-purpose architecture and de facto deployment mechanism will take years, says Ashmeet Sidana, a venture partner with Foundation Capital and one-time VMware ESX Server product executive.

Don't put your blinders on, however. Server virtualization is not the only virtualization option out there. In the next few years, we're sure to see some fantastic virtualization developments across the New Data Center, he says.