File Virtualization

Over the last couple decades, IBM has shifted from an iconic hardware company to a global software solutions innovator. While the vary notion of a dedication IBM PC faded with the acquisition of their Thinkpad and IdeaPad notebook division by Lenovo, the company is rekindling its lead in the desktop space by way of virtual servers. In particular, IBM is introducing a number of solutions that allow IT departments to scale their entire hardware needs from a single set of virtual servers, which can reliable scale and protect data better than a set of physical desktops. With remote support for any machine on the network, it is possible to lower computing costs many times over.

Earlier this decade, IBM made a shift away from the hardware business by selling its ThinkPad division to Lenovo; the recent shift away from traditional IT consulting toward cloud-based computing marks the next era in the company’s evolution. Today, IBM shows little resemblance to iconic hardware company which once pioneered PC sales, nor does it have much in common with the early-stage IT consulting firm that it became just a few years ago; instead, IBM is designed to attack new markets and remains one of the most active research and development departments in the world, resulting in record numbers of patent applications.

For dedicated technology companies, as well as traditional companies looking to improve their infrastructure, IBM has partnered with Canonical to introduce a virtual Linux desktop which is entirely free of Microsoft licensing restrictions. Running a customized version of Ubuntu, complete with Lotus software, the machines are priced under $99 per user, allowing companies to reliably scale at a much lower cost basis. Additional configurations planned include versions of Novell and Red Hat Linux, giving adopters more flexibility on the OS they choose, and further raising the bar of Microsoft.