From CryptoLocker to WannaCry, ransomware has grown in sophistication and scope over the past few years. And given its widespread success with hackers, more ransomware attacks will likely be developed further into 2018. In anticipation of these attacks, many experts are saying that virtualized disaster recovery solutions may be the best way to defend against future ransomware.

In a win-win move for virtualization vendors and end-users, two of the biggest names in the industry are making their platforms compatible with each other. Amazon Web Services (AWS) can now host virtual machines that use VMware, and that has huge implications for disaster recovery plans.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused millions of dollars in damages. Some of that damage was unavoidable, but hundreds of businesses managed to stay open thanks to innovative virtualization solutions. If you’re not already taking advantage of this technology, it’s time to find out what you’re missing.

The trail of devastation left by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma has reminded us once again that coastlines and even entire regions of the country can be demolished by natural disasters. While catastrophes cannot be prevented, planning around them with a well-crafted disaster recovery (DR) strategy can help minimize the damages and keep your business alive.

With virtualization, you can make software see several separate computers where there is only one, or make several computers look like one supercomputer. That may sound simple, but it’s far from it. Of course the benefits are well worth it; here are just a few.

This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts up to four unusually active hurricanes. With that in mind, there’s no better time to test your disaster recovery (DR) plan. But to avoid data loss and expensive downtime from such catastrophes, there are several things that need to be accounted for.

If small- and medium-sized businesses think cyber security is impossible to manage now, just think about what it was like before the internet provided a way to receive IT support remotely. In today’s business landscape, enterprise-level solutions and security can be delivered from almost anywhere in the world.

Even if virtualization has been explained to you before, it's entirely possible that the definition didn’t stick. There are so many variations of this technology that we take it upon ourselves to periodically review its most basic functions. And because these variations aren't concrete enough to easily understand them, this time we’re including a virtualized desktop for you to play with!
What is virtualization?
The simplest definition is this: It’s the act of creating a virtual (rather than physical) version of something, including hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources.

Over the previous months, you’ve probably heard about new and disruptive trends like virtual assistants, smartphones, and automation technologies. Some of these IT solutions may even be placed on top of your business priority list. However, with floods, fires, and power outages just around the corner, disaster recovery and business continuity plans should always have a place on your annual budget.

Companies can pay a hefty sum if they ever experience any downtime. In fact, Delta Air Lines had a bad bout of severe downtime just last month. In just three days, the airline company cancelled 2300 scheduled flights and suffered $150 million in income loss.