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Altaro VM Backup is a backup and replication solution for Hyper-V and VMware, built for MSPs and IT departments, that delivers: • Reliable, fast, fuss-free performance – Hassle-free and fast virtual machine backup, with the abili...Read more
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) is a cloud-based network monitoring solution that enables users to detect, diagnose, and resolve network performance issues. The solution allows users to design a customizable topology ...Read more
Cortado is an intuitive mobile device management solution that allows businesses to enroll and manage mobile devices, deploy and manage apps, and ensure data security. Cortado MDM utilizes native management capabilities to support...Read more
Evolve IP Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is a cloud-hosted virtual desktop solution that helps businesses of all sizes streamline processes related to remote working. It comes with built-in antivirus and malware protection tools, ens...Read more
Paperspace is a desktop virtualization solution that lets businesses run virtual machines and desktops on Windows operating systems. Product designers can utilize the platform to handle graphical workloads including rendering, bui...Read more
ManageEngine Application Manager is an application management solution that helps businesses to monitor their data centers and applications, databases and systems. It is suitable for small to midsize businesses and mid-large enter...Read more
ConnectWise Automate (Formerly LabTech) is a cloud-based and on-premise IT automation solution that helps companies track and manage IT assets from a single location. Content management features allow users to share documents...Read more
VMware Workspace ONE is an intelligence-driven digital workspace platform that enables you to simply and securely deliver and manage any app on any device, anywhere....Read more
Incredibuild is a cloud-based and on-premise platform designed to help small to large organizations manage compilation, testing and release automation processes while building applications. Features include continuous integration,...Read more
Fairwinds Insights is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solution that helps businesses of all sizes automate, monitor and enforce best practices across Kubernetes-based applications. It enables team members to identify errors,...Read more
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a cloud-based and on-premise virtualization solution designed to help businesses enable secure and remote access to Windows, Linux and web applications and ensure desktop delivery from multiple ...Read more
With a number of employees using personal networks (and devices) for remote work, IT managers are tasked with the challenges of handling multiple mobile devices spread across the globe while protecting sensitive business data.
One way IT managers can resolve this issue is by making the infrastructure of technology more efficient with virtualization. Virtualization tools can help you extend the capabilities of your existing hardware and software without commanding huge investments in physical servers. It can connect your remote desktops to virtual servers created with minimal hardware support, and lets you monitor and upgrade them from anywhere with just a click.
With several virtualization systems available in the market, selecting the right one can be confusing and time consuming. This buyers guide has all the information you’ll need to make a software choice that works for your business.
Here's what we'll cover:
Virtualization software is a solution that allows users to run multiple operating systems virtually on single computer hardware. It splits the central processing unit (CPU), server, storage, and memory into several virtual machines (VMs)–a piece of software that pretends to be a computer–each with its own operating system and applications. For example, you can operate a Linux virtual machine on Windows hardware.
The software enables companies to consolidate their IT resources on fewer physical machines which helps them improve overall IT turnaround in less space, power, and administrative overheads. Desktop virtualization tools are also used by developers and testers to test applications in multiple environments, say Windows and Mac, on one piece of hardware.
A view of the virtual machine manager in Virtual Box (Source)
These are the common features most buyers seek when purchasing virtualization software:
Configuration Management | Maintain your system by preventing unapproved changes from altering your virtual machine and the host machine. Identify the components of the system (servers, configuration, or software) with problem configurations and reconfigure them to your desired state. |
Data Migration | Move data from a virtual machine without suffering data loss or service lags. Upgrade to a higher version of the software even when working in a virtual environment with next to no downtime. |
Virtual Machine Monitoring | Create and manage multiple virtual environments on one physical machine and deploy different operating systems and applications. Also called a hypervisor, virtual machine monitoring creates a thin software layer between the host operating system and virtual environments. |
Access Controls/Permissions | Regulate user rights to certain areas of the host or virtual machine by setting permissions and issuing passwords. Control who can administer, run, suspend, or stop the virtual environments. |
Backup and Recovery | Create backups of your virtual machine within the system or remotely to save all of your data and the entire configuration, and resume productivity even if the system breaks down or requires an upgrade. |
Performance Monitoring | Monitor the performance of virtual machines and track the oversized, downsized, or unused VMs. Reallocate storage and memory between virtual environments as per business needs. |
Before you start evaluating software options, you'll want to know which buyer category you belong to. Most buyers of virtualization software fall into one of these categories:
Let’s go through some of the key benefits of using a virtualization software solution in your business:
Listed below are some key considerations to keep in mind when purchasing a virtualization tool.
Note: The application selected in this guide is an example to show a feature in context and is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation. It has been taken from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.