Virtualization   There are many types of ICT virtualization. Some are real some are a play on a theme. Virtualization is in focus as all organizations are looking to utilize more effectively their current ICT assets without having to make more capital purchases.   The most popular types of virtualization are server v irtualization and desktop virtualization. Here there are clear standard and open systems that allow a integrated and compatible approach to virtualization mainly for those systems running X86/X64 based CPU’s. You will see reference to Data Center virtualization, applications virtualization, storage virtualization, tape virtualization, etc. There become more proprietary and specific. Some are embedded such a Solaris based containers or Linux based domains. There is much industry collaboration that starts at the cpu level and continues to the application level. 
The real main interest today from most organizations is around hardware virtualization for servers. The main reason for this is economic. Virtualization benefits include 
Uses under-utilized servers, each dedicated to a specific workload by consolidating those workloads onto a smaller number of more fully used machines. This implies fewer people to manage those computers, less space to house them, and fewer kilowatt hours of power to run them, all of which saves money. Makes restoring failed systems easier. VMs are stored as files so restoring a failed system can be as simple as copying its file onto a new machine. As VMs can have different hardware configurations from the physical machine on which they’re running, this approach also allows restoring a failed system onto any available machine. There’s no requirement to use a physically identical system. Virtualization can benefit your complete infrastructure from Data Center to desktop. 
Virtualization technologies provide a range of benefits. As virtualized increases it also gets more abstract. Increasing abstraction can increase complexity, making it harder for ICT staff to control their world. If a virtualized world isn’t managed well, its benefits can be elusive.  
The old standard for x86 servers was to run one application per server. When servers were cheap to buy and cheap to run this was acceptable. But the requirement for more servers due to application demand required more Data Center space and more staff to manage. With virtualization several applications can run isolated on a virtual operating system image that wouldn't affect each other. The technology has seen remarkable adoption rates and customer satisfaction. Estimates that 75% of all companies with >500 employees are deploying virtual servers. And of those customers currently using server virtualization, they plan for 45% of new servers purchased next year to be virtualized.   Hardware virtualization Runs multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. Not the only important kind of virtualization but the most common today.
The core idea of hardware virtualization is simple: Use software to create a virtual machine (VM) that emulates a physical computer. By providing multiple VMs at once, this approach allows running several operating systems simultaneously on a single physical machine.
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