Green IT: what benefits could virtualisation have on your business?

4th April 2025

Virtualisation refers to a virtual version of something physical, which can include operating systems, servers, storage devices or network resources.

Cloud is probably the most common example of this, a virtual version of physical servers. Another would be virtual machines – these work like traditional computers, but without the need for a separate physical setup.

We’ve broken down both the general benefits that virtualisation has the potential to bring to you and your business, as well as the environmental benefits:

General benefits

Cost savings: by consolidating multiple servers into only a few physical machines, you can reduce maintenance expenses and the cost of hardware.

Increased efficiency: any servers that are being used will be used to their full potential – you won’t be wasting resources like before.

Scalability: one of the selling points of virtualisation, you can easily scale up or down depending on what your business needs. New virtual machines can be created quickly, without the need for additional physical hardware.

Disaster recovery: virtual machines can be restored more easily than physical servers, meaning that if your business does go down, you’ll be up and running again quicker.

Environmental benefits

Reduced energy consumption: fewer physical servers results in less energy being used to run and cool hardware – this will help to reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint!

Efficient resource utilisation: the general increase in efficiency also applies to environmental factors – computing power, memory and storage will all be used in a more impactful way.

Reduced e-waste: fewer physical servers results in fewer servers being replaced when they become obsolete, cutting down on waste.

Space savings: by using fewer physical machines, you save the need to build massive data centres, the environmental impact of which can be significant.

Evidently, virtualisation can have a lot of benefits, for your business and the environment. If you’d like to know if it is right for your business, you can ask Interfuture Systems HERE.