IT professionals are still ignorant about the advantages of virtualization, according to a survey from virtualisation specialist C&C Technology.

Virtualising applications allows a single system to run multiple incompatible operating systems. This reduces the number of servers required, and cuts associated costs such as administration, power and cooling, as well as simplifying the running of legacy systems.

The survey of 50 IT professionals, from IT directors to network managers, found that 38 per cent of companies taking part had only an ‘average’ knowledge of virtualisation, while 48 per cent felt they were using the technology to their advantage. The biggest barrier to take-up, according to the survey, was the perceived complexity and cost of making the change.