AITP: Information Executive Newsletter Article

The IT industry is experiencing a growing implementation of server virtualization for a number of reasons. Server Virtualization by IT began via a capacity issue of physical data center floor space and power consumption. As the United States focuses on sustainability, there is a growing demand to expand the "green" in industry and provide education and job training.

The AITP Research and Strategy Advisory Group (RASAG) produced a white paper on "Virtualization and Its Benefits" in 2008 that is posted at the AITP web portal, in the Publication Section, under IT Papers. Click here for that RASAG white paper.

Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) used the white paper as part of its research when pursuing server virtualization. In 2009, SWIC implemented the first phase of server virtualization. This implementation is documented in a case study that is listed among the AITP White Paper at the AITP Web portal.

Click here for that case study which documents the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI) achieved from the first phase of implementation.

The SWIC server virtualization (Phase 1) was projected to be a three year implementation but the Information Technology Division was able to implement it within one year and estimates to have saved the three year TCO of $281,366 and a 237% ROI after one year. A residual benefit was the ability to redeploy some servers as future physical virtualization servers and avoid the purchase of new servers to implement new software applications.

The server virtualization implementation at SWIC contributed to the "greening of IT" and is documented as a contribution to sustainability, a state focus among Illinois community colleges demonstrated by the creation of the Illinois Community College Sustainability Network and funded with a state grant for $1.7 million as announced by Governor Quinn on Thursday, January 14, 2009, at Southwestern Illinois College.

Next steps for SWIC will include further server virtualization and the testing of virtualization at the desktop.

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