Technology

One of the hottest hardware trends these days is virtualization, and the undisputed leader in this industry is VMware. They’ve been unopposed in the field for almost ten years, though a recent Microsoft announcement may challenge their position. In February Microsoft released a test version of their virtualization software called Hyper-V, which may present some real competition for VMware, and may give their customers a choice that was previously unavailable.

Virtualization, a strategy that has been kicking around the technology world since the 1960s, allows servers to run at a higher capacity than previously thought. Initially, servers could run only one application at a time, meaning that many systems could only reach 15% percent of their capacity. Virtualization utilizes a software called a “hypervisor” which allows any given server to run more than one operating system at at time, essentially fooling it into performing the work that many servers would ordinarily do. With virtualization technology in place, one server can do the work that 8 or more would have done, reducing the high cost of hardware, technical support, and even the electricity that servers suck. The economic benefits are very attractive to large companies with vast server farms, and the environmental benefits are just as obvious.

Microsoft’s Hyper-V software is expected to closely resemble VMware’s products, and Microsoft is optimistic about its chances for success. As Microsoft GM for server infrastructure Larry Orecklin told the Wall Street Journal, “We expect very broad adoption; it’s certainly priced to assure broad adoption.” Microsoft has released initial pricing information in a recent press release, which varies depending on setup and requirements. Even more promising, Hewlett-Packard, which currently supports VMware software installations for its hardware customers, have said they will support Hyper-V as well. The full version is expected out in June 2008.

VMware does not seem to be worried, however. After all, they’ve had a ten-year head start on Microsoft in terms of software development and industry connections. Vice president of research and development Steve Herrod commented to the Wall Street Journal, “Microsoft doesn’t have a product yet. We’re confident our 10 years of work will be most important.” A good point, but customers are hoping the new competition in the virtualization market will lead to lower prices and better products.

Hyper-V is the first major challenge to VMware’s domination of the virtualization market, and the competition is likely to not only increase the quality and lower the price of software, but also spark interest in the technology community as a whole for this product. This side effect could be the most important “plus” of Microsoft’s announcement, as it could lead to a greening of technology hardware across the board. Servers are huge drains on energy, and if companies like Amazon, Google, IBM, and Yahoo! were actively finding ways to reduce their electricity consumption, other smaller players would follow. No matter who takes the lead in the virtualization industry, consumers and the world at large are likely to benefit, whether from lower prices or better environmental practices.

By Haley January Eckels