The 2009 Federal Virtualization Report

 Focus and Objectives | Key Findings
Recommendations | Resources | Methodology
Full Report | Press Release | Contact Us
 


"Waste" is a dirty word in a government agency, but it's a word commonly associated with information technology resources. Take, for example, that a typical server only utilizes between 5 percent and 15 percent of its capacity. Fortunately, a battle won against waste saves money and improves productivity. For many Federal agencies, a chief combatant against waste is virtualization.

To understand the state of virtualization in Federal civilian and defense agencies, CDW-G surveyed Federal civilian and defense IT managers in April 2009 regarding client, server and storage virtualization.

The Federal Virtualization Report dissects Federal virtualization by identifying obstacles to broader virtualization adoption and outlining steps to overcome those obstacles.




  • Federal IT managers see significant virtualization opportunity
73% of Federal managers say virtualization is an integral component to improving IT efficiency and costs.
In Defense agencies, 78% agree In Federal civilian agencies, 67% agree


  • Top barriers to virtualization include budget, security and lack of trained staff




  • Leadership is critical to virtualization success. Agencies with proficient CIOs are better equipped, better trained and more successful



  • Investigate ROI: Learn more about your IT budget to evaluate projected virtualization ROI. To better understand the concrete benefits your agency will experience, visit www.cdwg.com/virtualization for CDW-G's Server Virtualization Assessment
  • Ensure C-Level Support: Virtualization success requires leadership; encourage CIO proficiency
  • Join the Conversation: Share best practices with other agencies and private-sector peers
  • Educate Staff: Audit training needs and implement programs. Task subject matter experts with staying abreast of virtualization advances
  • Measure Success: Select and track metrics to ensure virtualization delivers against goals



Virtualization minimizes IT complexity and lowers operating costs. It also aids in security and continuity of operations efforts. To learn more about client, server and storage virtualization, please see:



  • CDW-G conducted the online survey of 377 Federal IT managers in April 2009. The sample size equates to a margin of error of +/- 5% at 95% confidence for the group
  • 100% of respondents are familiar with the term virtualization
 
Title
6% CIO/CTO
6% Deputy CIO/CTO
22% IT Director/Supervisor
36% IT Manager
18% Network Administrator
12% Data Center Manager
 
Agency
55% Federal Civilian
40% Department of Defense
5% Intelligence



Kelly Caraher
CDW-G Public Relations
847-968-0729
kellyc@cdw.com