Benefits of virtualization are eluding many companies because their IT staffs lack the technical know-how to effectively deploy it. That was the startling finding of a recent report from Forrester Consulting after interviewing nearly 300 IT managers regarding adoption of virtual systems.
Some say the estimated level of virtualization today is about 30 percent, or about what it was two years ago. Not only do virtual systems require new skills, but new management and automation technologies also must be introduced into the environment. According to the Forrester report: “The proper skills for the future are difficult to attain and retain.”
“As functions are automated, reliance on skilled staff decreases,” the report reads. “A potentially dangerous skills gap is emerging. Another skills concern is how virtualization fits into an overall service management movement. Such expertise is currently in short supply.”
Industry observers say delays in greater implementation of virtual systems could also stall adoption of cloud computing. The cloud utilizes a pool of virtualized resources allocated on demand—growing and shrinking as needed—that should rely on virtualization. Yet without virtual server adoption peaking beyond 30 percent, cloud environments could be stymied for the time being.