Large companies can have thousands of clients or customers, generating huge volumes of data that need many servers to store. Thus, it is quite understandable why these large enterprises have implemented virtualization. However, this technology can also work well for a small company. The following will cover the basics and benefits of virtualization for small businesses.

Basics

In contrast to an actual version, virtualization is the virtual version of hardware, a network, software, or an operating system. In virtualization, specialized software is utilized that enables a server to simultaneously run multiple operating system images in separate virtual instances.

Server virtualization can give smaller companies nearly unlimited storage space. A single server can be subdivided to accommodate several tenants, and each will have an individual virtual compartment. As a small business typically will not need the storage requirements of a big company, server virtualization can help it maximize its existing number of servers.

The following will discuss the key benefits of virtualization.

Economy

Virtualization will decrease energy consumption, reducing monthly utility bills. Money will also be saved as less servers are needed. These small reductions can amount to a significant sum over time, especially in areas where energy costs are high. In addition, virtual servers need less employees to maintain in comparison to physical servers.

Efficiency

Server space is maximized when virtualization is being implemented, decreasing how many servers are required for storing crucial company data.

Minimized Downtime

The virtualization of computing resources makes them easier to carry out provisioning and deployment.  In addition, cloning is enabled, and replicas can be available for usage within minutes in contrast to the hours it typically requires. Downtime is minimized during a disaster recovery. Rather than cleaning, repairing, or replacing an infected or damaged computer, a new instance can be spun up with ease with rapid recover of data / contents from a backup solution.

Part 2 will discuss Better Business Continuity, Improved Disaster Recovery, Increased Productivity, and Simpler Data Center Management.

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Choosing an expert computer technology-support provider is an important decision for your business. Alpha Engineering Associates has been a trusted partner of many companies in the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis areas since 1990 and offer:

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