What are virtual machines?

2nd September 2025

Could these machines within machines be beneficial for you?

Computers are expensive. The hardware costs between the main PC or laptop itself and all the additional extras you might need, for numerous members if staff: it can really add up. But is there a way to reduce the need for hardware, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs?

A virtual machine (VM) is a simulation of a physical computer but made entirely from software. It allows users to run an operating system (OS) and do the same as you would on a standard computer, but entirely virtually. Some key components include:

·         Host machine – the actual computer that the VM runs on.

·         Guest OS – the operating system inside the VM.

·         Hypervisor – software that creates and manages the VM, allocating resources like memory and storage.

·         Virtual hardware – simulated components like CPU, RAM, disk and network interfaces.

VMs have a variety of uses: from a security perspective, it allows you to separate certain software from everything else. Furthermore, VMs allow you to run Linux on a Windows PC (or the reverse) and test apps across different OS versions. They are useful in cloud computing, disaster backup and server consolidation.

The advantages of this include:

·         Isolation – VMs are sandboxed, so issues are locked to the one machine.

·         Portability – can be moved between systems easily.

·         Scalability – can be added to or removed on demand.

·         Cost efficiency – reduced hardware costs.

There are a few downsides: VMs tend to be slower as they’re sharing the host machine’s capabilities, they can be resource intensive and without the right tools and knowledge, VMs may be difficult to manage.

However, with so many advantages, virtual machines have the potential to transform businesses – would you use one? If you have any further questions around VMs, talk to Interfuture Systems.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/z4UliLR6Ys8