IDC reports that the server market is
due to hit an important inflection point this year, when for the
first time more than half the number of units shipped will have a
virtualisation component.
The analyst group said that sales of virtualised servers in
Western Europe increased by 26.5 percent last year to hit 358,000
units.
Giorgio Nebuloni, research analyst with IDC European Systems and
Infrastructure Solutions, said that the accelerated adoption on the
x86 side of the server market is making virtualization a crucial
factor, changing the approach of suppliers and the deployment
habits of customers throughout Europe.
"In 2008, approximately 18.3 percent of all servers shipped in
Western Europe were virtualized, against 14.6% in 2007, and we
expect the percentage to grow to almost 21% in 2010. More
importantly, last year, and for the first time ever, the number of
virtual machine (VM) shipments exceeded the number of physical
servers shipped, topping 2 million units."
The
overall market was however very flat.
Networking equipment builder
Cisco Systems announced its foray into the server market in
March, a move which is expected to further drive the trend
towards virtualisation.
IDC notes that the current recession is the main factor driving
demand for VMs. By 2013 it predicts that the ratio between virtual
and physical server shipments will be 3:2. In parallel, the number
of logical machines (physical and virtual) shipped is expected to
grow strongly, and IDC projects they will increase by 15.7% through
2013. This makes management tools more and more pivotal, as both
virtual and physical servers have to be operated, monitored, and
patched.
IDC warns that the exodus towards virtualisation is presenting
unique challenges for IT managers, not least of which is the
management of large and rapidly growing systems.
The study, Western Europe Server Virtualization Forecast and
Analysis, 20072013, IDC #GE06R9), focuses on 16 European countries
(Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom).