Virtualization has changed the entire world of computing. By pooling together resources into a huge, virtual block while taking advantage of faster internet speeds, there's little need to buy multiple, small computers to host different services. To understand this slight return to the mainframe way of thinking and how your business can benefit from it without a huge benefit, here are a few virtualization and IT managed services details.
How Does Virtualization Work?
A standard personal computer--including business workstations--has a set amount of resources delivered by hardware. The processor gives calculation speed, the hard drive/solid state drive (SSD) holds files, and random access memory (RAM) keeps information for quicker access without searching through the hard drive.
When you use a computer and task the resources, signals and instructions are created. "Deliver X amount of files" and "calculate with Y amount of processor power" are just a few requests that move across the system. Virtualization creates these instructions inside a smaller, boxed in environment.
A virtual computer is basically a program that pretends to be a computer itself. Everything that makes your computer "work" is a series of instructions, and there's no rules saying that the instructions can't be sent twice. Inside the virtualization "box" environment, a second computer is launched using nothing but secondary, artificial instructions to fake hardware.
The main computer has all of the resources, and virtual computers slice those resources up for their own use like any other computer. To run a virtualization business, you essentially need a lot of power to carve into smaller systems, and small businesses can benefit by using these resources at lower costs.
How Virtualization Helps At The Customer Level
If you ever needed to run a server for a website, you had to build or buy a physical server. This server would also need a strong enough internet connection to handle the incoming requests.
With virtualization, all you need to do is subscribe to a server package. You will get a carved out set of resources that looks and functions like a server at the screen and keyboard level, but instead of being an individual machine with hardware that you have to manage, it's a block of data that is part of a much bigger server farm.
This type of business exchange is mutually beneficial. Fewer businesses need to worry about physical wear and tear, upkeep, or other aspects of physically managing server hardware. The Information Technology (IT) managed services company only needs to worry about running their servers. They don't need to be in meeting about new products, hear the latest office gossip, or be involved in specific company decisions. They host space, you use space.
To get in on managed virtual computing while avoiding the hardware concerns, contact an IT managed services professional and discuss your system requirements. For more information, talk to companies like Sherman Consulting Services.
