Virtualisation, with its promise of significant cost reductions, rapid deployment and improved system availability, has seemingly come to the rescue of IT departments charged with doing more with less. But has there been too much focus on the quick savings and results of virtualisation, rather than its long-term benefits?
New
NCC research 
indicates that organisations are taking a short-term view of virtualisation that can potentially compromise long-term savings and operational efficiencies. In order to unlock all its potential benefits, it’s clear organisations must develop a clear vision and strategy in order to implement a successful virtualisation environment. How can this be done? Here we take a closer look at what the latest NCC research reveals about how organisations are using virtualisation, and how they can improve the long-term outlook of their virtualisation technologies.
The Seduction of Server Virtualisation
Virtualisation technology can encompass a number of different features, including server consolidation, storage optimisation, desktop provisioning, and application and network virtualisation. The NCC surveyed a cross-section of businesses to see how they are using virtualisation, asking respondents to rank the importance of each technology on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is ‘not important’ and 5 is ‘very important.’ Server virtualisation easily came out on top with an average 4.6 ranking, followed by storage virtualisation (3.9), application virtualisation (3.7), desktop virtualisation (3.4), and network virtualisation (3.2). Furthermore, according to the survey, 48% of organisations report using server virtualisation extensively, 38% use it on a selective basis, and the remainder report using it in a evaluation or pilot stage.
What does this all mean? Clearly, server virtualisation has proved highly seductive for IT departments in pursuit of rapid deployment and quick results. But has the ease of deployment, along with too much focus on quick results and initial cost savings, encouraged organisations to adopt a short-term view of this powerful technology? At least a third of respondents (33%) agree that their organisation has taken a short-term view of virtualisation to drive efficiency and cost savings, while 27% of those surveyed remain neutral on this point. Without a clear vision and strategy, organisations will struggle to sustain a virtualisation program that continues to drive efficiency and savings.
Lack of Strategy in Virtualisation
One of the central challenges that companies face in providing long-term cost savings and efficiencies is the lack of a clear operational strategy. The NCC research reveals that over half of organisations (55%) currently lack a strategy designed to maximise the business benefits of virtualisation. When asked if not having a clear strategy inhibits the future uptake of virtualisation projects, 20% of respondents selected ‘Yes, to a great extent,’ while 60% replied ‘Yes, to some extent.’ Clearly, lack of strategy can seriously affect an organisation’s ability to maximise the benefits of virtualisation both in the short- and long-term. Part of this problem has to do with board and senior management’s perception of virtualisation. Most respondents (39%) perceive virtualisation as a technology that can deliver long-term business benefits. However, 28% are not cognizant of virtualisation technologies at all, 27% view it merely as a technology change, and 6% see virtualisation as a means for delivering short-term business benefits.
The Challenges of Virtualisation
The research also reveals specific
challenges organisations face in implementing virtualisation technologies. For instance, 34% of respondents report requiring an increase in storage capacity, 28% report difficulties in managing the dual physical and virtual environment, and 25% say they suffer from virtual machine sprawl. Without careful planning and a clear operational strategy, organisations may become overwhelmed by the sizable challenges that come with adopting and designing virtualised environments.
The Question of Cost Savings
One of the most problematic areas related to a
long-term virtualisation strategy is in the area of cost savings, or return on investment (ROI). Although survey respondents identified significant cost savings in power and cooling needs, physical space requirements, capital expenditure, operating expenditure and business continuity, few organisations reported achieving the expected ROI. Only 5% of respondents report meeting the anticipated figure, 27% report mostly meeting their targets, 25% report meeting their target to some degree, 23% feel it is too early to tell, and 6% report having no ROI case in place.