VMware technology saves government department $1 million
Virtualized server consolidation key to cost savings and return on investment (ROI)
Sydney, Australia, 27 October, 2008 – VMware, Inc (NYSE:VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, today announced a government department saved $1 million utilizing VMware technology for server migration, consolidation and management.
The Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) engaged VMware and partner QIRX in 2004 to migrate 16 physical servers from Canberra to Sydney after signing a hosting agreement with Macquarie Telecom. The department’s Web-based services infrastructure runs government Web sites and transactions systems for government programs supporting local industry.
DIISR, the former department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, said that VMware’s virtualization technology ensured zero downtime during the migration of its infrastructure from Canberra to Sydney.
Manager, ICT Infrastructure Operations, e-Business Division, DIISR, Will Quodling said virtualization formed an integral part of the organisation’s server migration and management strategy.
“We (DIISR) were looking a five days to a week of potential downtime to move that infrastructure from Canberra to Sydney. With VMware virtualization technology, we could temporarily host the Web sites in Sydney without suffering any server downtime,” Mr Quodling said.
Following the successful migration of its server fleet, DIISR virtualized its entire Web development and testing environments removing the need to purchase additional hardware. DIISR estimates that it will save more than $1 million in hardware and hosting costs over three years.
“Without virtualization, we (DIISR) would have had to double the number of physical servers in order to provide the environments that we needed,” Mr Quodling said.
IBM provided the physical hardware to support DIISR’s entire virtualization program.
Virtualization uses less power
DIISR expanded its deployment of VMware’s virtualization technology after its server fleet migration by virtualizing its entire datacenter infrastructure to reduce the physical hardware requirements and cut power consumption. The implementation established a platform that separated its application development lifecycle environment from its production environment.
Mr Quodling said that DIISR uses 20 per cent less power with a virtualized data infrastructure, which equates to about $80,000 per year in savings, due to server consolidation.
“Without VMware virtualization, it would have been impossible to redevelop our datacenter infrastructure in this way. We would never have been able to afford or have enough room for the number of physical servers required, let alone pay the electricity bill,” he said.
VMware Australia and New Zealand managing director, Paul Harapin said DIISR’s use of VMware technology was an example of the way virtualization can increase savings and improve a business’s ROI.
“Virtualization allows businesses to save on power and server maintenance as well as increase efficiency in relation to IT upgrades and transitions,” Mr Harapin said.
About VMware
VMware (NYSE: VMW) is the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter. Customers of all sizes rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2007 revenues of $1.3 billion, more than 100,000 customers and nearly 14,000 partners, VMware is one of the fastest growing public software companies. Based in Palo Alto, California, VMware is majority-owned by EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) and on the web at www.vmware.com.
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For further information please contact:
Emma Rogers
Public Relations Manager
VMware Australia and New Zealand
Telephone: (02) 9293-5650
Mobile: 0408 237 309
Email: erogers@vmware.com
