Progressive SMBs are defined by how they use technology to achieve business growth. From acquiring new customers to managing suppliers to exceeding sales quotas, IT helps a lot. But traditional hardware and software solutions are expensive to purchase and support.

Virtualization allows you to eliminate dependency on physical hardware limitations and software requirements. Before you choose any one virtualization solution, it's a good idea to go over the different companies providing virtualization services. Below is a list of five popular vendors offering reliable virtualization platforms.

Most business owners don’t think of Virtualization when talking about Disaster Recovery (DR). However, virtualization actually serves as an effective disaster recovery plan. Here’s a breakdown for those unfamiliar with how the one can serve as a reliable way of implementing the other.

Just because virtualization is an incredibly advanced and complicated technology doesn’t mean small businesses can’t get in on the action. As experts debate the merits of virtual desktops versus containers, all SMBs need are an elementary understanding of how virtualization works and an IT provider.

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.

As difficult as virtualization may be to understand, it continues to march toward widespread adoption. Up until now, the service was mostly limited to making hardware and software resources better allocated based on needs. However, corporate bigwigs AT&T and Verizon are jumping into the game by adding the option to virtualize network services.

Virtualization is as complicated as it is beneficial to SMBs. The concept alone can take time to fully grasp and making it a reality at your company is even more difficult. However, Amazon Web Services needs to make the service as easy as possible if they expect to retain customers and increase their bottom line.

Keeping up with tech trends as a small or medium-sized business owner is tough. Virtualization may be a great example of this, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Between the boost to network security and ability to scale your workstations and servers according to your business growth, it’s time to start learning a little more about it.

When most people think of Disaster Recovery, the idea of Virtualization is likely far from mind. However, these two IT services are more closely related than the average business owner thinks. Virtualization can actually serve as Disaster Recovery Solution.

Power outages, disasters and other disruptions happen. And thousands of businesses around the globe are affected by them every year, with lost profits ranging into the millions, if not billions. So how can your business protect itself and stay open when the unexpected strikes? Here are five common business continuity strategies that many companies rely on.