Virtualizing for the future

No. Not this kind of virtualization.

This week, Maverick Networks CEO, Aaron Lee (@MaverickVoIP) is at the VMware Partner Exchange 2012 in Las Vegas. VMware is a global leader in virtualization, partnering with companies like DELL, MITEL, Intel, ShoreTel, etc. to “improve the efficiency and availability of IT resources and applications.” 

“Virtualization?” you ask?

Yes. Virtualization.

You’ve probably heard the word buzzing around the IT industry for a few years now, but only recently has virtualization made such a large impact in the way companies conduct their business. While to some it may sound like a video game that allows you to live in an alternate reality from your own (which would be really cool to have as part of company protocol and procedures), to others, virtualization is something even cooler (at least in terms of IT efficiency) than a virtual reality video game.

According to Storage Virtualization for Dummies, virtualization is, 

“the act of abstracting, hiding, or isolating the internal functions of a storage (sub)system or service from applications, computer servers, or general network resources for the purpose of enabling application and network independent management of storage or data…” or, more simply aggregating “storage components, such as disks, controllers, and storage networks, in a coordinated way to share them more efficiently among the applications it serves.”

Here’s how VMware virtualization works: a thin layer of software is inserted directly on to the computer hardware or on a host operating system. This makes the machine a virtual monitor, or “hypervisor” that allocates hardware resources dynamically and transparently.

“Multiple operating systems run concurrently on a single physical computer and share hardware resources with each other. By encapsulating an entire machine, including CPU, memory, operating system, and network devices, a virtual machine is completely compatible with all standard x86 operating systems, applications, and device drivers. You can safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer, with each having access to the resources it needs when it needs them.”

In summary, storage virtualization allows for multiple operating systems to run on a single computer (including Windows, Linux, and more), with each virtual “machine” sharing the resources of that one, physical computer across multiple environments. This frees up all of the space originally taken by each and every server.

But saving storage space isn’t the only perk about virtualization.

Earlier this month, we posted a blog about shopping for the best total cost of ownership (TCO) in addition to shopping for a new phone system. We pointed out that when you purchase a new phone system and new handsets, you aren’t purchasing just the hardware – you’re also purchasing the type of upkeep the products will need, as well as the training that IT managers and employees will need to become accustomed to the new system. Another aspect to think about is what the return on investment will be with upgrading the phone system.

When adding a storage virtualization solution to a system upgrade, the ROI increases even more, faster.

In addition to condensing servers, virtualization solutions:

• Increases energy efficiency - the less servers running, the less energy your business is consuming, meaning a smaller energy-consuming footprint for your organization, and energy costs reduced by 80 percent.
• Improved disaster recovery solutions - using VMware, organizations can effectively and rapidly recover data with automation; recovery includes non-disruptive testing automation and simplified testing of recovery plans; affordable recovery that doesn’t require a duplicate, idle datacenter, and hardware infrastructure can be consolidated at both the production and failover sites to reduce costs.
•  Reduced datacenter costs – by reducing your physical infrastructure and improving your server to admin ratio, fewer servers and related IT hardware means reduced real estate and better management tools allows for reduced personnel requirements.

The additional benefits of virtualization are, well, virtually endless. As businesses’ capacities expand and cloud computing becomes increasingly relied on for data storage, there is no doubt that there will be a need for the same businesses to go completely virtual with the telephony and IT needs.

At Maverick Networks, Inc. we are continuously working to offer the best IT solutions for our customers and clients. With the advancements in the IT industry even in the last year, we truly believe that virtualization will be the next business necessity when it comes to upgrading, updating or expanding telephone systems.


Stay tuned for more information about virtualization when Aaron returns from VMwarePEX 2012 and shares his insights with the Maverick crew later this week.

For more information on how Maverick Networks can help your organization become virtualized, visit our website or contact us at info@mavericknetworks.net.