Officebroker.com, the U.K.’s leading online office broker, has implemented Parallels Virtuozzo Containers operating system (OS) virtualization software to provide greater flexibility in the data center and enable simple, quick disaster recovery. The solution is currently being used to virtualize the SQL, Exchange, file and main controller servers that underpin the core business. 

Neil Cadman, IT Director at officebroker.com said, "Officebroker.com is very client-focused, so it’s vital our systems are always available and our staff can communicate with customers effectively. We really wanted to have a disaster recovery strategy in place for key applications like Exchange and SQL, though we obviously weren’t too keen on spending a fortune on dedicated back-up software. Consolidating our servers through virtualization is a far more cost-effective approach and has enabled us to free up hardware that is now being used to store backup images created using Parallels Virtuozzo Container tools." 

"The success of our company means we’re expanding rapidly and it’s really important the IT infrastructure can keep up and support the business," continued Cadman. "Using virtualization software means we can manage our servers in a more flexible way, allocating resources more dynamically as and when those are needed. As the company grows and we hire new staff or open new offices, having Parallels Virtuozzo Containers in place will make upgrading systems easier and with considerably less disruption to our end-users. I’d definitely suggest anyone who is upgrading or creating a business network gives virtualization a try – it’s really made our lives a great deal easier!" 

Consolidating its existing servers onto more powerful, virtualized hardware has meant officebroker.com now has servers available for use in testing and development. By using virtualization software for these physical servers, officebroker.com has been able to create three testing and development environments that mimic its production environment. Since the company’s in-house IT team develops most of its software systems, being able to test them in a complex environment without fear of impacting the business users is a clear benefit.

Officebroker.com is now planning on rolling Parallels Virtuozzo Containers out in its data center in Dallas, Texas, supporting its business operations in the U.S.

Rob Lovell, managing director U.K., Parallels said, "This deployment is a great example of the range of practical benefits virtualization can offer businesses."

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is the world's leading operating system (OS) virtualization solution. On a single physical server and single OS installation, it enables users to run workloads in multiple, simultaneously running execution environments called "containers". Compared to other virtualization technologies, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers offers the highest levels of density, performance and manageability.