By Dave Twilley

Virtualisation is a word I'm sure everyone has heard bouncing around for some years now, so what does it actually mean in real world terms? How can it help us deliver better solutions? What does it mean to our clients? This is the focus for my blog as all too often technology is developed first and then effective ways of making use of it are found afterwards. Whereas in the case of Virtualisation, as you'll see, this technology has been developed to address real world problems which exist right now and have done for some time. The end result is that Virtualisation has taken off in a big way in a relatively short period of time. This blog aims to give you an overview of the technology without going into too much technical detail, after all, most of our clients are concerned about what it actual means to them rather than how it works, as that's what we're paid to do!

Concept - The concept is very simple, in the past we have used one server, running one system, whether it be Windows, Linux or something else, typically the relationship between the physical hardware and the software running on it has been a one to one relationship. As technology has improved, with faster processors and cheaper storage, it has become inefficient for servers to run just one system, it would be like having a garage capable of parking 5 cars but only being "allowed" to put one car in it. Before Virtualisation, this was exactly the case, companies were having to buy 10 servers to run 10 systems, regardless of how much each one was actually being utilised as there was simply so no way around this but with Virtualisation, we are able to chop one physical server into 10 pieces and run all 10 on one physical server, (note that how many will fit on one server depends only on how powerful the one server is), clearly the possibilities here are immense, one garage no long means one car, now the question is, how many cars would you like to put in your garage.

So, what does this mean in real world terms?

Lower Hardware Costs - Clearly one powerful server would cost less than 10 mid-range servers, so the upfront cost of any technology refreshes or new setups would be significantly lower by using Virtualisation. Often this is a major concern for businesses as the cost of hardware can easily spiral out of control, hardware needs to be replaced when it is no longer fit for purpose, Virtualisation helps reduce the cost of such projects which typically occur every 3-4 years as existing hardware comes to the end of its life.

Lower Power Consumption - Using one server instead of 10 reduces the power overhead significantly, there are 10 times less power supplies to worry about, 10 times less fans (sometimes noise is an issue so this may be of some benefit to some businesses who don't have dedicated sound proofed server rooms), 10 times less heat produced by processors and disks. With many businesses having initiatives to save energy, as fair amount can be saved in this area as these servers are typically running 24x7, 365 days a year, so any reduction in power consumption will soon add up.

Less Physical Space Required - Typically a large business will have a dedicated server room, however for smaller businesses space is at a premium, so handing over an entire room to just house the equipment is inefficient, therefore Virtualisation can reduce the floor space required by your IT equipment in some cases. Some businesses also choose to locate their servers offsite in a dedicated data centre facility, in this case, the charge for hosting these servers is directly related to the space which they take up and the power which they consume.

Consolidation - We've all heard it before when you have a perfectly good server which has served you well for many years, and you want to use a new product in your environment, such as a document management system, an email archiving product or a CRM package, you approach your IT company and the first thing your told is, "it isn't "compatible" with your existing server, or wont "play nicely" with an existing product, you need to buy a new one to put it on", or "the company who provide it won’t support it if it’s on the same server as another vendors product", by using Virtualisation you don't need to buy a new server, so long as you have spare resources on your existing virtualised server, you can simply sandbox off an area and install the new system directly in without having to find the money to buy a new server, this is a major benefit, often the cost of a new system such as CRM seems as simple as just buying the product, but when you add up the over head of the additional servers it can cost you more in hardware than it does to actually buy the CRM package in the first place, with Virtualisation this problem disappears.

Lower Migration Costs - As the Installations Manager this one is particularly important to me, historically, if a client wants to replace a server, we would have to prepare a new server for them, setup migration of the data, speak to 3rd parties (who may themselves wish to pass on a cost to our clients for assisting or carrying out migration work on their own products), arrange downtime and so on. Whilst we have this down to a fine art due to our experience in this arena, we can now take it one step further. With Virtualisation we have the ability to take a "copy" of an existing physical server and "virtualise" it whilst its still running and consequently still operational to the business, (with the aid of 3rd part products like DoubleTake), then in a period of dramatically reduced downtime, simply switch the operation of the physical server to the virtual one, remove the physical server and everything will continue as it was before, with the exception that the server is now "virtualised". The overhead for such tasks is dramatically reduced, the downtime is shortened, therefore the impact on the business is lower, and very little 3rd party work needs carrying out as essentially nothing has changed. Essentially this is the equivalent of the Tommy Cooper table cloth trick (with the exception that it’s executed with clockwork precision nothing falls over!).

Hopefully this blog has removed some of the mystery behind Virtualisation technology and you can now see how such technology can benefit your business in real world terms rather than just being a technology someone has just told you that you should have because, "its new", "its better", "its shiny".

Microsoft has renewed our Gold status for the 5th year running confirming that we satisfy their strict criteria and demonstrate our technical capabilities by way of appraising our clients. Gold status demonstrates expertise with Microsoft technologies and also a proven ability to consistently meet our customers' needs.

As a Gold partner, we receive a rich set of benefits including enhanced training and support. This one benefit alone gives us the ability to truly deliver world class solutions with the backing of the biggest company in the world!

With these continued accreditations and awards, we no longer just provide IT Support in London, but IT services for the world.

New short video from the 2010 Service Desk Institute annual awards ceremony. See us as the first company ever to collect two awards!

