| Virtualization For The Little Guy |
| Friday, 23 June 2006 by Michel Roth | |||
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Some of the tools allow users to run multiple operating systems on one physical machine; others virtualize storage arrays, allowing customers to access multiple pools of storage through one array. While medium-to-large companies have been tacking on virtualization approaches in some form or another, SMBs are traditionally slower to adopt emerging technologies because of limited resources and IT budgets. IBM, which said that more than 65 percent of its virtualization sales are driven by IBM partners targeting SMBs, is trying to break that trend and start a new one. Kevin Leahy, director of marketing virtualization solutions at IBM, said no one needs virtualization more than the SMB space, where companies often lack the IT staff and resources to manage infrastructure. He said that while IBM zSeries and iSeries customers have long used virtualization technologies, IBM's goal is to bring them down to the Intel and Unix box level, where companies have sprawling environments with multiple boxes. For Test Drive, IBM will allow its partners and their clients to sample the Virtualization Engine in more than 40 IBM Business Partner Innovation Centers. Leahy said the program includes education, sales, technology and support to make it easier for IBM partners to help their customers build software tools around Virtualization Engine. Partners can trigger simulated scenarios and test applications to show customers how they might migrate data, reduce or eliminate system outages, and lower the costs for disaster recovery sites. Read the whole article here.
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