UK businesses invest in server virtualisation, but shun storage

Around seven in 10 UK businesses are undertaking server virtualisation projects, according to a study by NetApp. However, more than 20 per cent of those companies embarking on server virtualisation will not be investing in storage virtualisation, the findings reveal.The data storage and management firm canvassed 200 IT professionals across the UK and found that end users in the retail, distribution and transport sectors were most likely to virtualise both server and storage.Within those sectors, only six per cent of those virtualising their servers were not prepared to then invest in storage virtualisation.In the manufacturing sector, however, more than 40 per cent of those undertaking virtualisation projects have no interest in virtualising storage.
"As IT departments respond to pressure to do more with less, we will see an increase in virtualisation projects," claimed Jeremy Wallis, systems engineering director at NetApp. "The benefits of storage virtualisation are similar to the benefits of server virtualisation. In fact, storage virtualisation further increases the benefits that are achieved by server virtualisation alone," he added. The survey also revealed that 58 per cent of IT decision-makers anticipated dealing with budget cuts. Of that group, 91 per cent work in the public sector.

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