Harrod says that machines using up to 8 CPUs should be commonplace in the near future. Still, if you’re not convinced yet that virtualization is the norm for coming years, perhaps nothing will move you.

Cloud computing

VMworld Europe is in full swing, and VMware is taking the opportunity to talk to its captive audience about vSphere, the virtualization operating system that’s making competitors out of companies like Microsoft and Red Hat.

VMware CEO Paul Maritz said “Our customers want the plumbing to disappear – in the datacenter, on the desktop and in the cloud – so they can focus their staff time and IT budget on delivering business value. They want cloud-like services so they can act as hosting providers to their internal customers….. The VMware vSphere generation of products, which are currently in development, will be a new class of software that delivers on this strategy. And, as customers become cloud-enabled, they will have the flexibility to securely and efficiently expand their internal clouds to tap the resources offered by external service providers through our VMware vCloud Initiative.”

If everything goes as it should, vSphere will stop being vaporware by the end of the year.

VMware is deserving of this title because of its reputation for helping companies save money through virtualization. Koppenheffer says that even though VMware stock has dropped like everything else, it was still up 40% in the fourth quarter of 2008, which  is pretty darned good growth even in a good economy. Huzzah!

If EMC decides that it could use the cash, it may put VMware on the market which would make it possible for Cisco to bring its desires to fruition. Cisco likes VMware for what it sees as a growth avenue, and who wouldn’t, since virtualization is such a natural fit with cloud computing, a tough economy, and the desire of many companies to “go green.”

VMWare says it’s a natural progression to begin seeing your datacenter as a cloud. Companies typically turn to virtualization for the cost-savings on hardware, reducing overal capital expenditures. But it doesn’t take long to see the increased flexibility that virtualization brings and the operations cost reduction that happens when computing resources can be pooled and made available where they’re needed most.  Virtualization seems a natural partner to cloud computing, and IT managers are beginning to recognize this and put it to use.

The SHARE Total Enterprise Virtualization study was conducted on behalf of SHARE by Unisphere Research, back in December. According to SHARE, some of the findings:

. Virtualization is on the radar screens for most enterprises, yet most respondents admit they are still learning and understanding virtualization.
. Most virtualization initiatives are scattered and few are enterprise in scope.
. Enterprise virtualization goals align closely with IT business goals, from consolidation and operational streamlining to achieving “greener” IT.
. Barriers to effective enterprise deployments are more likely to be organizational rather than technical or operational. Still, a majority of organizations intend to increase funding for virtualization solutions throughout 2009.

Like we’ve said here before, virtualization is only going to grow in the down economy, because it makes sense to consolidate and save on hardware and licensing costs. Virtualization is getting so big that it’s one of two major themes in the 2009 SHARE Winter Conference.

Sessions in the Total Enterprise Virtualization track will include “Data Centers of the Future: The Impact of High Density Computing,” “Microsoft Windows Virtualization in the Enterprise” and “Server Virtualization Technical and Total Cost Analysis.” There will also be a number of user experience sessions from organizations such as John Deere, the State of Texas and Nationwide Insurance.

Those interested in registering for the Austin conference or learning more about SHARE should visit http://www.SHARE.org or contact SHARE headquarters at (312) 321-5156.

Mobile internet devices ripe for virtualization

In the vein of Microsoft’s “embrace and extend” philosophy, it seems as though virtualization magnate VMware may be prepping itself to make further strides into the telecom market. In November, VMware announced its new VMware Mobile Virtualization Platform (MVP), and it acquired Paris-based telecom startup Trango Virtual Processors. Trango says its products are squarely aimed at the embedded market, which includes handhelds, mobile internet devices, and cell phones. As Virtualization Review columnist Tom Valovic correctly notes, the mobile device market is in a state of flux right now with the ramp up from what were once just basic cell phones, to the now ubiquitous MID, or mobile internet device. Cell phones are now basically tiny computers, with tiny “desktops” that VMware probably sees as a new market niche. Or at least they should.  We’re keeping our eye on VMware for further announcements regarding this.

Virtualization.info’s Virtualization Industry Radar is kind of a who’s who in the virtualization space. It keeps track of new companies and old companies alike so you can look up any business and gain valuable information. And the Virtualization Industry Roadmap is an annual timeline that tracks product releases from vendors listed in the Radar.  They say it makes your buying decisions easier because you can track, at a glance, major release schedules.

Virtualization.info looks like a very valuable tool for vendors and customers alike. You should go take a look.