Cybernomics

Cybernomics Announces New “Virtualization” Technology, New Partner and New Case Study

 

In 2006, Cybernomics began incorporating a new technology called “virtualization” into its standard practices. And 2007 has already seen many of their clients “virtualize” for 3 essential reasons:

• It saves money by decreasing hardware and overall IT support costs
• It increases uptime and improves business continuity
• It actually helps the environment by reducing energy, raw materials and waste

In conjunction with this new technology, Cybernomics is also proud to announce a partnership with a U.S. company that specializes in virtualization, Invirtus. Invirtus is a leading force in the development of technologies that assist with the management and deployment of virtual servers, a market that Gartner estimates will grow to $30 billion U.S. by 2008. Cybernomics is proud to become the official Canadian reseller of their advanced virtualization technologies.

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization enables numerous older computers to be replaced by a smaller amount of newer “virtual” computers. These “virtual” computers are able to operate as if they are 2 or more physically different computers; however they are housed in only one physical machine.
Simply put, virtualization works like this: imagine that a computer is an apple. In the old days, people would carry one apple in their hand, until someone invented the basket. A bunch of apples could be put into one basket. Those apples in the basket are still individual apples, but they are being carried in one container. This is the essence of virtualization.

The GTMA: A Case Study

When the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance decided to co-locate their website server at the Cybernomics datacenter, it seemed like a great opportunity to introduce virtualization. The GTMA has always been an early adopter with new technology as a means of promoting the region and servicing its international clients. Their web presence is an extremely vital aspect of their business operations: it is important for the website and web applications to run at optimal performance and have maximum uptime.

The GTMA’s existing web server was aging, experiencing performance issues and required upgrading. Using Invirtus’ advanced technologies, Cybernomics was able to convert the physical machine into a virtual one. The new virtual server was deployed onto a physical server already at the datacenter.

The virtualization environment meant substantial cost savings for the GTMA, and provided the organization with an optimized platform to support their website and growing web-based applications. From a client-servicing point-of-view, Cybernomics technicians can access the entire environment remotely, providing real-time support and if necessary a transition to another virtual server.

Business Benefits

• Save on hardware: With virtualization, we’re able to reduce computers by a 4:1 ratio (although, we’re even able to go up to 8:1), which is a 75% reduction in physical machines

• Save on space: If you host servers at a datacenter or at your office, it can mean saving on space, and space is money

• Save on upkeep: Virtualized machines are easier to maintain and easier to support. If one fails, we can easily and virtually “move” the information, applications and data from that server to a new one – almost instantaneously. 

• Give “legacy” applications a new life: “Move” older operating systems and older applications with all configurations intact, to a new virtualized machine and escape the hardware cycle

• Redundancy without additional hardware: Have a dedicated redundant machine without having to buy another entire server, which can cost from $2,000 to $20,000 or more depending on your requirements

• Increase uptime: In the case of a hardware problem or failure, the virtual computers can be moved to any other suitable computer that is available and brought back on-line, mitigating business losses from being down
• Better backups = better disaster recovery: Virtualization makes it easier to backup an entire company’s infrastructure and store it off-site, and virtual computers can even be transmitted over the internet and be brought on-line in another office, city or even another country

Environmental Benefits

With the 4:1 ratio as a baseline, the environmental rewards include:

• 50% to 75% reduction in electricity requirements

• 75% reduction in metals such as aluminum, steel, gold, copper and tantalum

• 75% reduction in plastics, including toxic plastics like PVC

• 75% reduction in hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals used in the manufacturing process

• Reduction in heat output, which means a reduction in air-conditioner requirements and lowered electrical requirements

• 75% reduction in the volume of materials going into garbage dumps or recycling programs

Economic Benefits

• Lowered electricity costs

• Potentially lower hardware and software costs

• Lowered threat of critical business loss through increased uptime and recoverability

• Easier means of backing up data and improved and practical Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery options

If you would like to explore how virtualization can be used in your business, please send an email for more information to info@cybernomics.

Baudry Cybernomics Corporation is a Professional IT services firm based in Toronto that has specialized in IT outsourcing and out-tasking for over 14 years. Our services comprise the following areas of excellence: Consulting, IT Management/Support, Infrastructure Services and Internet Publishing/Content Management.

Invirtus, a Delaware Corporation, pioneered the virtualization technology credited with reducing the size of virtual machines and continues to lead the development of technologies that assist with the management of virtualization technologies. Invirtus is currently developing new technologies that will help companies discover innovative ways to enhance their IT capabilities while extending their IT budgets.

The Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA) is a public-private partnership that serves as the key point of contact for businesses exploring opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The partnership brings together the 29 municipalities and regions in the Greater Toronto Area, the governments of Ontario and Canada, several not-for-profit organizations, and a broad cross section of private sector corporations.