Collaborative Post

If you are wondering whether or not it is a good idea to buy a virtual machine [1] package for your business, this article will enable you to work out if that is a good idea. Below we provide you with a few examples of why you really should consider doing so. As you will see, there are several practical reasons for using virtual machines in your business.

Create effective backups of your systems

Every business really needs to back up their IT systems properly. That way if they have some sort of failure they can quickly recover their data and get everyone up and running again. The right virtual machine makes this super easy to do.

Not only will you have a copy of your data you will also have one of your operating system and the current software and apps that you use. Importantly, your copy will include all of the special settings and tweaks that your business relies on. Provided you set things up right, you will be able to switch immediately to your backup virtual machine should you have a problem with your day-to-day system.

Try out different IT setups

For any business, being able to innovate is vitally important. A company that does not move with the times and adopt new ways of working will soon flounder.

VMs provide the perfect environment in which to try out different IT setups. For example, if you are considering switching to Mac hardware you can set up a VM version of the MacOS and experiment with it while the rest of your business continues to run on Windows. You can also use virtual machine environments that you create to try out new software or apps to see if they are right for your business.

It also enables you to test out anything you develop in a specific environment. Something that is invaluable if you develop apps or software. Many larger firms have their own in-house development team, so this capability is particularly useful for them.

Smooth the implementation of new IT setups

The right virtual machine setup can make implementing new systems and software super easy. As already mentioned, you can test out any changes before you implement them in a VM. This allows you to spot any potential issues early. It also provides the perfect environment in which to train your personnel.

When everything is tested and everyone is trained, all you need to do is to set a date and time to switch across from your old IT work environment to the new one. On that day, everyone simply has to sign into the right virtual machine to begin working in a new way. Should anything go disastrously wrong, you can simply switch everyone back to the old system because it can be held on your servers or other x86 hardware in its own VM.

The above is just a sample of how you can use virtual machines to move your business forward. If you would like to find out more about why VMs can benefit your business, you can do so by clicking this link [2].