Quoting from press release:

Yankee Group this week revealed the results of its 2006 Global Server Virtualization Survey, which finds that server virtualization is a mainstream technology, with three out of four businesses already using or planning to deploy the technology. A virtualized server enables businesses to consolidate physical space in the data center, consolidate server licenses to potentially lower costs and achieve greater compliance, improve reliability, and more quickly and flexibly deploy applications. In turn, this enables firms to achieve optimal total cost of ownership (TCO) and accelerated return on investment (ROI) results. For the overwhelming majority of corporations, the more important question is when--not if--they will implement virtualization in the corporate data center. Some of the major survey findings include:

-- Sixty-two percent of respondents already have a virtualization solution in place or are in the process of migration.

-- To date, only 14% of businesses have not yet chosen a server virtualization vendor, and only 4% of companies have no plans to install a virtualization solution.

-- VMware is the market leader with 55% of the installed base.

Results of the Yankee Group 2006 Global Server Virtualization Survey are summarized in a two-part Report. Part 1 delves into business issues surrounding virtualization, including the actual and anticipated TCO and ROI results companies have achieved or expect to realize. The forthcoming Part 2 delivers an in-depth look at the technology and the trends driving deployment.

The global respondents had near universal praise for virtualization. However, the rapid growth of the technology has left little time to establish a much-needed operational and procedural standard. To avoid disruption, CIOs and IT managers need to adapt and continually monitor their approach to virtualization.

"The Yankee Group 2006 Global Server Virtualization Survey validates the perceived popularity of virtualization, the drivers for adoption and the recognized market leaders," said Laura DiDio, Yankee Group Application Infrastructure & Software Platforms research fellow. "By taking the time to fully understand all aspects of this new technology, IT managers can better understand its disruptive influence."