Virtualization Across the Board

Virtualization is a term used in computing to refer to different techniques, methods, and approaches used in creating a virtual version of something such as an operating system or network resource. There are various types of virtualization with the main ones being hardware and software virtualization (Olzak et al., 2010). This paper will discuss the two types of virtualization and compare different vendors available in the market.

Determine whether hardware virtualization helps businesses and organizations in terms of: cost management, systems performance and scalability, and systems management and administration

Hardware virtualization is becoming very common in organizations, especially in IT departments. This is a technology that allows multiple systems or users to share one host. Hardware virtualization is used in organizations in order to reduce costs. This is evident, for instance, in cases where costly hardware resources such as CPU are shared from one large physical server. The larger server hosts many virtual machines, unlike a situation where there are many small scale servers. This is of great importance to organizations, especially in the competitive market where all organizations are working towards cutting down costs. Other costs, for instance energy costs, are also reduced through one larger server (Baburajan, 2011).

The maintenance of the systems also becomes cheap and efficient, since having one machine makes it easy to inspect it. There is also efficiency and flexibility in detecting any breakages in the system, since only the larger server needs to be checked. Configuration is also flexible, which enhances effective administration in an organization. Hardware virtualization is very reliable in disaster recovery. This becomes crucial in the administration of an organization or business because the environment provided by hardware virtualization makes it easy to control and solve situations that may interrupt normal operations. This is also a technology that has enhanced quality of information besides high speed of delivery, which is all crucial in business administration (Turban et al., 2008). Generally, hardware virtualization in organizations serves to control costs and improve systems’ performance together with systems management and performance; however, the necessary precautions have to be taken to avoid any complexities or system breakdowns. This is because repairing the whole systems may be very costly, and there is a risk of data loss since all data are stored in the larger server. The technology is, however, reliable and effective for use in businesses and organizations, since the pros outweigh the cons.  

Determine whether software virtualization helps businesses and organizations in terms of: cost management, systems performance and scalability, and systems management and administration

Software virtualization is another technology that has become common in businesses and organizations. The wide use of the technology has been attributed to its benefits with the major one being its ability to make the management of software simpler (Turban et al., 2008). The main reason why organizations and businesses consider software virtualization is because it is cost saving. There are some businesses that are saving millions thanks to the technology. Manageability is enhanced through software virtualization, since a system can be managed from anywhere on a network since the interface is web-based. Availability through the technology is high. Through the application of virtualization, the administration of software becomes easy by restriction policies that are implemented to ensure that only authorized users can run the applications. Many companies consider security of their data to be very crucial, which is enhanced through easy monitoring (Baburajan, 2011). When it comes to scalability, software virtualization is relied on in organizations, since it avoids disruption and synching with the growth of a business. Tasks involved in deployment are simplified and automated through the technology, which becomes crucial in the management. Through the technology, it also becomes easy to detect any unauthorized people trying to use the applications (Turban et al., 2008). Moreover, cost management is enhanced through the technology, since the applications can be updated with ease with even the users not knowing that the applications are being updated.    

Compare and contrast VMware, Microsoft, and Citrix in terms of: market adoption, technical architecture, and technical support

Citrix is historically known for supporting multiple ecosystems; thus, it is reliable in addressing many verticals. Citrix is great for managers because it tries not to step in its friends. This is the reason why many managers prefer it. The technology is good for ecosystem building; however, it has limitations in that it does not show an organization where it is going. Citrix is also good in making operations for the operators and the end user enjoyable through its application infrastructure (Olzak et al., 2010). The technology is likely to resell itself, since the current data show that it is paying off on differentiation.

Microsoft is a technology that when adopted, the organization will not feel the need for getting an alternative. However, the technology is not a strong alternative in virtualization. The trend of the technology shows that it may turn to be the strongest virtualization in the nearby future. When it comes to operation, Microsoft is preferred because it offers tight integration, which is crucial in deeper management. Managers have much reliance on this virtualization; however, data center architects have to get deeper into the infrastructure.

VMware is the latest virtualization platform and has taken the widest share in the market. This is because it contrasts Microsoft and Citrix by focusing on the centerpiece as the core virtualization technology (Baburajan, 2011). The core virtualization technology is treated as a commodity by Microsoft and Citrix. It has been widely accepted in the market with a current estimation of over 350,000 users in the world. The platform supports many important business-critical applications, besides providing a scalable and performance-rich environment. The platform is also preferred by many for its ability to support a broad set of applications, making it the best platform. In the modern business world, IT departments are aimed at doing more with less.

Determine which vendor you would recommend for a virtualization strategy and explain why

There are different vendors for the virtualization strategy in the market; however, I would recommend VMware virtualization. This is because VMware is the most trusted virtualization platform. This can be seen from the high number of customers it has across the globe estimated to be over 350,000 (Olzak et al., 2010). In addition, many of the most successful companies in the world run VMware. The technology is applied across all industries and segments in the world including small, medium-sized, and large-sized businesses. Many customers trust it because of the security and reliability attributed to its hypervisor architecture. The virtualization platform is also the best for business-critical applications (Turban et al., 2008).

The platform supports many important business-critical applications besides providing a scalable and performance-rich environment. The platform is also preferred by many for its ability to support a broad set of applications, making it the best platform. In the modern business world, IT departments are aimed at doing more with less (Olzak et al., 2010). This platform works towards achieving this in the organization by reducing both capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenses (OpEx). The costs are lowered through intelligent automation, greater administration efficiency, and high hardware utilization. Many business leaders who have used the technology have supported that it helps businesses to grow and explore more opportunities.