RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Many companies are undergoing server virtualization. This is the concept of putting multiple "virtual" servers onto one physical device. The payoffs can be significant: fewer servers, less electricity, less generated heat, less air conditioning, less infrastructure and administration costs, increased flexibility, less physical presence (that is, smaller server rooms), faster maintenance of servers, and more. There are costs, of course, such as licensing the virtualization software, labor costs in establishing the virtual servers onto a physical device, labor costs in updating tables, and access. But determining the return on investment can be a challenge. Some companies have lost money on server virtualization, while most would say that they have gained a positive return on investment but have not really quantified the results.
QUESTIONS:
1. How might a company really determine the return on investment for server virtualization?
2. Is this a project that a systems analyst might be involved in? Why or why not?