GridToday brings news on virtualisation, one of the hottest trends in IT Management. The article focuses on the top 10 virtualisation strategies that have emerged in a recent investigation by the Enterprise Management Associates (EMA).

Virtualisation in  Figures
EMA research shows that 75% of enterprises have already deployed virtualisation in one way or another and that the market is growing by an average of 26% a year.

Ready for virtualisation?
The report advises enterprises to look more of long-term strategic benefits rather than tactical ones like cost savings when considering deploying virtualisation as they will be better positioned in the long run.
Before taking concrete steps, enterprises should ask themselves three questions:

• Do we have the right skills?

• Can we accept the risks involved?

• Will it help attain strategic corporate goals?

Top 10 Virtualisation Strategies revealed by EMA Research
EMA’s research highlights a number of common strategies that IT professionals are using to speed up deployment, such as careful planning and ensuring that adoption fits with and supports the overall corporate strategy.
The top 10 factors focused on three key areas: human issues, risk & security, technical management. Nearly all the top ten strategies come down to these three areas.

Human Issues
Some of the human barriers can be overcome through proper training, by working internally and with user groups, and by consulting experts.

Risk & Security
Virtualisation means having more systems to secure, more entry points and more interconnections. Enterprises are advised to adopt a phased approach and to not locate mission-critical applications on a single physical system. Companies that are particularly concerned about these issues may even be better deferring deployment plans.

Technical Management
If these issues are addressed early on, the success rate is likely to be much higher. Key issues are hardware compatibility, VM sprawl, and software support. Proposed solutions include configuration management, deploying capacity planning, and cost accounting procedures.

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