Efficacy of server virtualization in higher education

As institutions of higher education strive to meet financial challenges with information technology (IT), some leaders have considered cost savings through server virtualization. Server virtualization is a new approach to maximizing the use of hardware investments. It has removed technological barriers in previous models that enable IT leaders to transform from physical to virtual servers. In this qualitative case study, four IT leaders in institutions of higher education have shared their experiences of converting from physical to virtual servers. As more institutions explore implementation, IT leaders can benefit from this research. The results of this study show that some leaders in higher education chose to use server virtualization to mitigate financial challenges and reap the benefits of operational efficiencies.