The advantages of virtual technologies are many and they are likely to be increasing over the coming years. The disadvantages of virtual technologies are also many but they too are bound to be reducing in the future. The pros and cons of virtual technologies cover nearly all of those areas that concern us in this day and age. The key benefits of virtual technologies include portability, affordability and easy accessibility. These are three areas in which most of us have come to expect in this digital age.
Portable: In the age of cell phones, handheld personal devices and other portable personal electronic devices, the idea of being tied down to a desk or a laptop is outdated. Most people will agree that this is not an effective use of their time or a desirable way to spend their vacation. This is one of the main reasons that people who use virtual technologies have been increasing. There is no longer the stigma of “that person is just stuck in a big house with no real work.”
Affordable: The costs of computer equipment has been steadily rising. This has resulted in a great deal of foreclosures on the part of consumers and a reduction in consumer spending power. This has caused some computer manufacturers to go bust as they have had to charge more for computers to compete with the high priced peripheral devices of the past. This has made the idea of virtual technologies all the more attractive. Prices are very low in this technological era and the idea of being restricted to one computer can seem obsolete by comparison.
Ease of use: Ease of use is an important consideration when considering any new technology. Virtualization of computer systems is an example of great ease of use. All that is needed to get up and running with virtual technologies is a small installation of a software program. All that is needed to keep track of virtual technologies is a simple log in process and a password is enough for most virtual technologies.
Minimal downtime: The computer and internet connection that is used in virtually speaking is virtually unbreakable. No matter what the nature of the network is, there will always be a high degree of redundancy. There will be no down time at all and virtually anyone running a virtual technologies environment will never be without a high speed internet connection. This provides the reassurance of a reliable backup system for even the most unreliable computer network. This also minimizes the expense of having to repair or replace computers that experience hardware failure.
Security: The storage of intellectual property can be a delicate subject. With virtual technologies for the storage and protection of such property can be extremely difficult. All data that is stored in one virtual technology server is sent across the Internet in clear digital form. Any snooping that someone might do of the type that may take place in a traditional file server can be thwarted by the massive amount of redundancy that exists in this technological arena.
Distributed Management: Although this topic is not as big a consideration as other things that are associated with virtual technologies, it is a reality and should be remembered at all times. Virtual technologies are not all about replicating applications across the network and distributing software licenses across a network of machines. There is also the issue of enforcing access to these programs when they are needed by users. Therefore, when security is a key issue, then it would be prudent to restrict access to particular virtual technologies to ensure maximum security.
These are some of the pros and cons of virtual technologies that a company will want to keep in mind when they are considering implementing virtualization in their environment. There are several different types of virtual technologies that are available for you to choose from. When choosing the one that is best for your needs, you need to consider the level of redundancy, reliability, and security that each particular technology offers. You will also want to find out exactly how easy it will be for you to implement, use, and expand upon using this particular type of virtual technology in your company. It is important to do your research before you select any particular virtual technology so that you know exactly what you are getting into and so that you can make the most cost-effective decision for your business.