VIRTUALISATION
“Solution selling is not just about the
Maturing
software and hardware. The most
important element is the services
that our channel partners wrap
around our products to ensure they
are specified correctly, configured
marketplace
and implemented accurately and
managed pro actively.”
“A Virtualisation solution is not
a bundle of products. Unless the
solution addresses a real need of
The Virtualisation market is now past early adopter stage and the client and is configured to work
moving into a growth and deployment period which bodes well
within their business environment to
for the channel. It is a long way from a saturated volume market
deliver optimum performance it is
just a collection of boxes.”
and this means that there are likely to be many years of margin
This view is reinforced by Matt
opportunities for the channel. Piercy, Channel Director for northern
EMEA at VMware, “The Virtualisation
H
owever in moving from early Moreover, the technology is increasing software only represents 15% of a
adopter stage the shape and size of demand for networked storage.” typical Virtualisation solution, hardware
the opportunity starts to change. Andrew Binding, managing between 30% and 40% and then
Uwe Stein, Director Marketing Director of Magirus in the UK services represent between 40% and
EMEA at Azlan explains, “Server believes that Virtualisation is the 60%. This shows that the channel
consolidation will continue to be a catalyst for channel opportunity, opportunity is in the services element.”
key driver of Virtualisation. Currently, “Consolidation is still hot, however “It is important that the channel
industry analysts estimate that the value for many customers company gets skilled up properly to
fewer than 10 percent of servers in Virtualisation is datacenter deliver the services element which is
are virtualized, despite the fact that optimization and flexible and not only where the real profit lies but
Virtualisation has been around for dynamic infrastructure.” also what delivers the real benefit of
many years. But its significance “Virtualisation is not everything, the solution to the client.”
is growing as companies have but it does open doors. The This high services element to a
introduced products that target today's important issue for the channel is typical Virtualisation sale is indicative
high-volume, low-cost hardware. to identify where it can be used to of how this market is evolving
Virtualisation is one of the key IT- maximum effect with each client.” and should not be ignored by the
technologies companies plan to invest “It is interesting to see that channel. It is not difficult nowadays
in heavily over the next years.” all the new vendors entering the to configure a virtual server and most
“Researchers estimate that Virtualisation space are management new servers will have it embedded in
more than 18 percent of all new software companies. This is an their technology.
servers will be virtualized by 2011, indication of the shift in the The channel needs to move up the
representing a market opportunity Virtualisation market from core value chain of the deal.
of almost $22 billion annually for products to management services.”
server hardware suppliers alone. This “The measuring of the virtualized
means a huge potential for most of servers and other devices and
the channel.” applications to do what they are
“However Virtualisation today supposed to be doing will be an
occurs in many other places: storage, important area for the channel. It will
the desktop, the network, and many expand their consultancy services
other places in the data center.” from design and implementation
“The Virtualisation business as we to managing and measuring the
see it has just begun. Our motivation dynamic allocation of resources and
for Virtualisation is moving beyond service level agreements.”
server consolidation. The real business The Virtualisation market is often
opportunities for us and our partners referred to as a solutions marketplace
over the next years is the expansion but Ruediger Gunther, Director
of Virtualisation into all areas of IT. Midrange EMEA at Azlan explains
Virtualisation is driving software, that there is a lot more to delivering
hardware, and services spending. solutions than just good products,
Uwe Stein
28 8020 EUROPA JUNE 2008
28.indd 1 13/6/08 09:42:02
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