The Dell Difference

Recent strides in server virtualization and emerging hypervisor alternatives are changing the rules of engagement for enterprise IT departments. The way IT managers plan data centers, how and when purchase decisions are made, and — perhaps most importantly — the opportunities for IT departments to further business goals are evolving. Today, combining policy-driven automation with a virtualized environment can enable advanced functionality, including dynamic provisioning and workload balancing, high availability and disaster recovery. And with each of these innovations, previous levels of functionality become mainstream and accessible even to small environments.

Meanwhile, the rapid progression of virtualization technology has left enterprise IT managers with more alternatives to evaluate than ever, particularly now that Microsoft is weighing in with an enterprise-class hypervisor — the Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 Hyper-V™ platform — for the first time. Organizations that do not approach server virtualization with a clear plan risk developing a chaotic, inflexible infrastructure that wastes energy and resources. However, with appropriate planning, enterprises can leverage virtualization to enhance agility and service, simplify IT management and empower staff to focus on strategic priorities while conserving energy and resources.

At the same time that server virtualization has gone mainstream, desktop virtualization has become a viable option for many organizations. Desktop virtualization technologies enable the Dell™ Flexible Computing Solutions suite of products and services, which combines centralized control with rich client functionality, performance and mobility. The flexible computing model can help enterprises simplify desktop management and enhance security  —while helping to improve business continuity and streamline regulatory compliance. (For more information, see the “Flexible computing on the rise” sidebar in this article.)