IBM says SMBs can enjoy the same benefits from
virtualisation as larger enterprises
IBM has launched a programme to extend its campaign to bring to
small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) the benefits that larger
enterprises enjoy from a virtualised server environment.
IBM says that its virtualisation portfolio is designed to help
increase the availability, resiliency and utilisation of SMBs’
infrastructures. Its new SMB programme includes assistance in
setting up a centre of competence, technical and industry
education, to assist clients to design and implement virtualisation
solutions around IBM’s Virtualization Engine portfolio.
In order to demonstrate more accurately the benefits of
virtualisation, IBM sales partners will offer a ‘real world’
environment to simulate client scenarios and test applications. By
attending training sessions at the Business Partner’s Innovation
Centres, IBM hope that SMBs will see that its Virtualization Engine
offerings can reduce both planned and unplanned outages, ease data
migrations and lower the costs for disaster recovery sites as well
as manage an entire virtualised infrastructure.
“We see this program strategy as a natural evolution to expand
our virtualization ecosystem,” comments Rich Lechner,
vice-president, virtualisation, IBM. “We are using this approach to
educate [SMBs] on the business benefits of virtualisation and
demonstrate how easy it is to get started… we are enabling our
most-qualified business partners… both anticipate and answer
[SMBs’] needs while easing entry into the technology and showing
immediate results and value.”