Nov 2, 2009, By Jim Russell
Photo: Jim Russell, vice president of public sector, Symantec/Photo courtesy of Symantec
As budgets tighten and public-sector agencies face increased scrutiny due to spending, virtualization is transforming the endpoint and data center by increasing utilization rates, reducing energy consumption and driving down costs.
As a result, many public-sector agencies are moving outside their comfort zones to explore virtualization as a viable alternative. The goal of virtualization and other emerging technologies is centered on doing more with less - a promise that is hard to ignore in these economic times. The following are benefits government agencies can expect when implementing virtualization:
Server and endpoint virtualization offers government agencies a streamlined, automated and cost-effective way to deploy and support both computing resources and users, while also meeting regulatory requirements for privacy and reporting.
A recent study by MeriTalk, a federally focused, online IT network, found that virtualization could bring $13.3 billion in savings, including $1 billion from the U.S. Army, $880 million from the U.S. Department of Justice and $592 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In addition, Andi Mann, research director at Enterprise Management Associates, noted that 90 percent of enterprises report real and measurable return on investment (ROI) from virtualization in general. This translates into renewed opportunity for agencies to leverage virtualization as a cost-saving measure.
However, simply saying virtualization helps users be more productive and reduces IT management costs doesn't mean it actually does. Below are some examples of how virtualization technology can help businesses save money today:
The ability to telework assists government agencies in becoming more efficient. According to a December 2008 government study on telework, most federal agencies' telework programs have either expanded or held steady since 2006.
However, this same ability can pose security challenges. As agencies across the government are directed to keep their communications transparent, they must find a way to keep the information secure.
Agencies are finding that a well managed workspace is a secure workspace. Technology such as virtualization helps IT departments in the public sector set up solid endpoint controls. Leaving security to users can be dangerous so having controls in place to secure agency information is essential.
However, protection solely on the endpoint is comparable to one hand clapping. We
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