Microsofts Virtualization in Retail Survey Research Results

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Microsofts Virtualization in Retail Survey
Research Results
Survey of Technology Decision-Makers
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Survey Methodology
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Executive Summary
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Executive Summary

• Close to three quarters (71) of the retail
  companies surveyed use virtualization
  technologies to isolate operating system
  instances, applications, data or transaction
  services in their stores or headquarters.
• More than eight in ten (82) respondents who
  support their store locations say they use this
  technology.
• Health and Personal Care companies were most
  likely to say they use this technology (84),
  while Specialty Retail (59) and General
  Merchandise (43) companies are least likely.
• Among the 29 who say they are not using this
  technology at this time, one-quarter (25) say
  their company is considering implementing this
  technology.
• Among those currently using or considering
  implementing virtualization to isolate operating
  system instances, applications, data or
  transaction services
• More than a third (37) say they are using or
  considering using this technology both within
  their store locations and their centralized
  locations and data centers.
• However, these companies appear more likely to
  want to use them within their centralized
  locations and datacenters (40) rather then their
  store locations (15) if they chose between the
  two.
• Only 12 of companies who say they are currently
  using this technology acknowledge that they are
  also using it for other purposes.
• Among these respondents they are most likely to
  say they are using it for Applications (41).
• Retail companies who are using this technology
  are more likely to say they have implemented
  Server virtualization (82) followed by
  Application (51), Desktop (41) and Presentation
  (36).
• Interestingly, companies with revenues of 1
  billion or more are more likely to say their
  company has implemented Application (71 vs. 43)
  and Presentation (57 vs. 29) virtualization
  technology.
• Among the 15 companies who say their company is
  still considering implementing virtualization
  technology, 87 of them say they are considering
  implementing Server virtualization.

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Executive Summary

• Companies who acknowledge using virtualization
  technologies within their store locations say
  numerous reasons impacted their companys
  decision to do so, with half of them saying cost
  savings (49) played a part.
• Additionally, more than four in ten respondents
  say how this technology makes it easier to
  respond to issues and failures of applications
  and systems (46) as well as how it helps them
  save space (43) played a part.
• Being easier to respond to issues and failures of
  applications and systems (23) received the most
  responses when asked which reason impacted their
  companys decision the most.
• This was especially true among companies with
  annual revenues under 500 million (32).
• Among those who are not using or considering
  implementing virtualization to isolate operating
  system instances, applications, data or
  transaction services, half say the main reason is
  the cost (51). Another 41 say the main reason
  is that this is not a priority at this time.
• Close to three-quarters (71) of all respondents
  say they would consider Microsoft based
  virtualization technologies when determining
  their next IT purchase, with more than a third
  (37) saying they would definitely consider
  them.

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Detailed Findings
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Currently Using or Considering Virtualization
Technology
IF NO/DONT KNOW Is your company considering
using virtualization technology to isolate
operating system instances, applications, data or
transaction services in your store locations or
headquarters?
Does your company use virtualization technology
to isolate operating system instances,
applications, data or transaction services in
your store locations or headquarters?
Base BDM78, TDM85
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Where are they using Virtualization Technology?
N146 Does your company use virtualization at
store locations or at centralized locations such
as datacenters? N15 Is your company
considering using virtualization at store
locations or at centralized locations such as
data centers?
Combined Results
Yes, store locations only
15
Yes, Central/Datacenter only
40
Yes, both
37
No/Dont know
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What else are they using Virtualization for?
N146 Does your company use virtualization for
any other purposes? If yes, please tell us how
else your company is using virtualization
technology?
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Types of Virtualization
N146 Which of the following types of
virtualization has your company implemented?
Server
Application
Desktop
Presentation
NONE OF ABOVE
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Impact of decision to implement Virtualization
N74 Which of the following reasons impacted
your companys decision to implement
virtualization within its stores or remote
locations the MOST? From the same list, please
tell me if you think any of these reasons
impacted your companys decision to implement
virtualization within its stores or remote
locations?
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Main reason not implementing Virtualization
N37 Which of the following do you believe is
the main reason your company is holding off on
implementing virtualization?
Cost
Not a priority
Complexity
Legacy issues
OTHER
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Likelihood to consider Microsoft
How likely would you be to consider
Microsoft-based virtualization technologies when
determining your next IT purchase?

• Would consider
• Definitely 37
• Probably 19
• Possibly 15
• Would not consider
• Definitely not 1
• Probably not 2
• Possibly not 1

BaseAll Respondents
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Appendix
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Respondent Profile