A Contributed Article by Brian Jensen, Dell.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that an estimated 41% of small and medium sized businesses are dabbling in desktop virtualization according to a 2009 Yankee Group survey.  If you work at a smaller company, you have probably already sat in meetings where the topic has been discussed.  Virtualization offers many benefits for businesses of any size and is growing in popularity as small companies and even the start-up businesses are realizing the potential that virtualization gives them.  This raises the question of what virtualization will mean for the future of IT.

Desktop Virtualization Growing - Creating New IT Solutions

If the continuous release of new desktop virtualization infrastructure (VDI) platforms from VMware and Citrix is any indication, desktop virtualization will only continue to pick up momentum.  Virtualization companies are releasing VDI platforms with the capacity of supporting a business with only a few workers or a major corporation with thousands of employees.  One reason that virtualization is growing in terms of popularity is because of the money and time that companies can save.

VDI companies advertise that businesses and organizations can cut IT costs as much as 30-50%.  However, this depends on several factors, such as the size of the company, the costs of a VDI server, and licenses.  Smaller businesses may not see a great financial advantage in switching over to desktop virtualization and IT professionals at these companies should make sure that they look at all of the factors before they make the decision.  For some smaller businesses virtualization may not be the right answer. But if you are looking for more information on IT Solutions for small businesses, visit Dell here.

Virtualization Meets Needs of Mobile Business Community

In the past your IT department only had to be concerned with the health and function of desktop computers but the development of laptops, smart phones, and tablets has expanded the responsibilities that you carry.  Brian Madden, a fiercely independent virtualization expert, has discussed this concept to some extent.  His main point surrounds the idea that we have likely seen our companies grow into a mobile unit, relying on these independent devices to conduct business.  This new mobility allows employees to work from home, a vacation location, or even while on travel, but also presents new challenges for IT departments in terms of security.  For example, it is estimated that over 12,000 laptops are lost at U.S. airports each week according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.  This creates security nightmares for IT staff for laptops that contain sensitive information about the company.

One way that you can still exert control over laptops is with virtualization, which will let you create a virtual image for that laptop that gives you more control over what the employee can access with it.  This is especially helpful as many employees are beginning to use their own laptops for business use.

Some people will point out the fact that virtualization needs further development to deal with smart phones and tablets, especially since more and more employees are choosing to use their own devices and some companies are encouraging them to do so.  VDI companies are working on solutions but it appears that these solutions are still in the beginning stages and viable virtualization platforms for these devices are still a ways from being a reality.

Understanding Virtualization IT Solutions

Virtualization has already become the new strategy for many businesses and therefore, it is important that you educate yourself in the different facets of this growing technology.  As companies look for ways to cut their budgets, VDI solutions become more attractive and this means that there will be a growing need for IT's who understand it.  While some companies may outsource their IT needs to cloud service providers, others will retain in house IT departments to manage their employees' computers and electronic devices. 

Opportunities for IT's

The trend towards desktop virtualization is slowly changing the focus and responsibilities of IT professionals.  As virtualization technology continues to evolve, new opportunities will undoubtedly open up in the IT industry while some of the traditional IT responsibilities may become obsolete as companies continually search for ways to do more with less.

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Brian Jensen works with Dell. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with his family. He has a passion for learning and writing about all things technology. He is currently researching virtualization and would recommend visiting dell.com for more information.