Microsoft recently released a Harris Interactive study that pointed to increased investment in virtualization technologies by SMBs in the United States, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. The study surveyed 1,200 IT decision makers at enterprise and SMB organizations during April 2009. Among its findings, 42% of enterprise and SMB respondents plan grow their investment in virtualization even in the face of a down economy.
Yet many smaller businesses are still a bit gun shy about virtualization. To help them over the hump, Dell Computer recently launched an integrated virtualization solution combining products and services aimed specifically at the SMB market -- think of it as virtualization in a box.
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In a live video interview, Anthony Dina, director of solutions at Dell, tells bMighty about the company's efforts to package virtualization hardware, software, and consulting services for SMBs:
"There's a common perception that the large enterprises are buying the bulk of the licenses for virtualization," said Dina. "Our experience -- and industry analysts are suggesting -- that many of the small and medium-sized business are also virtualizing."
Dell's approach is to make it easy with a complete Small and Medium Business Virtualization Configuration package, which includes a PowerEdge R710 rack-mounted server, a Dell PowerVault MD3000i storage-area-network array, a PowerVault DL2000 disk and tape backup storage subsystem, and a PowerConnect switch -- along Microsoft's Hyper V virtualization software suite and streamlined integration and customization services from Dell.
Dina said keeping things easy was key, and that most smaller businesses are more familiar with Microsoft solutions than VMware's offerings. Dell's goal is to put it all together in an easy to buy, easy to manage package with an "end-to-end view" for smaller busineses in one integrated toolkit.
And since smaller businesses typically can't afford the pricey consulting service that large enterprises often use when moving into virtualization, the company wraps its virtualization hardware and software offereings with a "lightweight, fixed engagement" package of its ProConsult services rendered online in "a matter of days" instead of weeks or months.
Steve Kovsky has covered technology for more than 12 years for a variety of radio stations and magazines.
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