One benefit of virtualization is that information can be shared and allocated by users on an as needed basis and that all information is centralized so it is easy to maintain and to access (Pearlson et al, 2019). Another benefit is the need for less physical space for hardware, which results in a cost savings for the company (Pearlson et al, 2019). Companies that have the capacity to work virtually using cloud computing can also eliminate the need for employees to be physically present, also decreasing overhead cost of housing the employees. Another cost savings to virtualization and cloud computing is that there is no upfront cost, such as purchasing hardware, and there is also no cost to upgrade or maintain these services like there is when a company invests in physical computers and other hardware (Pearlson et al, 2019). If the company does use physical hardware, virtualization allows multiple applications to run through the same hardware, making it more efficient (Singh, 2018). Another benefit, and the biggest benefit, is that virtualization allows for a very quick and easy increase of capacity; whereas, in a traditional data center, hardware would need to be purchased, delivered, installed, and checked for compatibility with existing systems (Pearlson et al, 2019). Virtualization is an effective and efficient way for companies to operate in the modern business world.
Unfortunately, there are risks involved with implementing virtualization in a company’s IT infrastructure. One risk or hurdle that can occur is that migration increased the network load resulting in an increase of communication cost and the possibility of degradation of application performance (Singh, 2018). Another major concern of virtualization and cloud computing would be dependence on third party suppliers and possible recreation of applications to fit the cloud’s infrastructure (Pearlson et al, 2019). The last and most concerning risk related to virtualization is security. With virtualization companies need to protect their system at every endpoint within the system including the servers, network, and end user device (Pearlson et al, 2019). In order to resolve the security concerns, the company would need to invest in security measures that go beyond the protection afforded by the cloud service. The company would need to consider multi-factor authentication at all of the endpoints to ensure only those authorized are accessing the information. Since the end user’s device is a point were security can be a concern, the company could require a certain level of security on the device to protect from cyberattacks. Virtualization is the way of the future and has many benefits that can be maximized by ensuring that the company data is safe and secure at all endpoints.
References
Pearlson, K., Saunders, C. S., & Galletta, D. (2019). Managing and Using Information Systems:
A Strategic Approach (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Singh, M. (2018). Virtualization in Cloud Computing- a Study. 2018 International Conference
on Advances in Computing, Communication Control and Networking (ICACCCN), 64.
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