Apple has been in the news a lot recently, for both good and bad reasons. Good for the new product releases, and bad for some of the feedback that its received and bounced around in the media (and we all know how the media loves bad feedback!). In the past month we have seen the introduction of the new iPhone 4 and the revolutionary iPad, two of the most eagerly anticipated product launches in the past few years – in fact since the last apple launch of the iPhone 3GS! That is a very key point... what major business hardware product release other than an Apple product has had the same impact in the last 10 years? My only guess would be in the home games console industry (XBOX, PlayStation and Wii). All of which has had its product faults – Controllers smashing TV’s, Red Rings of Doom, and the Yellow Light of Death.

Apple, so proud in the 90’s that their product was far superior to PC’s and the MS operating system, have become victims of their own success – following in the footsteps of their counter parts (Microsoft and IBM). It seems that as your product demand grows larger, the oversights and product failures become more apparent. The iPad that can’t support Flash and the inability to use in direct sunlight – this causes massive issues due to the fact that those of us who want an e-reader/mobile games unit whilst on the sun lounger are going to have to go back to the printed book. Further to this the iPhone 4 seems to have issues with people losing signal while holding the phone! Whilst I do not want to turn this blog into a blast of negativity, this seems to be some of the biggest product flaws since MS Vista, ME, OS2 Warp and in some cases the original iPhone.

From an MSP (Managed Service Provider) point of view, one of the biggest flaws is that some of their clients that have bought into the product launch but have not had it supported. This is because the iPad and the iPhone 4 haven’t been added to the Service Catalogue, and most support staff hadn’t even seen one before some users had called their Service Desk!

One of the challenges for any MSP or IT department that has users or clients with a nature to buy the latest and greatest, is to stay ahead of the game before the user gets a disappointing and resounding “your product is not supported” conversation over the phone. One of the key offerings of software (like Windows 7), is that you can have access to Beta versions to test, but still until full Research and Development is carried out and the product is placed on the Service Catalogue, ANY product new or old is just ‘Not Supported’. To combat that, communication is key. Companies like Apple and Microsoft rely very heavily on their suppliers and partners to communicate to their client base the strategy of implementing their products. A trick that so many companies miss.

The Internet Group are one of the few companies who are carrying out intensive research and development project on the iPad to ensure they are providing their clients with the best possible support with this new technology before it is allowed to go on the supported products list.

However, trying to stay away from a product bashing, I have the pleasure of owning the iPad and the iPhone 4, and to be honest, aside the flaws, both are amazing pieces of technology and the benefits of these far outweigh the flaws. The iPad is an amazing piece of kit, it has taken the laptop technology to a next level, and the applications are cheap enough that you find yourself surfing the App store almost daily. It is one step closer to the ‘Star Trek Tech’ that we all wished we had when were younger, and maybe that is Apple’s appeal. They’ve tapped into our childish dreams and created the “cool” gadgets that we always wanted? I hate to admit it, but I believe they have.

Do you ever get the feeling that your business is going in one way but your IT is going in the total opposite direction? Yes? Well you are not alone as there are literally 1000’s of companies out there in the same boat.

Our very own, Mitchell Feldman says 'I liken this scenario to all your staff on board a luxury cruise liner setting sail for new and exciting destinations around the world. Everyone has been to their cabins, unpacked their belongings and are donning their latest sunbathing outfits in preparation for the adventures that lay ahead of them. However when attempting to leave the dock they suddenly hear a massive shudder followed by a loud bang. Upon inspection it transpires to be sound of the ship breaking apart because the IT manager forgot to raise the anchor! This scenario is normally followed by a scream from the managing director saying "but I thought you were in charge of the………!!!"'.

To most company executives, IT is a black magic and is likened to chemistry lessons at school i.e. you have to attend but you’re not really listening and you don’t really understand it. For this reason companies employ IT managers to deal with the one area of the business that no one else wants to get involved with. This is where the voyage of disaster quite often starts.

The problem is that people don’t know what they don’t know; so when an IT manager is employed, who is actually responsible for measuring their performance, their KPI’s and more importantly the health of the network? Any ideas? Unfortunately the answer is normally no one!

We have years of auditing all kinds of business from 10 users to 500 users and their experience have shown that often (thankfully not always) the IT manager does not have the best interests of the company at heart. In fact a lot of the time the IT manager doesn’t even possess the skills required to manage a desktop PC, let alone a network of 300+ users.

We believe that an IT manager should own the following tasks that they should be absolutely responsible for:

1. IT Alignment – ensuring that the IT is capable of delivering the needs of the business
2. Business Continuity – a process that ensures the company mitigates its risks against IT failures
3. Documentation – a service that ensures there is a complete catalogue of the network and its configuration
4. Security – to ensure that the security of the network and the protection of the company data is safe

If your IT manager is not able to deliver compelling evidence that they are performing these tasks then perhaps you have a bigger problem than you thought.

If you have recently suffered from data loss or even extended downtime, then you are probably not getting the service your company needs and wants. If I am to be brutally honest, it is highly likely that your IT manager/department are simply not doing their job correctly. IT has evolved so much over the last 5 years that significant losses or disruptions to businesses are unacceptable as most problems are easily mitigated against with the correction investment and knowledge.

Our warning is simple. Do NOT wait until the milk is all over the floor and there are fragments of glass under your feet, do something now and ensure that YOUR business is protected and secure both today, tomorrow and for as far as the horizon will let you see.